Insecurity: Groups call for Masari’s resignation

A non-governmental organisation, Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) Katsina state chapter, Saturday, said the patriotic statement of Governor Aminu Masari directing citizens to take up arms and defend themselves is a clear sign of failure of the APC administration to discharge its primary responsibility of protecting the lives and property of the people.

Addressing newsmen in Katsina, the Northwest coordinator of the group, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, called on the governor and his cabinet to honourably resign.

He said the present administration is certainly incapable of combating the threat posed by the audacious crimes of banditry and kidnapping in the state.

“Virtually, the entire state is gradually turning into a house of horror with killings in Batsari, Jibia, Danmusa, Safana, Kankara, Sabuwa, Faskari and Dandume among others.

“The audacity with which bands of armed criminals ride freely to terrorise, massacre, loot and displace Katsina communities without any counter response from government troops call to question the willingness, readiness, sincerity and capacity to curb the drift towards anarchy in these affected parts.”

Charanchi appreciated the courage of the governor for telling his people of the reality on ground, saying that, “he will forever be remembered for explaining the facts.”

The group therefore called on all stakeholders to strengthen the activities of the vigilantes in the state, while the politicians and other well meaning individuals should mobilise resources for the running of their activities and purchase of equipments.

They also condemned the activities of informants and appealed to all well meaning citizens to report all suspicious moves in their area to the appropriate authorities for prompt action.

“While we salute the courage and efforts of some of our patriotic security agents and we equally implore them to continue their good work as what they are doing is a service to humanity and service to humanity is a service to God,” he concluded.

Responding, the director general on Media to the governor, Malam Abdu Labaran Malumfashi, said the call made by the Katsina state chapter of the CNG on Governor Masari to resign is to say the least, absurd, for reasons not hard to fathom.

He said security is on the exclusive list of the Nigerian constitution, which means it is exclusively a federal government affair.

“In matters of security, a governor is the chief security officer of his state only in name, because the various security chiefs working in the state take orders not from him, but from their superiors in Abuja. The only thing they take from governors are the financial and material assistance (both solicited and unsolicited), which they extend to the security institutions in the states. Governor Masari is second to none when it comes to proactive engagement with security agencies,” he said.