Let me start by congratulating you on your seventh year anniversary in office, it is indeed a milestone, in your historic leadership of this country.
Your Excellency, as you mark this significant milestone, I am sure the rising insecurity in many parts of the country continues to occupy your mind and is your utmost priority as you and your administration enter the last lap of your term in office. Many Nigerians including myself applaud the work your administration has put into combatting insecurity. This we know includes significant spending which has enabled the retooling of the armed forces with state of the art equipment including combat aircraft and improved welfare of the armed forces who are at the forefront of this fight. This commitment is indeed improving the battle against insurgency and terrorism in Nigeria. We also know that these long term investments which were missing prior to your coming into office, will continue to help Nigeria long after you leave office.
Your Excellency, while the focus on the kinetic approach to tackling insecurity is necessary, it is important that we pay as much attention to the non-kinetic approaches as well. I know this administration has also done some work in this area, but Mr. President, I say this will all sense of responsibility that it isn’t enough and more needs to be done.
An unfolding catastrophe
There is a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the North-west region of Nigeria and if a bold, urgent non-military intervention is not implemented, I fear the troubles we see today will pale in insignificance compared to what is to come. I know I am not a security expert but I have spent the last four years working for those whose lives have been upended by these conflicts and so my conclusions are informed. It is with the knowledge of all of the pain, destruction and carnage that I have witnessed, first hand, that I am calling, unequivocally, for the establishment of the North-west Development Commission.
The already devasted North-west region has a prolonged history of humanitarian crisis with roots in conflicts that many today don’t even remember. From the Kano Maitatsine crisis in the 80s, to the religious crisis in Kaduna, to the troubles with the Shiite’s movement in Zaria, and the conflict between pastoralists and farmers which has metamorphosed into raging banditry which is now again mutating before our very eyes and is being incorporated into the terrorism groups currently at war with Nigeria. The human and economic cost of these conflicts has been heavy.
Kidnapping, cattle rustling, sexual assault of women and girls and murder are now a regular part of life in North-west Nigeria, tragically. This conflict is also particularly dangerous because it also involves the willful destruction of property and people’s livelihood. Undoubtedly and by all definitions and magnitude, what we have is a regional crisis that threatens the very fabric of Nigeria.
Your Excellency, I know you are full aware of the wanton destruction of livelihood sources, social facilities, ranging from schools, farmlands, to market and water sources, among others. Far different from the ideology war of Boko Haram and ISWAP crisis, the killings and destruction in the North-west have no specific ideology, motive or even demand making it even more difficult not only to grasp and profile effectively but also to receive the international help given to the fight against terrorism although this is changing. The provision of a coordinated humanitarian response for the people of these states through the establishment of North-west Development Commission could make all the difference and help attract the required assistance including from international bodies.
This is critical because the devastating impact of this crisis on the overwhelming majority of the people in these states is horrific. Sadly, the region has lost significant population of people living in the rural areas, translating into abject poverty in both rural and urban communities. Analysts believe that within the states most affected, you won’t find small communities of a 1000 or so people which used to be the case. All have been forced to move into bigger towns with devastating consequences for their livelihood, especially, agriculture with the attendant consequences on food security and poverty.
According to the NLSS 2019 report, the poverty headcount rate for these affected states is below the national average, with Sokoto state recording the highest in the country. No wonder, the attention of the international community is shifting towards addressing this growing disaster with many showing interest in assisting the states, and, by extension, the federal government towards surmounting this challenge. The effectiveness of this though will largely rely on having a coordinating structure.
Mr. President, the Boko Haram and ISWAP conflict in the North-east tremendous negative impact on that region in particular and on the country as a whole. This is now equally the situation in the North-west and the regular, poor innocent citizen are paying a really high price. Their lives, and this is no exaggeration, because I have seen it first hand, are living hell.
The education sector in the North-west has been devasted by the ongoing conflict. For a region that is already dis-advantaged, educationally, this is a disaster. Again and again, schools have been attacked, children abducted and some of the premises turned into headquarters of the bandits and criminals terrorising communities. You may recall the visit of Dr Gummi to a bandits den. The video from that visit showed what appears to be a primary school building which has been taken over by the nefarious criminals.
Farming which is the bedrock of economic activities in the North-west is now derailed. This livelihood source of over 80% of population has seized to exist. People find themselves torn between going to the farm and risking getting kidnapped or worst killed, or paying ransom to enable them cultivate their farms. It is damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation because criminals have no honour and do not always keep to their word not to harm the farmers.
Your Excellency, the Northwest Development Commission will, if set up, undoubtedly, foster rapid reintegration, rehabilitation and reconstruction of this politically and demographically important region. The entire people of the region would, if they have the opportunity add their voices to this call for the urgent establishment of the North-west Development Commission.
Finally, I call on all our legislators, political office holders, religious and traditional leaders and other elite from the region to join me in pressing for this important instrument of development and security for this region. The North-west Development Commission is long overdue.
It is time to do the needful if the North-west is to stand a chance. Yes, the guns and soldiers and boots on ground matter, but if we do not deal decisively with the humanitarian crisis and underlying issues of the conflict, we may win battles but will lose the war.
Yours sincerely,
Hon. Ahmed is Commissioner, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Zamfara state.
