WORSENING SECURITY SITUATION IN KATSINA STATE AND THE NEEDS URGENT ATTENTION, By Mohammed Sabiru Danlami

Katsina State in the past is one of the most peaceful States in the Northwest geopolitical zone and the entire country. The peaceful atmosphere in the state puts it among the most prospective States in terms of socioeconomic, political and educational developments with the lowest poverty and literacy ahead of many other States.
However, the worsening security situations in the state becomes a source of concerns and worries to all right thinking persons. Katsina State is one of the States with large scales foods productions through small, medium and large scales farming.
The Southern parts of the State (Funtua Zone/Karadua) is popular and well known for large scale farming due to favorable climate and fertile land that makes agriculture a profitable business far ahead Katsina Central and Katsina North Senatorial Zones.
People of Funtua Zone made agriculture and business their sources of living which makes white-collar jobs unattractive among it’s people.
The worsening security around Funtua and other neighboring Local Government Areas which started from cattle rustling escalated to full pledge banditry and kidnapping. These security challenges in our areas and other parts of the State continues to make life difficult, hard and potentially dangerous to the people of the affected areas.
Initially the problems of banditry and kidnapping were limited to remote villages in the State, but in the recent past it is quickly becoming an urban phenomenon whereby the bandits are conducting house-to-house operations as it happens in Funtua and other places.
I am using this medium to commiserate with the victims of banditry in Funtua and the entire State which resulted to the lost of lives, properties, displacement of people, rapes and other forms of assaults. The occurrences of banditry and kidnapping on daily has since became part of our everyday life that makes us to live in perpetual fear wherever we are at our homes, on a journey, markets, mosques and in our farms. The problems of insecurity caused by banditry and kidnapping makes farming, difficult or impossible for fear of being attacked by bandits as many people pay ultimate prices.
I condemned in the most strongest terms the worsening security situation we found ourselves as a result of poor methods and strategies to find a lasting solution to our problems, despite the fact that we have a State House of Assembly who supposed who are watching thing deteriorating with less or nothing to show on our collective security as the people’s representatives.
Lately the State House of Assembly on Monday 8th August, 2022 makes a resolution on the floor of the House and summoned the Governor of Katsina State Rt. Hon Aminu Bello Masari to appear before it to give them detail explanations on the worsening security situation in the State. The Member representing Katsina Constituency in the State sponsored this motion where he called on the government to overhaul the security apparatus, architecture and structure in the State. The member representing Funtua Constituency he also called on the government to suspend restrictions imposed on motorcyclists and tricycles operators from 10:00pm-6:00am which mainly affects ordinary men and women by making things more difficult to them.
What we should ask at this juncture as observed in a video clip trending in social media from the State House of Assembly by Honorable Member where he said let me make my contribution on the worsening security and what is going on is an indication that, if what is happening in our areas due not deserved the attentions of the House unless things that affect them or their godfathers so they are not representing people but themselves.
What become a source of concerns is how a person representing people that were in difficult condition but he cannot talk unless someone talks then he follows due lack of concern, competency and experience. When it comes to the plot allocations he is in the frontline not what is good for his people particularly security challenges.
It is now that the State House of Assembly knows that there are security challenges in the State?
How many times does the Katsina State House of Assembly invited the stakeholders in the security sector to explain the security challenges facing the State?
Had the Katsina State House of Assembly ever came out and informed the general public on the development and progress in the fight against banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling or otherwise and the efforts of government on it?
Where is the security votes given to the State and how the government has spent it in detail?
Where the Hon. Member representing Funtua Constituency alleged “the security advisers of the State are not telling the government the reality on ground what has he done to inform the Governor?
The Hon. Member representing Funtua Constituency alleged that, they are not part of security committee and do not know when the committee and the stakeholders sit and deliberate on security challenges devastating parts of the State.
Do you want to tell the whole world that, the worsening security situations is a sign that you do not have a mutual understanding and relationship with the people you are representing?
It’s now that, you are aware of the failures of the government to take all the necessary measures to protect our towns and villages?
How many times did you ever investigate the budgetary allocations to the security and follows the government on how it is spending the security budgets?
How many times does the government meet with the people affected by devastation of security situations in order to find out lasting solutions or deal with the problem squarely?
Is there any law enacted by the Katsina State House of Assembly or resolution that will enhance mutual understanding between the state government and the security agencies?
Indeed without further explanations this government fails woefully in it’s constitutional duties and roles to protect the lives and properties of its citizens.
I do not subscribe to the ideas of camping the Honorable Members of our House of Assembly to remain in the State’s capital perpetually, the government should open offices for them in their constituencies so that a day will be earmarked for them to listen to the complaints of the people they representing.
The security issues in Katsina State do not required movements restrictions of motorcycles and tricycles operators alone, what we need at this critical time is to force the government to wakeup from its slumbers to do what is right within the remaining limited time.
However, you should know that those people who elected you into the office they have the rights over you ensure the security and safety of their lives and properties. Remember, the day of judgment is ahead of you and Allah the Most High will ask you how you handled the affairs of those that elected you. 2023 general elections is ahead and people are there waiting for you and they will pass their judgment from top to bottom.
I am calling on the leadership of the State House of Assembly and the entire Honorable Members to know that people are now more enlightened than before they know where to put their votes. We voiced out the grievances of the people that elected you, you left them down at the critical time they need you to call on the executive and other stakeholders to look at their predicament.
Finally may Almighty Allah in His infinite power brings his quick intervention to deal with everyone who is behind our worsening security situations. Bissalam
Mohammed Sabiru Danlami
NNPP Candidate for State House of Assembly
Funtua Constituency.