The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhamnad Sa’ad Abubakar, has tasked Northern governors to implement several recommendations submitted to their forum on how to resolve the security challenges bedeviling the region.
Sultan, who made the call in Kaduna on Thursday, expressed fear that if nothing was done by the governors and other Northern elites to cater for the 50,000 children orphaned by Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, their case will be worse than Boko Haram, if allowed to grow without proper care.
Speaking at the Northern Security meeting convened by Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP), the Sultan who stated categorically that the challenges facing the North were caused by Northern elites and leaders, condemned the creation of Operation Shege Ka Fasa by the coalition of Northern youth groups, which he described as a group of youths.
According to the Sultan, “Governors must see that they do more to address the insecurity, just imagine that there are over 50,000 orphans who don’t know their parents. They will be worse than Boko Haram if allowed to grow without proper care Several recommendations have been made but are not implemented, and as it remains unimplemented, we will continue to suffer the consequences.
“We are not short of solution to the challenges facing the North, what we lack is implementation. We have lots of documents from several meetings and conferences submitted to the leaders and they have gone into the shelves. So, we have the solutions to the Northern problems. If you like, let us categorise them, solve the immediate ones first.
“There was a committee set up by the Northern Governors’ Forum under Talban Minna (former Niger State Governor, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu), the committee was asked to go round the North and see how they can find solutions to the problems of the North, the committee called me and said they wanted to come and start with me before they go to other Emirs and chiefs.
“I told the committee chairman, don’t worry, I will summon all the Emirs and chiefs to Kaduna, so that you can hear our submissions in one place. The meeting took place here at the State House, Kawo, Kaduna, and I remembered saying at the meeting that, we caused our problems in the North and if we want to solve our problems, we will solve it, nobody needs to come from anywhere to solve our problems for us.
“At the end, that committee finished its work, submitted its report to the Northern Governors, but, what have they done with it?
“As the chairman of the Northern traditional rulers council, I know we have written position paper on two occasions to the Northern Governors’ Forum and at their meeting here in Kaduna, I personally went with Gbong Gwom Jos, Etsu Nupe and two others, we gave them this paper, Babangida Aliyu was the chairman then, they thanked us and said they were going to work with the document, but up till now, this is 2020, I have not heard a word from anybody.
“Also on two occasions, we met with the Northern States Governors’ Forum at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House and we discussed extensively on so many issues, but up till now, we have not heard anything about what the Northern Governors will be doing in collaboration with us to move the North out of the woods. We are still waiting, hopefully, we would be invited to take part in some of the activities, because they are the ones, they own the meat and the knife.” He said.
Speaking on regional security outfits, Sultan who disclosed that, he would be addressing a gathering in Southwest next week however blamed the Northern leaders for allowing youths to float Operation Shege Ka Fasa in the North. “What I want talk about is the Northern Youth Coalition that just created their own security outfit with just two or three vehicles, I saw it on the the television, and the media gave them attention.
“Now, the elders and elites allowed the youths to go forward. So, the elites are our problems, the elders are our problems. If the elders don’t take the lead, the youths will do whatever they like and think they are right. You have to caution this youths by giving them good leadership. Now, the youths have launched their own security outfit I don’t know what they call it, Shege Ka Fasa’, meaning what?
“So, I want to call on Northern elders to caution them. Don’t allow the youths to take over leadership from you. That, is why this forum is very important, you have to reach out to everybody, no matter how low the person is. So, I think we need to take the bull by the horn and not allow the youth take over responsibility. I think we need to do that and much more.”
