Youth Assembly tasks Tinubu, Northern govs on security

By KEMI KASUMU

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been called upon to pay attention to securing the lives and properties of Nigerians.

Making this call in a statement on Wednesday was the Northern Youth Assembly (NYA), which said the loss of over 100 lives in Plateau and Katsina states was a wake up call to the Tinubu’s administration.

The group, in the statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Adikwu Joshua, stated that governors across the Northern states must also give priority to the security of lives, adding that they must strengthen local security architectures “such as vigilante, Hisbah, neighbourhood watch and community policing to complement the efforts of the conventional security agencies.”

According to the Assembly, the continued trend by which lives of innocent Nigerians are criminally wasted should not be tolerated by any government that is responsible and sensitive.

“Northern Youth Assembly (Majalisar Matasan Arewa) condemned the recent killings in Plateau and Katsina states and urges President Bola Tinubu to focus more on securing the lives and properties of Nigerians, not allow himself to be used in the alleged politicking and nerve-wracking against some opposition states, especially in the North.

“The NYA is thoughtfully saddened with the recent killings in some communities in Plateau and Katsina states respectively. The two incidents that claimed the lives of many innocent Nigerians.

“This continued trend of wasting the lives of innocent Nigerians, should not be tolerated by any government that is responsible and sensitive, especially a democratically elected government which is supposedly believed to have a contract with the citizens on the security of their lives and properties.

“The attacks on the eve of Christmas, which affected Bokkos and Barkin Ladi in Plateau State, as well as some communities in Jibia Local Government Area in Katsina State, was not only devastating but was also scary.

“While we sympathise with the families of the deceased, the National Leadership of Northern Youth Assembly, as well as the 19 Northern States and FCT chapters, wish to extend our condolences to the family, the government of Plateau and Katsina states, the NYA chapters of Plateau and Katsina states, over the unfortunate and irreparable loss, and we pray for an eternal mercy and forgiveness for the departed souls of the innocent Nigerians.

“It is really shocking and disheartening to receive news on the loss of over 100 lives in both Plateau and Katsina States communities respectively, barely two weeks after an incident in Tudun Biri that claimed the lives of over eighty innocent lives.

“In addition to the destruction of properties that occurred during those attacks, especially at the time when the affected communities were preparing to celebrate the festive season.

“This barbaric act of violence cowardly engineered was not only evil but also inhumane, which counters every humanly recognised attitude of a normal human being, who believes in the sanctity of human life.

“We therefore wish to urge President Bola Tinubu, to concentrate more on providing security for the lives and properties of Nigerians, improve the economy, reduce a ravaging poverty in the country and give a free hand to Anti-graft agencies to genuinely fight corruption, rather than allowing himself to be distracted into politicking and alleged subversion to snatch the governorship seats of some opposition States, especially in Northern Nigeria, an action which wouldn’t add any value to APC-led administration, except to further expose the government to disrepute and ridicule, as the precious time of a president does not worth this ingenuous comedy.

“Let us use this medium to remind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of the enormous responsibility on his head to address the spillover challenges of development he inherited in the country such as: insecurity, starvation, unemployment, economic and political instability, trust deficit between Government and citizens, increasing inflation and the rest,” the statement said.