A member of the National Assembly and
former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, has hailed President Bola Tinubu for gradually returning security in his home state.
Yari, who represents Zamfara West at the upper chambers of the National Assembly, in an interview with newsmen on Thursday evening after meeting with President Tinubu at the State House, Abuja said “I believe the President is doing his best on the issue of security because he has started talking with the National Security Adviser on the issue of the insecurity and the many progress had been achieved from, I think last one month, to now in Shinkafi area and part of Zurmi and now they are working on part of Anka and Chaffe, which I used to get the brief from my colleague who is the Chairman, Security in the Senate”
The Senator, who said he was at the sest of government on courtesy visit to the President, said there are indications that sanity is gradually returning to gold-rich communities following the President’s deployment of security forces to the area.
Zamfara has of recent been largely enveloped by banditry and kidnapping, which have also been linked with activities of illegal gold miners.
The former governor, however, tried to explain that insecurity in the state has been more of direct activities of criminals involved in cattle rustling and other forms of criminal activities, including human abductions.
According to him: “When I was there, I didn’t believe I didn’t believe that the issue of mining was one of the problems, but when I got out, I began to look at it, attending so many lectures because the people that are causing the trouble, I want you to look at it and study carefully the relationship between the mining and insecurities.
“This insecurity is either cattle rustling or human abduction. So if you look at it, and then you see mining, so what is it? But at one time, I was attending a programme in Netherland and someone told me that look, the issue is if you have since settled that there is no insecurity issue, it will attract the investors to come in for the real activity of the mining.
“But when there’s this issue of insecurity, those that are working against you, wherever they are, maybe in the country, maybe outside the country, then they will succeed, encouraging those issues of insecurity to be there so that you can’t get the benefits of the endowment that God has blessed the country with, then I began to start thinking about it.
“A year after I left office, some groups protested in Kaura Namoda local government and said they didn’t understand why we’re saying the relationship between the insecurity and the mining are not together for one reason. The local will be attacked almost on daily basis, whereas where people are doing the mining are free, there’s no trouble.
“So they started to put one and two together and said okay, either those that are doing the mining are supporting the bandits or they’re given the whatever support it is in any way or they are together because if it is money, they have the gold mine or some minerals that they should go and attack them, but there’s no attack in that area and they’re neighbours just by the border. So what is happening.
“So they now protested that those people must leave the place. Well, you as usual, you know the the mining with the act is the protector is kind of exclusive in the section of the Constitution, is not controlled by the state. So there’s not much governors can do.
Speaking on the purpose for visiting the President, Yari said he came around to pay courtesy and encourage the Nigerian leader for the good work he has started, saying that even though his task is a difficult one, the President cannot complain because he asked for the job.
He, however, alluded to the fact that the hard work being embarked upon by the President are part of efforts to keep the ruling party in power and to ensure that another member of the party succeeds the administration at the end of subsequent election years.
He said: “As usual, I believe I’m part of his team before now and during the campaign and for the first time since he was inaugurated as President, this is my first time to be here. I came, first to congratulate him, and also to encourage him on the work he has started, it is not an easy one, it’s a very difficult tasks, but to remain focused and determined because Nigeria is a huge country, but as he said earlier, he has no reason to complain because he asked for the job.
“We know there are a lot of challenges and from time to time, as a chieftain of the party, and the party in government, and one of the founders of this great party, I Yari, deemed it necessary to be seeing my President from time to time to encourage him and to advise where necessary, and how we’re going to make Nigeria a better place.
“As you are all aware, when the election is over, the program of government and the policies put in place is for the next election, name that programme whatever it is because no government wants to lose out and no government wants to leave without having someone who will take over from it, who is from the same party with it.
“So I came in and we discussed and I wished him well and prayed Almighty God to guide him and give him the wisdom to lead Nigeria right for its betterments”
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
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