From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu said he aligned with President Muhammadu Buhari’s assertion that banditry in the country is neither a religious nor a tribal problem.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the banditry phenomenon, even though regrettable, should even make people to come together and think differently,” the governor said.
He spoke when he received the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Dr Samson Ayokunle, on a courtesy visit at Government House, Birnin Kebbi.
The governor lamented that misconceptions about several issues were ignorantly causing unnecessary hiccups amongst the citizens of the country. He harped on the need to place more emphasis on revenue mobilization, rather than revenue sharing in the country.
Bagudu said: “President Muhammadu Buhari has instilled transparency and accountability in the management of the resources of the nation. These resources are still too inadequate and all the communities across Nigeria have remained largely underserved.
“That is why Nigerians will continue to get more angry at each other and it’s better if we mobilise more resources to share,” he stated.
The governor extolled the CAN president for the visit, saying that it has tripartite important reasons.
“They include: to pray with us, to show support to what’s happening in the North-West and appreciate what we all do together .The situation in the North-West puts to question a lot of misconceptions we have about ourselves.”
The President of CAN, Dr Samson Ayokunle had earlier told Bagudu that the visit was also for three reasons, which include praying with all for greater wisdom for the leadership of Kebbi State.
“It is also to identify with the North-West as regards banditry. We are also here to commend Gov. Bagudu for ensuring a balanced government among all the religious groups in the state.
“If all governors are like Bagudu, there will be no problems and hiccups in the country. It should be live and let others live and we are commending the governor for giving Christians a face and a sense of belonging in the state.
“He has done a lot of good things and he is still doing, like the regular payment of salaries to the workers,” Ayokunle, added.
The CAN president further extolled the governor for “other good things in the state, including the construction of good roads and the allocation of a burial place for Christians in the state.”