Boko Haram: War of Words Breaks Out Between Yobe And Niger States

A cold war is ongoing between Yobe State Governor Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam and his Niger State counterpart, who is also chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Governor  Mua’azu  Babangida  Aliyu over the latter’s comment on Monday that commissioners and parliamentarians have fled Yobe State.

Governor Aliyu made the comments during the Sardauna Memorial Lecture in Abuja, lamenting that he was not very happy when he read in the newspapers that in Yobe state, legislators and commissioners were responding to the insecurity by moving to Jigawa State.

“That means we are already giving up, because if the governmental institutions moved, it means those who are after us have defeated us and have taken over,” he said, asking, “What is the best way out? How do we arrest the situation because if governmental institutions in Yobe moved, then it means gradually we will begin to move?”

Yobe’s Governor Geidam took out an advertorial in the newspapers in which he expressed surprise that Governor Aliyu relied “on a speculative, unattributed report from one newspaper,” for his devastating conclusion that governmental institutions in Yobe State are, in effect, collapsing.

The public statement said: “There is no question that insecurity has had and continues to have devastating consequences and all of us in the north and across the country must do whatever it takes to address and resolve the situation.  As one of the states most affected by a mindless insurgency and the bloodthirsty activities of criminal gangs, Yobe had seen first-hand what effects a breach of the peace and breakdown of law and order could have.”

“But the Yobe State Government has always risen to the challenges. Working with the Joint Task Force (JTF) and other security agencies and the good people of the state who have never relented in seeking for divine intervention – who have never relented in seeking for divine intervention – the government is able to restore the peace and ensure a return  to normalcy. Most residents who fled at the height of the crisis have returned to their homes and social and economic activities have resumed fully. Significantly, the Gaidam  administration remains faithful to its mandate, and continues undaunted to deliver on its target to transform the state.”

It further said that if Governor Aliyu felt strongly about the newspaper report, his first response ought to have been to contact his colleague in Yobe to find out if it was true that his commissioners and lawmakers in the state were moving to Jigawa.

Even if Governor Aliyu were unable to contact Governor Gaidam for whatever reason, the Yobe government said, he should have shown circumspection about using a newspaper report to make such weighty comments.

“In Yobe State- and we know this is to be true for most of the country- we don’t use newspaper reports as necessary and sufficient cause for coming to conclusions on issues that require reflection, intersection and restraint,” the statement said.

“We therefore state categorically that no government official had relocated to Kano or Jigawa nor has anyone given up in Yobe State or anywhere in the country.

“As Muslims and Christians, we believe in the scriptural encouragement that ease will follow every hardship. This is even more so with the hard work of our security agencies and the vigilance of who suffer most the devastating effects of insecurity are at the forefront of the fight against mindless violence.

“We also believe that what will ultimately make the difference in the ongoing fight to ensure peace and security are the sacrifices that we make as individuals and collectives and what we actually do (not just say) as leaders and people in positions of authority.”

Of the inaugural Sardauna Memorial Lecture which was boycotted by many prominent Northerners such as the Vice-President, Namadi Sambo and 17 of the region’s governors, Gaidam included, the Yobe State governor said: “Governor Aliyu spoke well about the late Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, and we fully share in his belief that a return to the values for which the late Sardauna lived will instantiate a socio-economic and political rebirth not just of the north but of the entire country as well.”

Full text of the statement:

“On Monday, 3rd December, 2012 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua centre, Abuja, Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, said that ‘governmental institutions’ in Yobe State ‘have moved’ out of the state as a result of the deteriorating security situation in the area. The Governor was speaking at the Sardauna Memorial lecture organized by the Sardauna Memorial Foundation which he chairs.

Governor Aliyu spoke well about the late Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, and we fully share in his belief that a return to the values for which the late Sardauna lived will instantiate a socio-economic and political rebirth not just of the north but of the entire country as well.

“We also fully share his concerns about the deteriorating security situation in the north- and who can speak better on this than him as chairman of the Northern Governor’s Forum? There is no question that insecurity has had and continues to have devastating consequences and all of us in the north and across the country must do whatever it takes to address and resolve the situation. As one of the states most affected by a mindless insurgency and the bloodthirsty activities of criminal gangs, Yobe had seen first-hand what effects a breach of the peace and breakdown of law and order could have.

“But the Yobe State Government has always risen to the challenges. Working with the Joint Task Force (JTF) and other security agencies and the good people of the state who have never relented in seeking for divine intervention – who have never relented in seeking for divine intervention – government is able to restore the peace and ensure a return  to normality. Most residents who fled at the height of the crisis have returned to their homes and social and economic activities have resumed fully. Significantly, the Gaidam administration remains faithful to its mandate, and continues undaunted to deliver on its target to transform the state.”

Scolding Aliyu, the Yobe government added “It therefore came as a huge surprise that Governor  Babangida Aliyu, relying on a speculative, unattributed report from one newspaper, would speak of governmental institutions’ taking flight out of the state.

First, if the Niger State Governor feels strongly about the report, we would expect that the first thing would do was to contact his colleague in Yobe to find out if it was true that his commissioners and lawmakers in the state were moving to Jigawa.

“Second, even if Governor Aliyu was unable, for whatever reason, to contact Governor Gaidam, one would expect him to show circumspection using a newspaper report to make such weighty comments. Interestingly, the newspaper in question had quoted the Speaker of the Yobe State House of Assembly, Adamu Dala Dogo in its attempts to balance the story, rejecting the notion that legislators had fled the state and explaining that all government officials were on ground in Yobe doing their work. Would it not be more statesmanlike that the governor also reflects on what the Yobe Assembly speaker had said?

“In Yobe State- and we know this is to be true for most of the country- we don’t use newspaper reports as necessary and sufficient cause for coming to conclusions on issues that require reflection, intersection and restrain. The Yobe State Government takes seriously the insecurity challenges facing the state and even with the return of relative peace, no one is complacent. We know that more needs to be done. This is the reason that officials from all branches of the state government continue to adopt an all –hands on deck approach to deal with the situation, something at their own personal risks.

“We therefore state categorically that no government official has relocated to Kano or Jigawa nor has anyone given up in Yobe State or anywhere in the country. As Muslims and Christians, we believe in the scriptural encouragement that ease will follow every hardship. This is even more so with the hard work of our security agencies and the vigilance of who suffer most the devastating effects of insecurity are at the forefront of the fight against mindless violence.

“We also believe that what will ultimately make the difference in the ongoing fight to ensure peace and security are the sacrifices that we make as individuals and collectives and what we actually do (not just say) as leaders and people in positions of authority.

As chairman of the Northern Governor’s forum and a leader who continues to make a mark on the lives of his people, we hold Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu in the highest esteem and hope that his clarification will help inform his comment about Yobe State in the future.”