The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, has warned about another future Boko Haram because of the over 50,000 orphaned youths in the North.
Speaking at a security meeting in Kaduna on Thursday, the monarch also condemned the setting up of Operation Shege-Ka-Fasa by the Coalition of Northern Groups in the region, calling on northern elders to caution them and “don’t allow the youths to take over leadership from you”.
He said if nothing was done about the orphans, they would turn out to be worse than Boko Haram if northern governors failed to act.
He blamed the northern elite for the socio-political challenges facing the region.
The CNGs unveiled the symbol of the security outfit in Kaduna on Wednesday.
The Sultan said, said, “Governors must see that they do more to address insecurity, just imagine that there are over 50,000 orphans. They will be worst than Boko Haram if allowed to grow without proper care.
“Several recommendations have been made but are not implemented and as they remain unimplemented, we will continue to suffer the consequences.
“We are not short of solutions to the challenges facing the North, what we lack is implementation.
“There was a committee set up by the Northern Governors’ Forum under Talban Minna (ex-Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu), the committee was asked to go round the North and see how they could find solutions to the problems of the region. The committee called me and said they wanted to start with me before they go to other emirs and chiefs, then I told the committee chairman, ‘don’t worry, I will summon all these emirs and chiefs to Kaduna, so that you can hear our submissions in one place’.
“The meeting took place here at the State House, Kawo, Kaduna, and I remember saying at the meeting that we caused our problems in the North and if we wanted to solve our problems, we would solve them, nobody needed to come from anywhere to solve our problems for us. At the end, that committee finished its work, submitted its report to the northern governors, but, what have they done with it?
“As the Chairman of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, I know we have written position paper on two occasions to the Northern Governors’ Forum and at their meeting here in Kaduna, I personally went with Gbongon Jos, Etsu Nupe and two others, we gave them this paper. Babangida Aliyu was the chairman then, they thanked us and said they were going to work with the document, but up till now, this is 2020, I have not heard a word from anybody.”
Sultan on Operation Shege ka Fasa
Abubakar also blamed northern elite for allowing the youths to set up “what they called Operation Shege ka FASA”.
He urged leaders in the region to caution the youths.
Abubakar said, “The Northern Youths Coalition has just created their own security outfit with just two or three vehicles. I saw it on the television, and the media gave them attention. Now, the elders allowed the youths to go forward. So, the (political) elites are our problems, the elders are our problems. If the elders don’t take the lead, the youths will do whatever they like and think they are right. You have to caution these youths by giving them good leadership.
“Now, the youths have launched their own security outfit. I don’t know what they call it, Shege Ka Fasa, meaning what?
“So, I want to call on northern elders to caution them. Don’t allow the youths to take over leadership from you. This is why this forum is very important. You have to reach out to everybody no matter how low the person is. So, I think we need to take the bull by the horns.
Punch