Governor Ibrahim Gaidam

By Michael Olugbode                      
                                  
Traditional rulers and elders of Borno State have condemned the actions of the federal government towards resolving the seeming intractable insecurity in the state while also alleging that the government at the centre had abandoned the people of the state.

Also Friday, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of troubled Yobe State assured residents of the state capital, Damaturu for the umpteen time that his administration remained committed to their welfare and security and would continue to do everything necessary to keep the state safe.

Rising from a meeting initiated by the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi yesterday, the Borno elders alleged that the federal government had failed the people of the state with its stand against the Boko Haram insurgency, "which encourages force rather than dialogue."

Briefing the press after the meeting which had in attendance the Shehu of Borno and two former governors of the state - Alhaji Mohammed Goni and his succession, Alhaji Asheikh Jarma among prominent other leaders - the Secretary of Borno Elders Forum, Alhaji Bulama Mali Gubio said "the fact on the ground is that the federal government has abandoned the people of the state to its fate and the mercy of the Boko Haram sect."

He said the federal government had disappointed the people of the state by its continued refusal to choose dialoguing with the sect in preference for arms struggle "which has worsen the situation and led to monumental lose of lives and property."

He said it was unfortunate that the federal government had failed to listen to advice that the Boko Haram insurgency could not be solved by force and ‘’It is clear now that the federal government is not interested in solving this problem. There is no part of the world where the use of force had crushed an insurgency like this.’’

Gubio explained that the meeting was at the instance of the Shehu who summoned all the elders so that "they can put head together and discuss how to solve the insecurity problem that the state has been facing for about three years."
He was however hopefully that the result of their deliberation would start manifesting in the next two weeks.

Earlier before the leaders went into a closed-door deliberation, the Shehu of Borno had appealed to every resident to continue praying for peace to return to the state.
Meanwhile, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State yesterday assured residents of the state of his administration’s commitment to keep the state safe.