Embrace Dialogue To Solve Insecurity – Masari Tells Buhari

Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to embrace dialogue to address security challenges in the country.

The governor also asked the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on insecurity as a measure to curb the activities of the criminals in the North.

Masari said this while declaring open the 2021 third-quarter general meeting of the conference of state legislators of Nigeria on Saturday.

Recall that the governor had earlier rejected calls by notable Nigerians and the House of Representatives asking the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on insecurity.

He had said that declaring a state of emergency cannot solve the problem of insecurity in the country, condemning the plan to deploy troops to all the states.

But at the meeting on Saturday, Masari backtracked and asked the federal government to declare a state of emergency on insecurity in order to curb the activities of bandits in Katsina.

The governor added that the move will stop the killings and destruction of properties across the state, bring peace and stability to the state.

He said: “In Katsina state, our major problem is the security challenge we are facing in some parts of the state. With the support of the state house of assembly, some legal frameworks were put in place, while the existing ones were restructured in order to address security challenges.

“Issues of conflicts with different pressure groups could be resolved through dialogue with stakeholders and other relevant groups to avoid the loss of lives and destruction of properties being experienced in almost many parts of the state and the country.

“I wish to call on the federal government to declare an emergency on the nation’s security in order to bring an end to the loss of lives and properties across the state.

“Security agencies are putting in their best to address the security issues across the country, but more has to be done to curtail the activities of bandits, cattle rustlers, armed separatists and other criminal elements across the country.”