Zamfara killings: Yari vindicates me on $1bn withdrawal - Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said the claim by Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, that security agencies failed to respond to the alert given them to prevent the massacre of people in Zamfara has vindicated him.

Fayose said the statement had validated his stance that no extra $1bn was needed to be deducted from the Excess Crude Oil Account to fund the fight against insurgency.

Fayose stressed that funds being spent on security seemed not well used, as instead of insecurity being curtailed, the nation was unfortunately witnessing more killings on a daily basis.

The governor, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, queried why more money should be given to security agencies, if they were not properly utilising the funds earlier given to them.

The statement quoted Fayose as saying, “Governor Yari is the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, he is the one saying we should give $1bn from ECA to these security people and he said despite alerting security agencies over 24 hours before the needless killings in his state, they failed to rise to the occasion. That was not the first time such a thing would happen. Recall that Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State said the same thing. Also, Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State said a similar thing.

“On all the occasions, the security agencies failed to act. More than 73 people were killed in Benue, scores killed in Taraba and we now have the Zamfara issue. Regrettably, the killings have not stopped. If as a country we spend so much money on security, with practically no result, where is the justification for another round of funding? Fund an inept security apparatus,” he queried.

Condemning the attack on Zamfara, Fayose said the situation was not “only inhuman, but unfortunate.”

“This must not continue and we must tell the Federal Government to do something. The killings we have witnessed in this country from 2015 till date is unprecedented and perhaps never seen in the history of our country since Independence. Are we in a war situation?

“We must stop wasting people’s lives and use the $1bn for the welfare of our people in other sectors that will bring result. The All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government has lost it,” the governor said.

Fayose, who noted President Muhammadu Buhari’s usual directive of security agencies assessing the situation, challenged the president to tell Nigerians how many culprits have been arrested or prosecuted.

“It is like President Buhari is living on another planet not to say country. He is disconnected from the people and the reality on the ground. He does not seem to be in tune with reality.

“People are tired of lies and cheap propaganda. His government has failed the nation and he should just throw in the towel,” he stated.

Fayose also faulted the APC government of claiming glory for projects and policies put in place by the previous administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

“The drone that President Jonathan launched some years ago, they now woke up now to say their government has achieved a feat in that regards. Maybe they think the people are fools and have no sense of history. Nigerians will show them during the election,” he added.