The Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda, has said that he and his counterparts from nine northern states now have a better perception of the security challenges in the region following their recent trip to the United States.
Naija News reported two weeks ago that Mallam Umar Namadi, the governor of Jigawa State, and nine other governors from northern Nigeria departed for the United States to participate in a peace summit organized by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).
The summit commenced on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, and offered a platform for governors from Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano, and Plateau to share their perspectives on the most critical issues affecting their states and the wider region.
The US trip, however, has been criticized by some citizens.
Defending himself and his colleagues, Governor Radda of Katsina State said the trip has helped them to find lasting solutions to the insecurity ravaging the region.
“Ten governors were in the United States, Washington D.C and we had a symposium with the United States Institute of Peace so that we can bring about ideas that will end insecurity that is worrying our people and is a major problem to the subnationals and they carefully chose the governors of the places affected by banditry and kidnapping,” Radda said on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He added: “All of us sat for three days and we were able to cross-fertilise ideas and interact with all stakeholders that are involved in bringing about lasting peace and security globally,” the governor said.
Speaking on criticism over the summit, with many questioning why it was held in the US and not in Nigeria, Radda said: “The meeting was not at the instance of the selected governors of northern states but it was at the instance of the United States Institute of Peace. They were the people who invited us; they hosted us for the meeting. We were invited to sit with them so that we could bring about lasting solutions to the problems that are affecting our people.”
Naija News understands that the northern part of Nigeria has been facing security challenges in recent years including banditry, kidnapping, and a range of security issues.
Scores of people have been killed and many abducted since the security challenge heightened. Amid several reasons given on the rising spate of insecurity in the northern region, Radda has ruled out political undertones.
”The hypothesis behind political motive as responsible for banditry is not true,” the Katsina State governor said, highlighting injustice and poverty as the root causes of insecurity in the north.
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