Insecurity: Ban on open grazing, not solution, Senator Ndume tells Southern Governors

Senator representing Borno South and Chairman Senate Committee on Army, Ali Ndume, has expressed reservation over the assessment of the security challenges facing the country by the governors in the southern part of the country.
At a briefing with newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, Senator Ndume said the ban on open grazing would not solve the scary security challenge across states in the federation.

Southern Governors Forum, an umbrella body of Governors in the southern part of the country at the end of their meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital on Tuesday resolved to ban open grazing in their respective states.

The governors expressed the hope that their position would help to mitigate the herders-farmers clashes and curtail the prevailing high prices of foodstuffs.

Ndume who noted that each geo-political zone has its peculiar security challenge accused the governors of indulging in the blame game.

He said: “As far as I am concerned, this blame game will not solve the problem. Governors are the Chief security officers of their states, so, why are they talking about the President without talking about themselves?

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“The governors are deviating from the matter. The problem is not about open grazing. The problem is security. Most of the insecurity problems confronting Nigeria is not in the bush. We have four different types of security challenges. We have the insurgency in the North-East, IPOB through the Eastern Security Network is creating insecurity in the South-East, there is banditry in the North West. It is only in the North Central that we have issues of farmers-herders clashes. There is less problem in the South-West except for the clashes between the herdsmen and the farmers and the agitators for the Yoruba nation. Similarly, in the South-South, they are trying to instigate the avengers but so far the area is peaceful.

“The issue of insecurity is unique to each zone. President Buhari has taken charge of the security personally now. It used to be the Chief of Staff or the Minister of Defence who was having meetings with the service chiefs but today, the President has taken charge of the problem. That is a good development and I hope we would start seeing results but the most important thing is for them to be provided with the necessary equipment to prosecute the war and their allowances should be paid in time.”

Commenting on the recent attack on Maiduguri, the Borno State capital by the terror gang, Boko Haram, the Chairman Senate Committee on Army commended the military for repelling the attacks.

“I commend the Armed Forces operating in Maiduguri for their gallant response to the attack by the Boko Haram.

“On Tuesday evening around 6 pm, a group of Boko Haram insurgents wanted to infiltrate Maiduguri but the Armed Forces responded swiftly and neutralised and repelled the insurgents. I understand that most of the insurgents were killed. The Army, Airforce, Police and the Civilian JTF, played a very significant role in repelling the insurgents. If such reaction from the Armed Forces is sustained, the insurgents would be repelled whenever they surface anywhere in the North -East.

“We pray that this month of Ramadan will bring peace to our country.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE