It is what people say has defied all solutions. Some say tackling it is as herculean as an attempt to climb Mount Everest while others mystify it to be a danger lurking to hunt whoever dares to take the bold step. To Aminu Bello Masarl the indefatigable Governor of Katsina State who spearheaded a joint effort to operationally tackle the menace of cattle rustling among the North-West states affected, these statements are from pessimists with full description of despondency and lack of focus.
Before Masari assumed office as a governor, cattle rustling and associated vices were on a high ebb as no day passed without recording rustling incidents accompanied by colossal loss of lives and property. The socio-economic lives of the people were badly affected as their age-long tradition of farming became crippled.
Bearing in mind that “Peace and Security” is the only panacea to sustainable development of Katsina State and the promise he made during the governorship campaign of doing all he could to bring back sanity and peace to the central and southern parts of the state, MASARI has defied the odds and took the bull by the horn.
He committed resources to the fight against cattle rustling based on his initiative that culminated in the creation of a joint operation involving states ion the North-West. This, has yielded positive results as thousands of rustled animals were recovered and given back to their rightful owners through the State Standing Committee on Farmers/ Fulani Herdsmen Cooperation. Several arrests were also made. All these efforts he has been making without attracting so much attention as it is said that “It is only empty barrels that make the loudest noise”.
The offensive code named “Operation Sharan Daji” launched by the highly motivated Joint Operation Team overtime, made some of the criminals to have a second thought of denouncing criminality and when the government decided to extend the olive branch to them, they willingly accepted and negotiation began in earnest. In the wisdom of the governor, he knew that tackling a hydra-headed monster like this requires logical reasoning and sacrifice. Hence, the carrot and stick approach. This is a great sacrifice that will go a long way in giving room for more repentants and fulfilling the onerous obligation of any government by creating an enabling environment where the citizens can go about their activities without fear or molestation.
Therefore, it can be said without any iota of doubt that the giant strides of the governor are gradually moving towards achieving the much desired peace in the frontline Local government areas of the state through the platform of negotiation instead of war which sometimes lead to collateral damages. The rhetorics of political pundits who see nothing good in what the government is doing and are trying to influence discerning minds towards that direction has been defeated as the initiative has taken shape, making the Masari-led administration the first to achieve this feat which is aimed at deradicalizing, re-forming and re integrating the repentant rustlers.
A day was set aside for the formal declaration of that negotiation and that day will forever remain relevant in the annals of the history of Katsina State as the governor ably represented by the Secretary to the Government of the State (SGS) Mustapha Inuwa (Dr) including heads of security agencies stormed Flela Village in Safana Local Government Area on 8th October, 2016 where the epoch-making event took place with all critical stakeholders, including representatives of the cattle rustlers present. This was borne out of the commitment and sincerity of purpose of the governor towards achieving peace. A leader that cares for the wellbeing of the citizenry.
The exemplary leadership quality inherent in Masari is enviable as he has started thinking of consolidating on the peace to be achieved. He promised to roll out a developmental framework that will help his government in harnessing the full potentials of the Rugu Forest axis of the state which is believed to have mineral deposits and other natural resources that can be used to turn the economy of the state around. It will serve as an avenue for diversification as the governor has expressed his resolve to utilize all the derivables from the forest which the state has been deprived of due to the criminality that thrives within its large expanse.
Against this backdrop, it is only fair that this singular effort of the governor towards developing the state be commended and appreciated by all and sundry without recourse to party affiliation, religious or ethnic leanings. In the style Masari is adopting to achieve this momentous feat lies a model that should be emulated by other states facing similar problems.
Bello writes from Katsina State
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