Katsina spends N60m monthly supporting security agencies – Gov. Masari

The Katsina State Government spends not less than N60 million monthly in supporting security agencies so as not to compromise the state’s peace, the Governor, Alhaji Aminu Masari, has said.
Masari said this when he addressed the opening of the meeting of federal and states security administrators at the Conference Hall of the Katsina State Secretariat in Dandagoro.
In view of the present financial position of the state, Masari solicited the assistance of the Federal Government to fund security agencies operating in the state.
Alternatively, Masari said the Federal Government may consider providing specific resources to enable State Governments accommodate security financial commitment and attend to other societal developmental needs.
He contended that the state government had always taken the issue of security seriously and invested so much and achieved a lot in the protection of lives and property of people.
The Governor recalled that at the inception of the present All Progressives Congress administration, armed banditry, cattle rustling and other related crimes were the major security challenges in state.
From 2011 to 2015, Masari said Katsina State witnessed an upsurge in the menace of cattle rustling and armed banditry, which resulted in colossal loss of lives and property, displaced so many people and made farming impossible, bringing economic setback to the state.
According to the Governor, such heinous activities affected Jibiya, Batsari, Safana, Danmusa, Kankara, Faskari, Dandume and Sabuwa local governments, adding that the state witnessed a particular despicable scenario during which over 100 people were massacred at once in one of such banditry attacks.
He said the state government organized and funded various joint security operations, which dislodge criminals from their hideouts, leading to recovery of thousands of rustled animals.
Masari said a committee later organized series of meetings, which led to acceptance of amnesty programme that brought relative peace in the state.
The Governor expressed happiness that the amnesty initiative led to the surrender of 350 firearms by repentant cattle rustlers in Kankara on January 15, 2017.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Suleiman Halliru, said the meeting is a national forum that accords participants the opportunity to discuss and proffer solutions to security challenges facing the country.
In a welcome address, the Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Dr. Mustapha Muhammad Inuwa, welcome delegates to the meeting and expressed appreciation to Governor Masari for the moral and financial support towards hosting the two-day event in the ancient city of Katsina.
Inuwa said 15 states are adequately represented at the security meeting and hoped that fruitful deliberations would be achieved for peace to reign supreme in the states.