Vice President Kashim Shettima delivered a compelling message today, asserting that the surge in banditry and kidnapping in the north-western region of Nigeria is directly tied to poor governance. Shettima emphasized this point during his address to the Coalition of Northern States’ Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (CONSCCIMA), held at the presidential villa in Abuja.
The vice president expressed his concern for the well-being of the region’s residents, particularly those in the states of Zamfara, Katsina, and Sokoto, which have become hotbeds of banditry and violence, resulting in the tragic abduction and loss of lives.
Shettima emphasized the urgent need for “re-engineering and re-strategizing” the state of affairs in the north, aiming to propel the region into a phase of accelerated development. He underlined that it is imperative for stakeholders across the north to collaborate, revisit their strategies, and devise robust platforms to address the root causes of these issues.
The vice president stressed, “There can never be development without peace, and there can never be peace without development,” acknowledging the interconnected nature of these challenges. Shettima further highlighted the Pulaku initiative as a promising solution to tackle the crisis in the north-west effectively. This initiative seeks to address issues like banditry, kidnapping, and the broader governance challenges in the region.
Vice President Kashim Shettima’s address underscores the pressing need for comprehensive reform and strategic planning to improve the lives and well-being of the people in the north-western region, acknowledging the human angle of suffering caused by these issues.
