UPDATE: Emergency declaration not solution to insecurity ― Masari

Amid growing calls for the declaration of a state of emergency on insecurity in the country, Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State has said that it is not the solution to the problem.

He stated this after a meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the presidential villa, Abuja on Thursday.

Masari, who conceded that insecurity was a serious problem, maintained that even if a state of emergency was declared, it is the same security personnel and same resources that would be available to execute it, which he said, was unlikely to make any difference.

The governor stressed the need for all Nigerians to be involved in the task of finding peace and security for the country.

He said Nigeria must not be allowed to disintegrate as such would mean a major crisis for the entire African continent.

Masari expressed concern over the security situation in Katsina where attempts had been made to negotiate with bandits.

He added: “Actually, the situation is still of high concern, insecurity is real and we’re doing everything to make sure that we control the situation so that it doesn’t reach the level it reached before and we’re hopeful that working together with the security agencies and the responsible people and also the repentant bandits will be able to have our state will back to normalcy.”

The governor also expressed worries about the position expressed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that there would be zero remittance into the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) in the month of May.

He advised that the issue must be critically addressed because of the dangers it posed to the finances of the state, which he said might not be able to pay salaries.

On whether the state of emergency would solve the problem of insecurity, Masari stated: “It cannot. How can the state of emergency solve the problem?

“You have a situation where the military is in all the states of the federation, then you ask yourself, how many do we have? Are we not overstretching them?

“So, the reality is the responsibility of securing this country is ours, all of us. We have a role to play and we must play it for the sake of the country and for the sake of our children and grandchildren, not for the sake of the persons that in office.

“I think we have to understand that whatever we do to restore security today, we are not doing it for one particular person or group of persons, but we are doing it for all of us, for the country and in fact, for Africa. A stable Nigeria means a stable Sub-Saharan Africa.

“So, I think we’d better be serious about this issue of security. If you say set up a state of emergency, what do you do? We are having the same people, the same security agencies, the same capacities, and the same resources. So, what are we talking about?

“We have a problem that everybody has a role to play, we better play it. Politics should be over, the security situation of this country is beyond partisan politics, it’s a national concern for all of us, every responsible person in this country.”

Reacting to the NNPC intended zero remittance to Federation Account, Masari said: “I think it’s something that we’ll have to work towards. Without resources, again, it’s another factor that affects security. You cannot create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth in the rural communities.

“What do we do to make sure that those who are recruiting the youths in the localities are not given opportunities, do not have an upper hand? It is with resources state governments and local governments will be able to contain some of these restive youths so that they can be used for better purposes because most of them might be foot soldiers to the bandits.

“So, I think we have to look at this issue seriously. It will significantly affect even the capacity of states to pay salaries and to do what is necessary for the smooth running of government and also fund of the security agencies, the logistic requirement of security agencies.

“I think these people better visit the states and see what the states are doing.”

Recalled that the corporation had Indicated that because of the payment of petroleum subsidy, it would not be in a position to make its remittance for the month of May.

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