Sule moves against rising insecurity in Nasarawa

• Convenes security council, unveils empowerment plan for youths, elderly

From Abel Leonard, Lafia

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has vowed that his administration will not sit back while kidnappers and killers continue to terrorise residents, especially in Lafia, the state capital.

The governor made the declaration on Monday, September 1, when he presided over an expanded security council meeting at the Government House, Lafia.

“Kidnapping has become rampant, especially in Lafia Local Government. These are major concerns, and we cannot fold our arms as government. We work very hard to provide infrastructure, but the security and welfare of the people are more important than all these things. Because we can be building bridges, schools, clinics, but if the people are dead, then it does not make any difference,” Sule said.

While commending security agencies for successes recorded in curbing criminality, the governor said more must be done to stop the rising spate of abductions and killings across the state.

He also rolled out fresh plans to tackle the root causes of insecurity, including free skills acquisition for idle youths and special support for elderly citizens with no means of livelihood.

“At the state level, the next meeting we are going to have at the executive council will look at ways to support a lot of our youths roaming the streets without any means of livelihood. It is very important that after appreciating the kinetic approach, we also look at the non-kinetic means. One of those areas is to provide free skills acquisition and give them starter packs to start their businesses,” he stated.

Sule further disclosed that his administration would compile a comprehensive list of unemployed youths and elderly persons above 70 years without support systems for government intervention.

“These are some of the things we have to do to reduce the suffering of the people. We need to take action. We don’t have much time to wait when people are being killed in front of us. We cannot claim to be an authority, claim to be protecting the people, when the people are just being massacred,” he stressed.

On the resettlement of the Bassa people in Toto Local Government Area, the governor expressed appreciation to traditional rulers for their cooperation, noting that security agencies and local authorities had worked to restore peace in the area.

“I want to use the opportunity to thank the Ohimege Opanda and the Ona of Toto. I was briefed that the security agencies and the local government chairman have been very supportive. So far, the people have settled, and the level of criminality in Toto has reduced to an appreciable point where from Toto to Umasha there is no criminality whatsoever,” he said.

Governor Sule insisted that Nasarawa must remain peaceful and warned that even a single life lost to insecurity in the state is one life too many.

“In other places, you can hear 20 or 30 people being killed, but nothing is done. But in Nasarawa, which has been considered peaceful, any time one person is killed, too many are killed,” the governor declared.