‘Admit your failure, seek help in fight against insecurity or resign,’ Afenifere tells Masari

The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, on Wednesday described the Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari’s call for Nigerians to acquire arms in a bid to protect themselves from bandits as unfortunate.

Masari had in a chat on the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) asked the people of the state to acquire arms in a bid to protect themselves from bandits terrorizing communities in the North-West.

The group’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, in a chat with journalists in Lagos, said the governor’s remark has further exposed the paucity of deep thinking at the level of governance in Nigeria.

He asked the governor to admit his inability to tackle the problem, seek help or resign.

Ajayi said: “Saying that citizens would be given arms to defend themselves as a way of tackling the insecurity problem in Katsina is almost like saying that you are to ‘democratize’ crime because crime could not be controlled.

“What sort of weapons would the government give the citizens that would be as sophisticated as the ones in the hands of terrorists?

“And, what is the guarantee that those saddled with the responsibility of procuring the arms would not divert parts of it to the terrorists?

READ ALSO: Buy guns, protect yourselves, Katsina gov, Masari, tells residents

“The same governor earlier negotiated with the terrorists the other time including paying them ransoms as reported.

“That did not stop terrorism from festering. What gave him and his advisers the confidence this new idea will work the magic?

“In any case, where will the money for the arms come from? From a budget that has no provision for such?

“Governor Masari and those who may be thinking like him should perish the thought. They can eat the humble pie, admit that they can no longer find solutions to societal problems. They can then seek genuine help or resign.

“Nigeria and Nigerians deserve far better than what we are getting from our governments. Too bad.”

By: Udeobasi Ngozi

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