Alhaji Aminu Jaji, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that issues of insecurity in the North East and other parts of the country are surmountable.
Jaji, who was the immediate past Chairman, House Committee on Internal Security, said this while speaking with newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.
He spoke on the spate of insecurity, especially in Zamfara, and other parts of the country, saying that though the issues were taking a different dimension, it is still surmountable.
He said there was the need for the Zamfara governor, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, to start to “think out of the box” as his efforts to dialogue with bandits for almost two years has been fruitless.
“You can see that the result is not commensurate with what the government has invested into it, so I think the governor and security agencies need to have a rethink and preferably change their tactics,’’ he said.
On national security, Jaji said it was time for political elites agitating for 2023 presidency to begin to talk to themselves on the way out.
He said that it could be possible that the heightened insecurity in the country and the spate of attacks in the South East, South South, South West and the North was being sponsored by some desperate politicians.
Jaji added that unless politicians come together and forget their differences with a resolve to develop the country, the situation may escalate.
“So, whether you are a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) or Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), we need to look at this issue carefully and think holistically.
“It is about Nigeria. If you think that you are sabotaging the effort of President Muhammadu Buhari, then you are killing yourself because after Buhari, Nigeria will continue,’’ he said.
The APC chieftain said there is, however, the need for the National Assembly to take a critical look at the budgets of security agencies in the country with a view to putting in place strategy to increase same where necessary.
This, he said follows the inability of most security agencies to tackle the current security challenges because of the lack of funds.
“So, the National Assembly has to do something. They don’t have to rely on the budget the executive submitted to them regarding the security agencies.
“They should think and listen to the security agencies and invite them to find out their needs,’’ he said.
Jaji expressed worry that the issues between Hausas and Yorubas in Lagos State, if not properly managed, may extend to the North.
He, however, debunked insinuations that insecurity in the country was heightened because of perceived injustice in political appointments by the President Buhari-led administration.
According to him, appointments under the administration is already balanced.
“If you look at President Buhari’s appointments, it’s already balanced, they are just using the campaign of lopsidedness in his appointments to smear his administration, not because there is actually lopsidedness.
“Even the federal character they are hammering on is applicable only in some appointments such as ministerial and other political appointments.
Jaji said that those sponsoring the campaign of lopsidedness in appointments in the Buhari administration were doing so to de-market it.
He added that the administration had always considered merit without attaching sentiments in every political appointment.
He maintained that contrary to belief in some quarters that the APC would go into extinction after Buhari’s presidency, the party would remain stronger and in power long after.
