From John Bassey, Gusau
The Zamfara State Security Trust Fund has organised a five-day stakeholders’ session to address security challenges in the state and its environs. The forum aimed to bring together key stakeholders to discuss the evolving insecurity.
Governor Dauda Lawal, represented by Deputy Governor Mallam Mani Mummune, opened the session. He urged local government chairmen to stay close to their communities to better understand grassroots security issues. “Most of the attacks and other criminal activities carried out by bandits were done in the rural communities,” he said.
He added that chairmen and councillors’ presence in their areas would provide insights into the nature and scale. “It is your responsibility to feed the governor any security threat beyond your control for necessary action, and you are to equally report the actions and inactions of the security operatives,” he stated.
The governor encouraged participants to highlight security issues in their communities for thorough discussion and prompt action.
Abdulkadir Abubakar, Acting Chairman of the Zamfara State Security Trust Fund, said the board had studied its responsibilities over the past year. He stressed the need to review past approaches to avoid repeating failed measures.
“We must try this time around to make a difference, no matter how small. Our solutions must be home-grown, reflecting our unity of purpose among us,” he said.