The national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje has assured Nigerians that President Bola Tinubu will deploy high technology to combat the threat of banditry that has entrenched itself in some of the country’s forests.
Ganduje disclosed this during a meeting with the North Central APC Elders and Stakeholders Forum, led by the former military governor of Katsina and Plateau states, General Lawrence Onoja (rtd).
The APC chairman said,
“About insecurity, the president has agreed to employ technology in the management of security in Nigeria, in particular our forests that have become cities for bandits.
“Mr President is fully conscious of that; he is ready to make the institutions strong, the Army, Air Force, the Navy, the DSS, Civil Defence, even the NIA. He is rejigging the institutions to ensure that we conquer insecurity in the country.”
On the nation’s diversity, the chairman said Tinubu would effectively manage Nigeria’s diversity, adding that the APC-led administration would spread appointments across every part of the Federation.
He stated,
“The North Central geopolitical zone is a good example of unity and diversity, and coincidentally, Mr President is an expert in managing diversities if you look at the composition of his cabinet when he was the Governor of Lagos. So, the issue of tribalism is put aside, and the issue of ethnicity, the issue of religion is also put aside as he is Muslim and his wife is a pastor, so he is living by example, as far as managing diversity is concerned.
“We assure you, the government has taken every step to see that all ethnic nationalities are brought in, in the management of this country. We have to thank him for appointing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation from the North Central zone.
“As requested for inclusiveness in the appointment in agencies, I think the SGF is the focal person. We will rally around to ensure that we host different support groups and that they get a big share of that distribution.”
Congratulating Ganduje on his emergence, the leader of the delegation, Major Gen. Onoja urged him to deepen and strengthen the internal democracy of the party by bringing his wisdom and wealth of experience to unify the party.
He said,
“Do this by having in place a special peace and reconciliation committee made of trusted men and women at national and state levels with ideas/strategies to identify the challenges in our party to reconcile the differences at the various levels. For we will be stronger in governance only as we remain united as a ruling party.”
Onoja then requested that the North Central should be considered for more appointments into boards of agencies. He also demanded the establishment of a development commission for the zone.
He said,
“Remember us in the zone with key appointments in Federal boards, Parastatals, commissions and agencies in line with the Federal character principle.
“The North Central zone has witnessed the most prolonged state of insecurity experienced in the fourth republic. This has been mainly in the form of terrorist and banditry attacks, with adverse consequences on the social cohesion of the people, Food Security and Education among others. We request that you use your good offices to help/encourage us to develop new strategies that will address the security challenges we face, once and for all.
“As you are already aware, the North Central zone is the home of solid mineral deposits in Nigeria and the food basket of the country. We request the government under the leadership of our party to come up with policies that will encourage our patronage of local miners instead of patronizing foreigners.
“We will need a Development Agency such as NDDC (in the South), North East Development Commission (in North East). Similarly, we will require a North Central Development Commission that will coordinate strategies for harnessing the rich agriculture, tourism, educational and human potentials of the zone in the interest of national development.”
