THE senator representing Kebbi South Senatorial District, Garba Maidoki has decried the spate of insecurity in his senatorial district and the entire Kebbi State in spite of the humongous amount of budgetary allocation made available to security agencies.
Senator Maidoki bared his mind Wednesday while addressing a group of journalists at the National Assembly on the security affairs of Kebbi State in particular and Nigeria in general, amid a disturbing number of deaths and killings taking place in the North-West state.
The lawmaker noted that despite the monthly package paid to the Nigerian Army, many of the communities are still under siege by terrorists and that lives of residents are daily threatened.
He noted that there was marginal improvement in the security situation lately across the country, but maintained that a lot more needed to be done to totally eradicate banditry and all forms of insurgency.
“The truth is, we are not doubting the improvement in security, particularly in my area where I can speak authoritatively. We have improved security. But there are still pockets of problems here and there.
“I told the Senate that some villages in my constituency came and met me on the problem they are facing on banditry, being their representative in the government. I directed them to the state governor. They went to Birnin Kebbi unfortunately, they didn’t meet with the state governor, but they presented their letter to the Government House. They came back, two weeks later, bandits entered; amongst those people who came, 12 of them were killed in their own farms.
“So, as their representative, I feel completely responsible even though I don’t have the power or the instrument to stop the banditry What they are expected to do, they have done it. They came to me, they reported this problem! They went to the governor, they reported this problem! “Unfortunately, we are not able to save their lives. So sad we went for condolence, and that is the most unfortunate of the unfortunate”.
Senator Maidoki further questioned the utilization of the funds approved for the security agencies as the Army now waits for the governors to give them grants before they do their job, he claimed.
In his words; ”Just like I said, the state governor told us his contribution to keeping security in that area or in Kebbi State as a whole, monetary-wise, to the tune of 500 million monthly. And I was asking the Senate, where is the money we passed for the Army to do their job, what is it for?
“The Army now has to wait until the state governor gives them grants before they do their job? That is the question for Nigerians to understand and to know, and it’s sad! We appropriated money for security, and we think that money is big enough to address the problem. I cannot understand why the Army or any law enforcement agency, the Police, will wait for the governor to give them counterpart funding before they undertake their job. This is now a norm in Nigeria’s security system,”
He noted that the security agencies needed to come back to the National Assembly and make their demands if there was a shortfall in their budgetary allocation.
It will be recalled that Senator Maidoki, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had earlier on Tuesday made remarks while contributing to a motion sponsored by Isah Jibrin (APC, Kogi East) on the need to rehabilitate communities ravaged by gunmen in Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State. He called or re-appraisal of the modus operandi of security agencies fighting insurgency.
Eighteen-Eleven Media