Published
on August 13, 2022
Following the admission by Governor Nasir El-Rufai that terrorists run parallel government in Kaduna state, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) says the governor uses insecurity to grab and consolidate his power and authority, rationalized it, defended and appeased the terrorists.
The forum noted that even now that his power, authority, leadership qualities and reputation are being rubbished, he is still only paying lip service to the primary responsibility of government which is the security and welfare of peace loving citizens.
Reacting to the governor’s admission to the activities of terrorists in the state in a statement in Kaduna on Saturday, the acting President of SOKAPU, Awemi Dio Maisamari said, “With the benefit of other recent revelations or admissions made on how we have found ourselves where we are, we very much understand why Elrufai is now crying foul. While using insecurity to grab and consolidate his power and authority, he rationalized it, defended and appeased the terrorists. Even now that his power, authority, leadership qualities and reputation are being rubbished, he is still only paying lip service to the primary responsibility of the government which is the security and welfare of peace loving citizens.”
The statement added, “Therefore, we regard the belated alarm he is raising as the shedding of crocodile tears. This is because in his administration, his priorities are totally different as he does not put his money where his mouth is.”
According to the statement, “The ugly reality we have had to endure under Elrufai’s reign is that protecting lives, jobs and securing livelihoods are treated as an obstacle to grandiose elitist projects and programs. What else did Elrufai mean when he said the payment of salaries is not a priority of his government? Following from this warped logic, in Kaduna state, urban renewal which is a code name for demolition of houses, shops, businesses and construction of modern markets and a few streets have become the primary occupation of his government.”
According to the statement, government and governance has lost credibility and legitimacy if it cannot protect lives and property of citizens, saying that el-Rufai’s is still managing to parade himself as a Governor in safe corridors created by multiple security cordons with most people even in the state capital of Kaduna have been abandoned to play cat and mouse with terrorists.
SOKAPU noted that Governor El-Rufai has made a belated and unfortunate admission that terrorists have taken over the state and are forming parallel governments, lamenting that this admission is a confirmation of the various alarms that were continuously raised by SOKAPU and Southern Kaduna community development associations since 2019.
“It should be recalled that in reaction to these alarms, the Kaduna State government once challenged anybody to name any communities that had been taken over and occupied by terrorists. In response to that challenge, SOKAPU has variously reeled out more than one hundred communities that had been displaced and some occupied in Southern Kaduna only way back in 2000,” the statement confirmed.
The number of communities taken over by the terrorists, according to SOKAPU has since increased and it is now almost impossible to keep tract, saying that beside atrocities committed during attacks, other unspeakable crimes and acts of barbarism daily perpetrated in occupied communities are better imagined than experienced.
The statement explained, “If only the terrorists had limited themselves to strictly enforcing their own brand of civil and criminal laws, that would have been a bit bearable. But we now have a situation whereby most rural communities are daily patrolled by well armed marauding herdsmen and allied terrorists to stamp and enforce their authority.”
Consequently, the statement observed that most affected rural communities are deserted, with lot of rural villages in Kaduna State especially in Chikun, Kajuru, Kachia, Zangon Kataf, Kauru, Lere, Birnin Gwari and Giwa Local Governments as the areas that now become ungovernable space in Kaduna state is about the size of Abia state.
In view of the foregoing, SOKAPU expressed profound dismay and disbelief at the self righteous alarm of Governor el-Rufai over the embarrassing leadership failures that culminated in the present security, economic and political nightmares.
The forum refused to believe that Nigeria or Kaduna state has been overwhelmed, saying that the civil authorities at various levels have deliberately refused to invoke effective and extra political, legal and security measures to arrest the continuously deteriorating situation.
“Neither have military authorities created and deployed ingenious strategies that fit the situation. War has not been formally declared on terrorists of all hues in all localities. Neither has there been extra security and military mobilization including military reserves if available. Curiously, the government has also refused to authorize, support and empower peace loving and law abiding citizens to defend themselves and their communities,” the statement lamented.
It further lamented that the Kaduna State government continues to withhold parts of Local Government allocations supposedly to finance security operations, saying that it is no longer acceptable because it amounts to transferring security responsibilities to Local Governments through the back door.
SOKAPU, then called on the Governor to redirect his often strong but misguided political will to truly prioritize the security and welfare of Kaduna State citizens and start thinking and acting out of the box like South Western Governors through Amotekun or Governor Ortom of Benue State through his Community Volunteer Guards, saying, “Enough of sensational rhetorics without appropriate actions.”
