Buhari Opens Up, Says State Governors Are Responsible For Insecurity

By Ayodele Oni

President Mohamadu Buhari has descended heavily on State Governors, accusing them of being responsible, partly, for the current insecurity in the Country.

The President who spoke on a live television interview with ARISE TV,  Thursday, made specific reference to his encounter with two South-west Governors, recently.

He stated: “Two South-west Governors came to me to say cattle rarers are destroying farms in their States. I asked them what happened to the grassroot security panels from Traditional Rulers to Local Governments who meet regularly to identify the root of their problems and identify crooks within their environment and apprehend the criminals.

“Who destroyed this system? Go back and fix it, give your people sense of belonging. I don’t like it when people campaign to become Governors and people trusted them with their votes, and after winning, they can’t perform, they’re trying to push responsibilities to others.

“We have three tiers of Government, Federal, State and Local. We have killed the Local Government totally. We will send N300m as allocation to a Local Government, one Governor will ask the LG Chairman to sign that he collected N300m, but he will give him N100m and the Chairman will keep quiet. Is that how we will continue?

“You were elected like me. Go back to your states and provide security. You can’t just go round, win elections and then sit down and expect others to help you with your work.”

The President, also, delved into other  issues agitating  the minds of Nigerians, such as youth unemployment, insecurity and clamour by some ethnic groups for self independence, as well as lopsidedness in appointments.

According to him, “if we continue to kill ourselves, how are we going to invite investors into our country?

“Yes, I agree there is youth unemployment, I also agree that until the Youths stop destroying investments in their domain, no other investors will come to their areas to provide jobs.

“Look at Lagos, a serious Governor procured over 200 new buses for his people, and some Youths said they are angry and burnt all those busses without thinking twice.

“Tell me how that will bring jobs for them.The Youths must assure investors that investments are safe in their communities.”

The President insisted that dividing the country along ethnic lines was not the solution adding that he was not happy about those agitating for division.

“Dividing Nigeria to piecemeal is not any solution. It’s a wrong signal to all investors. So each Republic will become a paradise?

“How do we share what United us? What we have done together within such a record time? I’m surprised Nigerian elites watch these uninformed lots to make criminal statements everyday. We are all better off as Nigerians”

He disclosed what the present administration has been doing to put an end to banditry and kidnappings.

“The only one that initially overwhelmed me was the North West, but I can assure you, as we speak, those bandits are being brutally eliminated. We don’t intend to publicise this for security reasons.”