FG will tackle insecurity, porosity at the nation’s borders -Sen Yaro

Ignatius Okorocha, Abuja

The Senate has said it will work assiduously with the Executive arm of government to tackle all forms of criminality and insecurity at the nation’s borders.

Making this declaration in Abuja on Monday, Chairman Senate committee on states and local governments Administration, Senator Binos Dauda Yaro said the National Assembly will work assiduously to ensure that opportunities wasting around the Nigerian border communities as a result of insecurity and porosity are tackled head-on.

Senator Yaro pointed out that cross border crimes have impeded development over the years stressing that his committee will work with relevant stakeholders with the view to integrate sub-national border community governments into the economic management of Nigeria .

Speaking at the two-day engagement with stakeholders in collaboration with Global Consult Limited , Yaro pointed out that the rate of crimes witnessed at the border communities can also be traced to long years of neglect and lack of basic amenities for Nigerian border communities.

According to him ,the committee intends to make the engagement an annual event and urged the Local Governments to use the opportunity of the Local Governments Autonomy to create positive impact on the people living within the border communities for their well-being and development .

“We are concerned about development of our border communities, the security of the people living there as well as programmes that will give everyone a sense of belonging ”

He expressed concerns that most of the border communities are yet to be demarcated and properly defined, adding that some of the conflicts are as a result of no clear cut defined borders .

In their remarks, the deputy Governors of Abia, Gombe and Ekiti states all expressed enthusiasm that finally the Nigerian Senate is considering putting forward the right foot towards addressing the avalanche of challenges that Nigerians living in the border areas pass through on a daily basis .
The Gombe state Deputy Governor Mannaseh Daniel told the stakeholders since the creation of Gombe , the relevant authorities have not made any meaningful effort to clearly define the state’s boarder lines , describing the situation as recipe for unnecessary acrimony with neighbouring states .

It was the same view by the Abia state Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu ,who further commended the
Nigerian Senate for the bold step to engage the major stakeholders for the good of Nigeria.

Chairman of Global Gold Consult Engineer Adegbayo expressed confidence that the two-day programme will come up with far-reaching solutions that will enhance and improve the living conditions of Nigerians living in the border communities and improve economic benefits for Nigeria.

He maintained that the desire to collaborate with the Senate was driven by the state of squalor of Nigerians living in those areas and the daily challenges they go through including health care and other basic needs.

For Dr Usman Farouk of the National Boundary Commission,the best approach for Nigeria in addressing the menace of cross border crimes will be the adoption of what he describes as the “Westphalian” method .

He pointed out that there are dire consequences should Nigeria continue to neglect the development of border communities .

“The resources and opportunities at the border communities are enormous and we must understand that the border communities are our windows and doors to the rest of the world and we must develop them”.

He told the gathering that currently .Nigeria does not have the correct statistics of border communities.