Why Bauchi Is One Of Nigeria’s Safest States – Gov. Bala Mohammed

Why Bauchi Is One Of Nigeria’s Safest States — Gov. Bala Mohammed

By Sunusi Kaura

Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has attributed the stable security in the state to good governance and strategic leadership.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mohammed said this while delivering a lecture titled, “Strategic Leadership: My Political Experience” to participants of the National Defence College (NDC) Course 32, on Thursday in Abuja.

He said his government from the onset, took a sector scan of the state to identify problems and challenges taking into cognisance the state’s geographic set-up.

According to him, Bauchi state has rivers, mountains, unmanned spaces and one of largest forests and games reserves in the country, which could serve as a hideout for bandits.

“So, we knew our problems and challenges. We came into partnership with the security architecture and the military.

“There is a joint operation that we have and we are funding them with so many bases for them and we are holding security meetings almost fortnightly or monthly.

“We are deploying resources where it matters. We also got in the hunters and the people who have some prowess and powers,” he said.

The governor said the state also engaged the traditional institutions, civil society groups and local governments in ensuring the security of the state.

He said that as part of a strategy to tackle the security challenges in the country, governors should settle down in their states, maintain open communication with the people and work with all segments of society to understand and respond to the security dynamics in their states.

The governor also recommended regular peer review meetings among all state governors to sharpen the thrust of strategic leadership and ensure good governance.

He suggested the formation of alumni of former leaders at all levels who should meet at least biannually to review the state of the nation and propose the way forward.

The governor also recommended the setting up of a committee of former military and other security chiefs to proffer lasting solutions to the alarming state of insecurity in the country.

The Bauchi state governor also made suggestions on how to stabilise the political system and engender peace and harmony among Nigerians.

A deliberate effort should be made to end the winner-takes-all nature of Nigerian politics that creates permanent enmity and thwarts every effort at national consensus.

“There should be the establishment of a National Truth and Reconciliation Commission where every component group would vent, remonstrate with each other, and chart the process of true healing.

“The convocation of a national constitutional conference to deliberate on and produce a new constitution for the country.

“Granted that the success of a constitution depends on the operators, the misgivings associated with the present constitution cannot guarantee the stability, national cohesion and strategic leap into a new world of seamless development that we envisage,” he added.

The Commandant of NDC, Rear Adm. Olumiyiwa Olotu, thanked the governor for the insightful lecture, urging the participants to draw lessons as strategic leaders in training.

Olotu said the various issues and challenges identified by Mohammed would go a long way to shape the ideal of leadership and support development in Nigeria.

He commended the governor for providing focused strategic leadership and making positive progress in Bauchi state.

NAN