Gov Masari Faults Buhari, Says Responsibility Of Protecting Citizens Lies With FG

Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, has disagreed with President Muhammadu Buhari’s stance that governors should be held responsible for insecurity in their states.

Masari, who was a guest on an Arise TV programme on Tuesday, said the Federal Government has the responsibility of ensuring the protection of lives and property of citizens in every part of the country

Masari also faulted Buhari for attributing the worsening security challenges in the country to the failure of states and local governments across the country to manage security issues in their respective domains.

However, Masari opined that going by Constitutional provisions, it was wrong for anybody to blame states and local governments over insecurity in the country.

“It is the responsibility of the Federal Government to ensure protection of lives and property of citizens in all nooks and cranny of the country.

“When you look at the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the issue of security is under the Exclusive List.

“So, it is the responsibility of the Federal Government and states can only complement and that’s what we have always done and are still doing.

“From the local governments, we assist the police, the DSS, the NSDC. There may be states that do not complement efforts of the security agencies and perhaps those are the states that the president was referring to.

“But sincerely speaking, based on provisions of the Constitution, the blame should go to the Federal Government for the general state of insecurity in Nigeria” the Katsina governor said.