The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has called for increased community representatives’ involvement in solving the lingering security challenges facing the nation.
Abubakar, who was represented by Dr Jabbi Kilgore, the District Head of Kingori made the call during a town hall organised by the Kukah Centre for Peace in collaboration with Global Right, an NGO on Tuesday in Sokoto.
The Sultan said that bad governance, injustice and inequality were some factors contributing to insecurity.
He enjoined leaders at all levels to be fair in dealing with their subjects and know that they would give an account of their stewardship after leaving this world.
In his keynote address, Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Kukah also identified religious intolerance, fanaticism and injustice as some of the factors responsible for insecurity in the country.
Kukah also said that sectionalism, fanaticism, injustice and religious intolerance were responsible for insecurity in the country.
He urged stakeholders at the meeting to come together to form common front in curbing the menace saying insecurity know no religion.
Earlier, Gov. Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto state, represented by the Permanent Secretary Ministry for Religious Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Torankawa rreiterated the commitment of the government to partner with groups and association in promoting peaceful coexistence in the state.
The Sokoto state commissioner of police, Ali Kaigama, also emphasised on the need for public support to community policing drives initiated by the Nigerian Police.
Kaigama said the police will continue to partner with the Nigerian army and other sister security agencies in tackling insecurity in the country.
In his presentation, Prof. Tukur Baba, the Dean Faculty of Social Sciences in Federal University Birnin Kebbi dwelled on factors that promoted insecurity from pre-independece.
Baba advised authorities to change the land use act, taxations and consider global, regional, national and community approaches to holistically deal with the problems of insecurity.
He described the assessment by the National Bureau of Statics revealing the poverty index as glaring.
”This is the effect of insecurity, maladministration and poor people attitude in the northwest,” he said.
Also, the Executive Secretary of Zaki’s GEM Foundation and Permanent Secretary Sokoto state Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Dr Nafisa Zaki and Hajia A’isha Dantsoho, called authorities to promote gender equitable norms, inclusiveness and budgeting in all dealings.
The leader of community dialogue committee and District Head of Gagi, Alhaji Sani Umar-Jabbi, presented a graphic community involvement drives to solve religious misconceptions, gender-based violence and other associated society ills.
Umar-Jabbi solicited for more support in recognition of committee achievements in Sokoto state stressing that violence is rooted in poverty and ignorance while it’s effect affects everyone irrespective of religious beliefs, ethnicity and political groups.
