Northern govs, CNG clash over Operation Shege Ka Fasa

Northern governors and the Coalition of Northern Groups on Sunday clashed over Operation Shege Ka Fasa, a security outfit, whose symbols were unveiled by the CNG on last Wednesday.

The Plateau State Governor and Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, Mr Simon Lalong, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said northern governors were not part of the security outfit

But the CNG revealed that its decision not to consult northern governors was deliberate, saying the governors would have swept it under the carpet if they were consulted.

The coalition also hit the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, and the Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, because of their stand on Operation Shege ka Fasa.

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The CNG, while unveiling Operation Shege Ka Fasa’s symbols in Kaduna on Wednesday, had said that the security outfit would tackle kidnapping, banditry and other crimes in all the northern states.

The coalition move came amidst the setting up of Operation Amotekun by the South-West governors after initial opposition by the Federal Government.

The South-West attorneys general met on Friday in Ibadan, where they adopted a draft bill on Amotekun.

Also, when they met President Muhammadu Buhari two weeks ago, the South-East governors indicated their intention to set up a regional security outfit.

But the Northern governors disowned the CNG’s Operation Shege Ka Fasa. The Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Lalong, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said northern governors were not part of the security outfit.

The Plateau State governor said he and his colleagues had no prior knowledge about the security outfit neither were they consulted before its symbols were unveiled in Kaduna on Wednesday.

Lalong, in response to an inquiry by one of our correspondents in Jos, said, “I don’t have information about it and Northern governors to the best of my knowledge are not party to that.”

But the CNG’s spokesman, AbdulAzeez Sulieman, while fielding questions from newsmen, said the coalition refused to consult the northern governors before unveiling Operation Shege ka Fasa.

Sulieman said if they had done that, the governors would have swept the idea under the carpet

Suleiman said the northern elite were responsible for the retrogression in the region and by extension dragging the entire country backward.

According to him, the action of the CNG, merely exposed the inconsistencies of the northern elite in the affairs of the region.

He said having exposed the hypocrisy of the northern elite, the CNG planned to seek legal recognition for the security outfit from relevant federal authorities. We are consulting with our legal team to find a way forward,” he said

Suleiman also tackled the Sultan of Sokoto and Ganduje, saying their comments only confirmed the concern about the failure of the northern elite and the traditional institution.

The Sultan had, at a Northern Security Meeting in Kaduna on Thursday, dismissed Operation Shege Ka Fasa.

He had said, “What I want to talk about is the Northern Youth Coalition that just created their own security outfit with just two or three vehicles. I saw it on the television, and the media gave them attention. Now, the elders allowed youths to go forward. So, the elite are our problems, the elders are our problems.

“If the elders don’t take the lead, the youth will do whatever they like and think they are right. You have to caution these youths by giving them good leadership. Now, youths have launched their own security outfit. I don’t know what they call it, Shege Ka Fasa’, meaning what?

Also at the event, the Kano State Governor, Ganduje disowned the security outfit, saying that the state had no need for Operation Shege Ka Fasa

The governor said he preferred building a strong synergy between the communities and security agencies to backing the outfit