By Egena Sunday Ode
The new security roadmap adopted by the federal and the state governments to secure the northern part of the country is bearing fruit as peace and confidence seem to be gradually returning to the region.
Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State gave the indication on Wednesday after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, along with his Niger State counterpart, Governor Sani Bello.
Governor Matawalle, who spoke briefly with State House Correspondents, on his way out of the Villa, assured farmers that they would be able to safely cultivate their farms this raining season as security would continue to improve.
According to the governor, until last few days, the atmosphere in his state had been calm, at least in the last four months, adding that security agents are working to ensure the situation does not escalate any further.
Asked it was safe to say that security had finally found its way back to the north, he said “I can say yes because in the past four months we didn’t have much of this crisis, but it’s gradually coming back, but the security are doing their best now, particularly from the new security architecture that we have adopted now, we are having some improvements on the challenges.
“With action and the roadmap that we have drawn, between the government and the security, we are doing our best to make sure that farmers will go back to their farms and they will be able to farm, insha Allah. We will do our best to make sure that all farmers will go back to their farms”, he said.
On the security in Zamfara State, Matawalle said “for now, for the past four days no incidence had been recorded by the security, but yet we are doing our best and the surety are also doing their best to make sure that they tackle all the challenges.
“I assure you that we are on top of the matter and the President has assured all of us that he’s going to take more measures on the issue of insecurity in the northern part of the country”, he said.
Speaking of the meeting held with President Buhari, the governor said “we discussed about the security, not just myself, but the Northern region, because of the current escalation of insecurity.
“I briefed him and the governor of Niger also briefed him. The President has assured us that action will be taken about what we have discussed about the issue of insecurity”, he said.
