Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi 11 has attributed poverty and other economic and social crisis facing the country on the selfishness of leadership in Nigeria saying Nigerian “leaders are selfish, they only think of their families”.
Speaking at the award presentation ceremony of ‘Most Security Conscious Governor’ to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State by the Nigeria Police Force yesterday, Sanusi said, “Those of us who think that public office is a place to enjoy ourselves should think again.
He charged political leaders in the country to provide Selfless service and good governance to their people noting that the security challenges facing the country today, revolves around poverty and lack of education among others.
“Poverty, lack of education leads to violence. It breeds violence because many segment of the society are denied access”.
While calling on leaders in position of authority to prioritize the needs of their people, he said the lack of adequate allocation of resources had impacted negatively on infrastructural development.
“Leaders should make issues and challenges confronting the poor in the country their responsibility.
Acknowledging that the federal government has recorded a huge success in tackling insurgency in the country, the Emir urged government to also rise to the challenge and tackle other forms of security challenges.
According to him, “Any state that cannot provide its citizens with adequate security is not fit to be called a state. Once a state cannot provide security, it is not fit to be a state because it has lost its basis of being called a state.
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“The country is facing so many threats, in the North East, we are facing hoards persons who kill and rape young girls.
“We have a society that is at the risk of great decay.
“In the Niger Delta we have a group of people fighting for resource control who blow oil pipelines”.
Sanusi further disclosed that lack of prosecution of culprits was contributing to the security problems in the country.
Commending Governor Bello for the award, he urged him to do more for the people of the state, since to whom much is given, much was expected.
Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris in his remarks, said the police had made outstanding achievement in the area of security since Bello became governor.
“He was the first to donate vehicles to the Nigeria Police Force since I became the IGP” Idris said.
Responding, Gov. Bello said that before his assumption of office, the security challenges in the state were enormous.
“Kogi state would have been worse than the North East the way we met it if urgent action was not taken” he said.
He said that the state was safer now compared to when investors would run away because of security challenges.
The governor further stated the government was rehabilitating Federal roads in the state to check activities of criminal elements who may take advantage of the bad roads.
He dedicated the award to the people of the state and his mother who was once kidnapped for 93 days by kidnappers.
Bello said that the ongoing audit of the civil service would afford the state government pay salaries promptly.
“After the civil service audit, those that will remain will not be owed salaries and those that will go we will find them something to do”.
END
