ZAMFARA SECURITY ISSUE DOMINATES STAKEHOLDERS FORUM MEETING CONVENED BY PASTURAL RESOLVE

In what can be described as turning attention to the plight of Zamfara State by local and international community, the Pastural Resolve (PARE) in collaboration with Search for Common Ground (SFCG), Nexier Center for Democratic Development, Research and Training (CEDDERT) and French Embassy convened a meeting that delved on the theme: *Responding To Challenges of Rural Violence and Insecurity in Zamfara State" in Abuja. 

During the event, the convener who is also one of leading pioneers of the Pastoral Resolve (PARE) Alhaji Abubakar Bobboi Jauro, said that the issues of serious humanitarian need, improved quality of services, heightened and violent crimes, high unemployment and poverty, degraded resources base and week institutions need to be urgently addressed in the Zamfara state. He further stressed the need to increase partnership and cooperation among key institutions at the federal and state levels to proffer solutions to the challenges.

The Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad Dauran who was ably represented by Director Security Alhaji Musa Liman Shinkafi was accorded the honour to present a paper on the theme. Delivering the paper, Hon Dauran highlighted the measure taken by His Excellency Governor Bello Matawalle to curtail the menace of banditry and the success so far attained. He acknowledged with gratitude the role of key stakeholders in complementing the effort of the government, stressing further the need to maintain the tempo for the sustenance of peace in the state. 

The panel of discussants who addressed the challenges of rural violence and insecurity in Zamfara State were Professor Tukur Baba, Dr. Abubakar Siddique (CEDERT), Brig. Gen Saleh Bala, Malam Musa Ahmad Bungudu and Ibrahim Bello Zauma. Part of the strong delegation from Zamfara who graced the occasion were Gazali Shehu Ahmad, Special Adviser on Strategy and Development and the Faika Muhammad Ahmad, Special Adviser, Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and Umar Muhammad Maradun, PARE Coordinator, Zamfara State. The interactive discussion finally ensued and the communique would be delivered in due course. 

Ibrahim Bello Zauma 

SSA New Media 

17/12/2019