By Uche Amunike
A former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has condemned Northern Governors for embarking on what seemed like a jamboree to the United States of America, just to have deliberations on how to find lasting solutions to the security challenges in the north.
According to Lamido, who is a foundation leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it was very unnecessary to embark on such a wasteful journey especially at this time that the average Nigerian is going through hardship. He posted this on his verified Facebook page with the argument that the resources used for the trip would have been used to tackle other challenges facing the north.
He asserted that if their trip had concerned how to boost agriculture or improve the healthcare needs of the citizens of Nigeria, or even, other local problems on the concurrent list, they would have received commendation.
His words: ‘Our northern governors, as concerned leaders, travelled to the United States of America (USA) to attend a lecture at the American Institute for Peace, entitled ‘Advancing Stability in Northern Nigeria’ to find a lasting solution to the intractable problems of insecurity in their respective states‘
He explained that even though their concern was commendable, it exposed their ignorance at understanding the Nigerian constitution which was the very instrument that gave them the legitimacy and authority to be governors.
He stated: ‘If the governors had travelled to the US to engage on how to boost agriculture or health issues or any other pressing local problem on the concurrent list of our constitution, this could be quite understandable. To engage in issues on the exclusive legislative list such as security says a lot of the substance they are made of.’
‘Security is a wide subject, which Their Excellencies must have the capacity to grasp. Most urban towns in their state lack potable water, as refuse dumps have taken over some streets; all these have precipitous security health hazards’.
The embittered Sule Lamido, also wondered why the governors did not make use of Nigeria’s resourceful institutions like the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Jos, Plateau State; the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) in Badagry, Lagos State or even the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), stating that the three institutions have more than enough essays, templates and materials on the problems of security in Nigeria more than the far fetched American Institute.
He also blamed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the NIA, for not properly guiding the governors on their act that showed a lack of good sense, as there was no way they could have travelled without getting the approval and facilitation of the ministry or even the Nigerian Embassy in Washington.
The Katsina State Governor, in defense of the trip, stated that it was part of the efforts made by the governors to find a lasting solution to nigeria’s security challenges through international collaborations. Sule Lamido however disagreed, stating that having a summit on an issue the governors have not fully grasped while many of their citizens are lacking basic amenities is a total waste.
