By Luka Binniyat
The Governor of Benue State, Barr. Gabriel Suswan has denounced the spade of bombings, assasinations and sundry violence attributed to the Islamic millitant sect, Boko Haram in the North, saying it was a very strange development to the nice people of Northern Nigeria.
Suswan who spoke to some reporters in Kaduna after the last meeting of the Nothern States Governors' Forum (NSGF), said the Forum was doing much about the problem, and called for the collaboration of all stakholders
Excerps:
What has your government been doing as regard the consistent Tiv/ Fulani clashes in Benue state?
We have been doing a lot to see to the end of farmers and Fulani clashes. Myself and the governor of Nasarawa state have formed a committee that has recommended far reaching decisions. We hope to take that report this month. Beyond that, we have formed more committees along the border areas between Benue and Nasarawa states. The local chiefs and the local government chairmen of affected areas are members. The Governor of Nasarawa state has done the same. He has also formed community committees within Nasarawa state who are monitoring and proffering solutions to the two sides. I have also formed a committee within the Fulani leadership in Benue and some communities in Benue.
(http://vml1.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Jonathan-suswam1.jpg?9d7bd4) (http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/06/boko-haram-strange-development-to-the-nice-people-of-the-north-suswan/jonathan-suswam1/)From Left, Tor Tiv, Alfred Akawe Torkula, President Goodluck Jonathan and Gov. Gabriel Suswam of Benue at the Conferment of Zege Jende I Tiv during the President's 2-day State Visit to Benue State.NAN Photo You will observe that there has been less of such clashes within the past one month or so.
But there is an angle to it that is a more disturbing. It is no longer an issue of Fulani herdsmen clashing with farmers. There is an element of criminality introduced into it. There are these criminals who would go and rustle Fulani cows. They may come from anywhere. But, the Fulani does not know who steal his cows. The thieves may not be Tivs. All he wants is his cows back. So, there is an element of criminality in it. Otherwise, as relate to farmers and Fulani herdsmen, we have substantially addressed the issue. By the grace of God, we shall soon all put that to rest.
I have also invited the Sultan of Sokoto to come to Benue on the 25th of this month (May) to perform a function and to sit down with the leaders of the Fulani and the leader of the Muslims here for us to forge a way forward. They will listen to him, because they respect him. I have done that before. The Governor of Nasarawa state and I have been doing quit a lot on this.
Many people are of the view that the NSGF is a mere political meeting to take tea and exchange phone numbers, because the bombings and killings have continued unabated. What is your take on that?
You know, at all times, it is better to be talking even if you are not discussing serious issues; but when you talk and interact among yourselves, you bring down tension. Despite the fact that people might choose to describe it as a meeting where we take tea and exchange banters, that alone indicates some sense of unity amongst us. In addition, it equally commands respect amongst followership, to mean that at least a crucial problem is bringing us together.
You know some people do not want anything good to come out of this country and as such, they criticize every good intension.
Yes, frankly, we meet as northern Governors and address very serious issues. If we were not talking, maybe the situation would have been worse than what we have now. We take decisions and we make sure that at the individual and state levels, we follow it up. Like at the meeting of today, we have discussed seriously amongst ourselves as it relates to the security situation in the country and we have taken a very far- reaching decision on how to address the problem.
However, you will agree with me that, what is happening now is an emerging phenomenon in the north that is very different and totally unknown to us. You see, prior to this ugly situation, if you are looking for the most peaceful region with very humble and law-abiding people in the civil service, private work and politically, it was in the north that you got them. However, I do not think such is the situation now, and we must look at what has gone wrong to know why we moved from one extreme to the other extreme because these are two extremes. From being extremely nice and tolerant people to having elements that bomb and kill at wlll, heavy criminals engaged in all sort of atrocities is completely strange to us.
However, today, it is here with us. Therefore, it is a new phenomenon and because of that, we are all joining hands to learn how we can jointly tackle it. You know, it is like you are living in a house that you have never experienced flooding. Then one day, suddenly your home is over flooded and is being washed away. You cannot say you planned against that flood.
You have to look for ways to go around it before halting it. It's just like what we are confronted with. It just happened so fast. All of these things just happened within the last six months. In addition, it does not necessarily mean whether you are at the level of leadership or followership, this is taking us by surprise. Therefore, every day, we are trying to find a solution to it.
If you look at terrorists from across the world, especially in places like Afghanistan, they articulate what their issues are. But these people (Boko Haram) are not saying anything and that present a very difficult situation for the leadership, so it is not just about leadership as Northern Governors.
We are doing our best at our own level, but we can't even see the people who are doing this, they are not ready to come to the table for discussion, so what do you do? We have to go into intelligence gathering and, in intelligence gathering, it is the people that provide the necessary information to security agents.
What role should Notherners play?
We are calling on the support of all Northerners to help us by providing information. Now, look at our sad situation about investment – Kano is gone, Kaduna is gone, Jos is gone. These are the three most vibrant cities in the entire north. All of them are gone! Nobody wants to live in Kaduna; nobody wants to go to Kano and trade, who will go on holiday to Jos now? Nobody!
So we have a very serious situation that affects us all, it is not about leadership failure. Let's not be pushing it on leadership. Yes, leadership has a large chunk of the responsibilities, but we need to come together and see it as our collective problem and not a leadership problem.
The only way to confront the security situation in the region is through intelligence gathering, which depends largely on the cooperation of the people to provide credible information to security agents since those behind the bombings are not spirits, but live among the people.
"Although government has a responsibility to ensure the security of lives and property of the citizenry, the present circumstance requires people to collaborate with security agents in confronting the terrorists .
People must assist in intelligent gathering because these people are not spirits, they live in homes, the live in the community. They do their trainings in homes. We need to have information at the level of leadership, otherwise, the north as it were, is being decapitated economically and so there is nothing that we, as leaders alone can do, except we collaborate.
Sir, a good number of Boko Haram sect members have been arrested, are you saying that government has not gotten enough intelligence about how to tackle the menace?
You see, quite a number of arrests have been done if not the situation would have been worse than what we have now. Sincerely, people are given information, many documents had been recovered and securities have been following it up. In addition, what the security agencies had done is quite commendable. It's just that they are not talking about it. But it is quite a lot and that is why I can comment confidently on it.
However, as I have said, they have done quite a lot dispite the fact that the insurgence is new, strange phenomenon that nobody anticipated. Nigeria has been a very peaceful country. Nobody anticipated that, in this country, we would have suicide bombers.
These are things we read about in the newspapers and watch them in the televisions from other lands. We would tell ourselves that as far as the unity of our country was concern, this could never happen here. Therefore, our securities and even the people of the country were caught un-awares. Therefore, we have to admit that yes now we have these problem, but lets come together, and find ways of collaborating to erase this nuisance.
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