A group has condemned the Coalition for Northern Groups (CNG) for urging Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina state to resign following his call on Katsina state citizens to defend themselves against bandits.
Arewa Network of Social Reformers (ANSR) said such call for a democratically elected representative of the people to resign for defending the interest of his people smirk of being used by the opposition to achieve what it couldn’t achieve at the polls.
The Network noted that the efforts of Masari in addressing insecurity in Katsina state and his laudable achievements is enough to prove that the call is misplaced.
“The recent call by the Katsina State Chapter of the Coalition of Northern GROUPS (CNG) calling on Governor Aminu Bello Masari to resign, came to us as a surprise,” ANSR President, Engr. Musa Idris, who was flanked by the Secretary, Ibrahim Suleiman said while reading the statement.
“The Arewa Network of Social reformers took exception to the call by the CNG. We feel it is preposterous to ask a constitutionally elected Governor to resign. We are not holding brief for Katsina state government nor are we the mouthpiece of Governor Aminu Bello Masari, but we need to put some matters right.
“We are responding to the unfair assertion by the Katsina state Chapter of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) on it’s uninformed call that Governor Masari should resign.
“We join other well meaning patriot and citizens of Katsina state in backing and saluting the courage and boldness of Governor Aminu Bello Masari on his CNG misconstrued statement that is indeed morally wrong for people to submit to bandits without any form of attempt to defend themselves against the criminal elements terrorising them.
“The indiscriminate killings, kidnappings and attacks orchestrated by bandits on innocent citizens in Katsina state, should be the concern of all and sundry in the state. The job of securing the lives and properties of the citizens cannot be left to the government or security agencies alone.
“The job requires the support of security agencies, through intelligence gathering, including traditional, religious and political leaders, who must engage more with people to restore normalcy in the beleaguered state, because the bandits stay amongst us, the criminals live with us. The issue of banditry is something everyone must rise up to condemn.
“If the Katsina chapter of CNG have been following the happenings in the state closely as it claimed, one will be surprised and ask where is the appreciation of the many initiatives of Governor Masari on the securitychallenges that did not foreclose negotiations and dialogue, talk more of the continuous mobilization of finance and material assistance to the security agencies.
“We are also shocked that CNG in Katsina state, did not know about what Governor Masari has done and is still doing on IDPs: they are not aware that no state supports IDPs in the entire Northwest like Masari. The efforts by Governor Aminu Bello Masari in curbing banditry and kidnappings in Katsina state cannot be overemphasized. It is with this determination that persuaded the governors of the Northwest to make him the chairman of their security committee.”
