Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, former governor of Sokoto State and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustees, has stated that the country may face a food crisis due to insecurity caused by banditry in the North-West and North-East areas.
According to Bafarawa, who talked to Punch, President Bola Tinubu should prioritize food security over cabinet nominations, subsidies, and the economy.
He further stated that if strict measures to combat insecurity are not implemented, the North will face significant educational backwardness in the next 50 years, as many primary and secondary schools in Northern Nigeria have been closed due to bandit activity.
The former Governor said; “Instead of talking about cabinet, subsidy, and the economy, the government should consider food security because with the rate we are going, in the next three months, we are definitely going to have problems in Nigeria, especially in the North-West.
“The bandits have refused to allow farmers to cultivate their crops. This is a very dangerous situation, not only because the bandits are killing people but also because the food crisis is going to be too serious in the next few months, especially in the North West and North East. So, we want the government to wake up and do something about it.
“Also, with the way education is going, in the next 50 years, we are going to be very backward in education because most of the primary schools in the North have been closed because of banditry. There are no primary schools, no secondary schools and this is a serious disaster. So, we cannot sit down and watch; something must be done right before it gets worse.
“The government should fight security, especially food insecurity, in the country because it’s a serious matter. Whatever the government is going to do, let the issue of food security be top priority.”
