Governor Umar Bago says several issues resulting in violent massacres of people in the North-Central “are just egocentric.”
The Niger governor described the latest killings in Plateau as “a very unfortunate situation.”
Mr Bago said, “It’s quite unfortunate, you know, Niger state and other states in North-Central have also been victims of this kind of carnage. But that of Plateau is very unfortunate. And we are hoping that it does not repeat itself.
We’ll go and pay a condolence visit to commiserate with the people affected by this issue. Other issues are not issues for the camera. They are strategic issues that we must discuss.
“But the most important is that we need to start discussion. When we start talking to each other as a people, we need to bring out people’s voices to be heard. You know, a lot of these issues are just egocentric.”
Aside from the carnage in the region, Mr Bago said Niger was on the verge of an agricultural revolution by January 2024.
He said he had informed President Bola Tinubu about his administration’s intention to make the state a food basket for wheat, rice, sesame seed, and cotton production.
Meanwhile, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa says his North-Central counterparts will intervene in the Plateau crisis to find lasting peace.
The governor disclosed this to State House correspondents after a visit to President Bola Tinubu on Sunday in Lagos.
I’m also the chairman of the North-Central governors forum. So, I told Mr. President about some of the things happening in our own zone, including issues in Plateau.
“Mr President is very concerned about the security of the people and very concerned about what is happening on the Plateau and what is happening in the Northeast and most especially in the North-Central.”
Mr Sule added, “We are going to Plateau and we’re going to use the opportunity to talk to some major stakeholders or major actors. These issues of the Plateau are not the first time. If you remember, I visited Governor Lalong when they had a similar situation.”