The Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago says his government has extended an olive branch to the bandits to drop their arms and embrace peace.
The Governor revealed this when he visited the minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris in his office at Radio House.
He said the idea is to engage the bandits peacefully with a view to addressing the challenge amicably.
His words: “We have extended an olive branch to bandits to drop their arms for amnesty and we are discussing with them to see how we can solve the problem amicably.
“However, we are battle-ready to offer them amnesty considering the fact that we need peace and security for development to take place.
“We are discussing with them not negotiating, talking to them to come out and drop their arms and enter the society. It is a clarion call,” he said.
Recall that the Governor had earlier
said his administration would dialogue with bandits.
This was as he said his administration had put in place a non-kinetic mechanism against bandits.
He disclosed this to State House Correspondents after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“A lot of Fulani across the world, not just Africa, converge in Niger State, so we don’t want them to leave, We don’t want any major military activities, We want to talk to them.
“But if we don’t get to that level of dialogue, then probably, we have to go fully military,” he said.
In his address, the minister of information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris said the Governor is working hard to address the insecurity challenge in the state,
” The Governor is working very hard and some of what he is doing is not for public consumption. Some of the things that the security agencies are doing are not what he will come out and talk about before the cameras. What I can tell you is that Mr President is deeply concerned and is working around the clock to ensure that peace returns to Nigeria, and he will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that it happens.
“The sub-national entities are keying into the programmes and projects of the President.”
Speaking on the visit, the Governor said he came to a discussion with the minister on how the state could partner with the federal government to develop its vast agricultural potential.
“Niger state has 8.6 million hectares of land with 6000sq km of arable land, 4 Hydropower damn, we are 10 per cent of the total size of Nigeria. So, we are poised and positioned for Agriculture in terms of animal husbandry, crop production, aquaculture and other ways of food security.”
Speaking on the administration’s agenda, the minister said, “The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation is actually the custodian of the image of Nigeria and also the custodian of the renewed hope agenda of Mr. President.
“What that means is that everything about renewed hope should actually begin from this house.”
“You are aware that Mr President has eight priority areas of focus of his administration from security, to food security, education, health, job creation and the turnaround of our economy.
“Only yesterday Mr President had his first meeting with the newly constituted Federal Executive Council (FEC) and in that meeting “Mr President gave some form of matching order to the new ministers to ensure that the eight priority areas of Mr President are known and begin to be felt by Nigerians.
“Mr President is desirous of changing the face of Nigeria, he is desirous of ensuring that the economic turnaround of Nigeria is achieved within the shortest possible time.
“He is also desirous of ensuring that the image of Nigeria is restored.
“This ministry is at the forefront of that. Mr President in yesterday’s FEC meeting told the ministers that there is no time to waste and that every sector, every department and every facet of life has a new leaf. By that, he means that everything has to move positively.”
“We know that the times are hard. Mr President has acknowledged that and he has said that he is aware that Nigerians are experiencing hardship arising from the removal of fuel subsidy and the downturn of the economy.
“You will agree with me that the fuel subsidy that was removed was actually in the best interest of Nigerians.
“He has said repeatedly that Nigerians would feel the pains from the subsidy removal before experiencing the gain.”
