Zamfara State Governor, Dr. Bello Muhammad Matawalle has called for the extension of retirement age of Army officers, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence and other Security officers to 70 years, and enhancement of their training for effective utilisation.
The Governor made the call in Maradun, his hometown while receiving a group of Coalition of civil society organizations who came to express their support to the governor’s policies and programmes in fighting banditry.
Matawalle explained that if the Federal Government could extend the retirement age of University lecturers, Judges and Secondary School Teachers, it was also good to extend the same gesture to security personnel in order to achieve the target goals of ending banditry and terrorism as well as attain enduring peace in the country.
The Governor lamented that majority of security personnel were retiring at the time when their services are most needed, hence the need for his call to the improvement of their working condition.
He said the federal government and the security high command need to look at the retirement age of Army personnel, police and other Security officers with a view to extend it to 70 years just like those in the Academia and judiciary.
Governor Matawalle who thanked the Coalition of civil society organizations for their concern, support and cooperation to his administration, also assured them of his readiness to use their advises and that he would use all necessary measures to end banditry and other criminal activities in the state.
He informed them that he has taken measures ranging from dialogue and reconciliation with bandits, shutdown of networks and closing of major markets across the state but they hadn’t fully worked hence the need for another step in calling on his people to bear arms for self defence.
The Governor also informed the group of his administration’s decision to establish Community Protection Guards CPG based on his conviction to work out all possible options to deal with the increasing act of Banditry, causing loss of lives, untold hardships and rapturing intercommunal peace in some parts of the state.
He therefore assured them that restoring peace and tranquility and the sustainance of peaceful co-existance throughout the state would continue to remain the top priority of his administration by exploring all possible remedies to the plight of the people of Zamfara State.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations in Zamfara State, Adamu Kotorkoshi said they were in Maradun to express their appreciations and satisfaction to the Governor with the security arrangements put in place by Matawalle led administration in order to end banditry.
Adamu Kotorkoshi said the recent pronouncement by Governor Bello Matawalle for people to bear arms for self defence is commendable, as all efforts have been made by the governor to secure the state but proved abortive.
He said the group therefore will continue to support the Governor in his move to secure Zamfara state from insecurity.
The event was attended by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Kabiru Balarabe, Chief of Staff Government House, Malam Ibrahim Suleiman, State APC Chairman, Alhaji Tukur Umar Danfulani, members of the State Executive Council, Special Advisers, permanent secretaries and Directors General as well as senior Government officials.