Defence Minister Tasks Governors, Others on Banditry

Defence Minister Tasks Governors, Others on Banditry

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

Minister of Defence, Major-General Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd), has tasked governors and other political office holders to go back to their localities and fight poverty through creation of employment opportunities as part of measures to contain banditry and other security concerns being experienced in the hinterlands. Magashi spoke on Saturday in Kano during a meeting with some journalists, shortly after revalidating his All Progressives Congress (APC) membership at Galandanci Ward, Gwale Local Government Area.

The minister said, “I am the Minister of Defence and the defence of this country is entirely my responsibility. We have the mandate to ensure that the lives and property of people are protected.

“I will also refer you to the promise Mr. President made to Nigerians in 2015, that is, security, economy and corruption. If in the process the policy has had some people, who think that they should be given independence to do what they want to do, in order to bring this country down, so be it.

“But certainly, we cannot sit down and watch people to be talking the way they want to. Let them do their own obligation to the people. Let all the governors go do their own obligations. They have so many things that they can do to stop this banditry and other security issues.

“But crying that we should do that or should not do this will not solve the problem. Let everybody go back to his people. Everybody, I mean, all political office holders should go back to their localities and see what is happening there. There is poverty, there is neglect, there is no school, no healthcare centres, nothing!

“So, if they can concentrate on that alone, I think the nation will be better off. But, certainly, I admire the governors saying their voices, but we will all analyse it and we will be able to come up with ideas so that the federal government will remain neutral on every issue that will divide this country. We will not be agents that will divide this country. Certainly, it will not come from President Buhari.”

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