ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, has blamed the crises of fulani herdsmen attacks and corresponding cattle rustling on the flow of illicit arms from the war-ravaged countries in North and West Africa.
Masari disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja, during a press conference organised in preparation for the forthcoming Katsina State Economic Summit, where he also explained that the military and the intelligence community were on top of the situation.
He noted that before the colonisation of Nigeria, there were routes designed for herdsmen, from the country through Niger Republic, Burkina Faso and other forests in the country.
The governor further explained that between June last year to February this year, the herdsmen have lost more than 700 cows, adding that the issue of cattle rustling is tied to armed robbery.
He said: “Initially when Boko Haram was around we found out there was a linkage, which we were able to break.
“This issue is because of the crisis in North Africa even West Africa. There is inflow of guns and ammunition, which I think the military and the intelligence community are already working hard to make sure that they address.”
Asked about the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the state, Masari said his administration was generating about N500 million monthly as against about N300-350 million earned monthly by the previous administration in the state.
He further stated that effort was being put in place to address the issue of power, disclosing that the state does not get more than 10 megawatts of electricity from the Federal Government.
The governor said that the state was going to take advantage of its agricultural prowess, as no nation could survive on one commodity.
He said: “We cannot rely on one commodity, it is suicidal for anyone to rely on one commodity even if oil is sold for $400 per barrel. We have the opportunity since we have the population, the land and water.”
Also speaking, the chairman of the economic summit, Mr. Ibrahim Tukur Jikamshi, said the projection of the administration was to instil sense of entrepreneurship in its citizens.
Tukur Jikamshi said that the state government was working with a company to build devices to monitor the movement of cows, as Katsina is the safest state in the country.
He said that the state government wanted to make the state attractive to investors, adding that the state government was expecting about 140 entrepreneurs in the summit.
He said that the target of the state government was to be the number one in Nigeria in terms of sugar production, as the state produced one/third of sugar cane consumed in the country.
He listed other areas of focus by the state government to include agriculture, solid minerals, power, property among others, adding that the state with the population of seven million is a big market.
