By Hope-Feyisayo Temitope
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday, said that the nation is witnessing a turning point, as the strategies being adopted by security forces, including rules of engagement employed are already beginning to yield results.
President Tinubu, who was represented at the two-day event by Vice President Kashim Shettima, stated: “What we are witnessing across the North is an explosion of these damaged relationships, and we have come to say: enough is enough. Our first decision was to task our brothers from the North-West and the North-East with the defence and security of the region.
“Who else can better understand the complexity of the crisis of a region than the people themselves? This has been a turning point, and I am proud to share that the strategies we have employed have begun to provide redemption. We are not slowing down until we achieve our aim.”
The President stated the above when he declared open the North West Peace and Security Summit with the theme, “Regional Cooperation for Securing Lives and Livelihoods in North West Nigeria,” organised by the North West Governor’s Forum in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at Government House, Katsina State.
Delivering the President’s address titled, “Securing Stability: Uniting for Peace in North-West Nigeria,” Shettima explained why Northern Nigeria is always considered globally as one unified people, saying the region’s unity is firmly “rooted in a culture and bond of shared interests and common pursuits”.
Governor Radda commended President Tinubu for the efforts in tackling banditry in the North West and other parts of the country, saluting the efforts of the security agencies, also, Germany’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Günther, who was represented at the event, congratulated the federal and state governments for organizing the Summit, and also assured the support of the German government for Nigeria in the fight against insecurity, just as she emphasized the need to reactivate traditional solutions to the conflict in the North West.