Governors-elect shouldn’t waste time probing predecessors, says Umar-Radda

Dikko Umar-Radda, the governor-elect of Katsina, says his counterparts should not waste time investigating the activities of their predecessors after assuming office on May 29.

Speaking on Monday in an interview with Channels Television, Umar-Radda discussed some of the lessons learned from the 2023 induction workshop for re-elected and newly elected governors.

Umar-Radda said the newly-elected governors must consider expertise and diversity in setting up their cabinets, instead of party affiliation.

“If you want to succeed as a governor or any leadership you must have people who have the expertise, experience, and skills,” he said.

“You also have to consider the diversity and other options — women, youths, and politicians’ involvement. This will only consolidate the gains of the government.

“Issues of transition were also discussed at the forum. Party affiliation should not be a hindrance to the transition from one government to another.

“Governors-elect should not waste time investigating what the other government had done. I think it is better to kick-start the process, draw a line, move on and provide the leadership you are supposed to provide in your state.”

The governor-elect said fighting insecurity is his first priority in Katsina, adding that he is prepared to address the root cause.

He attributed the banditry in the state to the “age-long injustice” suffered by the Fulani ethnic group.

“When you want to deal with insecurity, there are kinetic and non-kinetic approaches. First of all, you don’t negotiate with bandits from the point of disadvantage, always try to negotiate with them at the point of advantage. Let them call for negotiation. You should not be pursuing the negotiation,” he added.

“Everyone who knows history knows how this thing started. It started because of the injustice meted to the Fulani from time immemorial. It has not been addressed by the government. If you go to those villages, they don’t have schools and hospitals. They are not benefiting anything from the government.

“There are a lot of intruders in the situation. This thing is not only perpetrated by those people, there are so many people coming in and taking advantage of this — non-Nigerians, Nigerians, and people taking advantage owing to the illegal mining in the forests.

“As a result of the illegal mining sites, there are some people who are funding the bandits, politically, so that when they fund them it will give them the opportunity to mine.”