By Fatima Zahra Muhammad
ASHENEWS reports that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto state has accused the present administration under Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto of neglecting communities affected by insecurity in the state.
Bello Aliyu Goronyo, the Sokoto state chairman of the PDP made the allegation in a statement emailed to ASHENEWS on Sunday.
The party said that communities in the eastern part of her state have in recent weeks come under incessant attacks by bandits, with no sympathy or reassurance from the state government.
“The People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) in Sokoto State is viewing with alarm, the incessant loss of innocent lives and disruption of the socioeconomic survival of citizens, especially in the Eastern part of our dear state due to bandits attacks and kidnappings. These sad incidences that occur almost daily have claimed hundreds of lives and incurred huge losses in livestock, farm produce, and other property in many communities in the state.
“The current situation in Isa, Headquarters of Isa Local Government is a case in point of the nonchalant attitude of the Sokoto Governor and his administration to the plight of the citizens that are under the stranglehold of bandits. As of today, all roads into the town are cut off by the gunmen, who have already taken hostage, scores of travelers on those routes. The bandits are also at present, surrounding and laying siege on Isa for close to 48 hours, so far, taking over 20 people hostage in the process,” the party said.
“Regrettably, the Sokoto State Government has failed to make any statement indicating either sympathy and reassurance for the people in the current predicament or readiness to take any action towards their rescue. Ahmed Aliyu is instead, merely preoccupied with punitive postings in the civil service and the scramble within the APC for political appointments.
“It is indeed, disheartening that the Sokoto State Government has exhibited a gross lack of concern about these devastating events, even as the people in the affected areas live under terror and fear. The current All Progressives Congress administration of Ahmad Aliyu has however, remained inactive and silent, as the bloodletting of innocent people and the disruption of the lives of communities goes on, without any action before, during, or after the fact of these sad events.
The statement said that while security agencies have been working keenly to tackle the menace, no such efforts have been seen to be coming from the state government.
Instead, it said that the state government was preoccupied with ‘vengeance and malice against imagined political enemies and pulling down the achievements of the previous PDP administration, including those affecting security, which is indeed, very regrettable.’
“While the security agencies in the state are battling to defend the people against the bandits, there has not been any evidence of support for the agencies from the Sokoto State Government. It is regrettable that after several attacks on some communities in the past weeks, neither has Ahmed Aliyu nor his government or the APC deemed it fit to extend even words of comfort, let alone any humanitarian aid to the affected people.”
The statement further queried lawmakers in the states assembly, whom he alleged were hands in glove in a ‘conspiracy of silence.’
“Our party equally finds it dispiriting that none of the serving Sokoto State APC members in the National Assembly deemed it necessary to raise the issue of banditry at their plenaries, especially, more sadly, those representing the most ravaged Sokoto East. In this conspiracy of silence, all levels of the ruling party seem to be unaware of the ongoing carnage on their people.”
