Aliyu Berates Maku For Accusing Northern Governors Of Not Tackling Insurgency

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Friday, May 23rd, 2014

Jacob Oyewale

The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) has berated the Minister of Information Mr Labaran Maku over comments attributed to him, where he accused Northern governors of not doing enough to tackle insurgency in the North-eastern part of the country.

Niger state Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu

The Chairman of the forum and Governor of Niger State, Dr Babangida Aliyu expressed northern governors displeasure to Maku’s comment in his opening address at one day meeting of Federal and State Government’s Security Administrators in Minna on Thursday.

He advised the Minister to stop the blame game and focus on how all stakeholders can work together to tackle insecurity in the country.

“So, for any minister to wake up and start castigating people, that will not solve the problem. I think with what has happened that we need to stop this blame game and start to find solution to what is happening” He added.

Aliyu described Maku’s comment as very uncharitable to the northern governors forum and to the northern governors as a whole.

Maku while addressing State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting on wednesday accused Northern elders and governors of not doing enough to tackle in insurgency in northern party of the country.

According to Minister of Information, “I think the leaders in the north are not doing enough to contain insurgency in the north region. We must see the insurgency in north as something that want to destroy our region and we need to do everything possible to stop it. Local government chairman should be able to secure their area while governor as Chief Security Officer should do their best to secure their state. We don’t have to wait for federal government to do everything.”

The NSGF Chairman said, “I was very sad when I read today ( Thursday) in virtually all the papers, where the Minister of Information was accusing us (northern governors) of not doing enough to fight insurgency in the region.

“If it is his views, then it is very unfortunate; if it is the views of the Federal Government, that is very very uncharitable. It is more than unfortunate and I think it is a part of hypocrisy because no governor, as far as I know and as Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, no Governor will be accused of not doing enough.

“But given the circumstances that we have found ourselves, how can we do enough when we are aware that people like Labaran Maku would be playing politics of their states with a serious matter? I think the statement came out because of what is happening in Nasarawa State and now he generalizes it to the northern states.

“How can we do enough when some people believe that what is happening is a deliberate plan to stop some people and therefore the action that should have been taken from the start was delayed?

“Why should anybody accuse us of not doing enough with even the children that were kidnapped? Some people are trying to make it look as if nothing happened.”

Aliyu stated non of northern governor has either been invited by the National Security Adviser or the Director of SSS to be told what to do and he did not do it.

“We as Northern Governors set up a committee that went round all the states we sent our report and recommendations to the Federal Government and what did the Federal Government do? It set up another committee which went round and plagiarised the report of the Northern governors. So, for any minister to wake up and start castigating people, that will not solve the problem. I think with what has happened that we need to stop this blame game and start to find solution to what is happening.

“If we are serious, if there is the political will, with the assistance of the international committee, we should be able to finish this thing in three months. We still insist, all the agreements entered into should be finished within three months.” He concluded.