‘You went to Lagos for book launch, that is neither Qur’an or Bible, just a biography,’ ex-Sokoto gov. fumes at Buhari

Former Sokoto Governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, has tackled President Muhammadu Buhari’s handling of security and other matters in the country, positing that ‘the way the lives of our people are being treated as worthless is the most disturbing thing.’

Reacting to the visit by President Buhari to Lagos for the book launch by chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, last Thursday, at a time when 23 passengers travelling in a bus were burnt alive by bandits, Bafarawa accused the President of not valuing the lives of the people that elected him.

According to Bafarawa, who further expressed disappointment over Buhari’s failure to visit and condole with the people of the state over the burning of travellers by bandits, the President has so far failed to address the growing insecurity and killings in Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina states.

It would be recalled that last week, bandits opened fire on a commercial bus, setting the bus ablaze with passengers trapped inside. The bus had 23 passengers inside.

In an interview with BBC Hausa, Saturday, Bafarawa said Buhari has till date failed to respond to the needs of the people across the country, further blasted the president for not valuing the lives of the people who elected him.

Berating Buhari for finding time to come to the people when he was seeking election, but shunning them in their time of need, the former Sokoto governor said the President ‘did not come to Sokoto to commiserate with us over the lives we lost but he sent some people to represent him.’

“The way the lives of our people are being treated as worthless is the most disturbing thing.

“See the lives lost just within the last four to five days. People were burnt in a vehicle after they were shot but President Muhammadu Buhari went to Lagos for a book launch. A book that is neither the Qur’an or the Bible. It is just a biography.

“He did not come to Sokoto to commiserate with us over the lives we lost but he sent some people to represent him.

“When he was campaigning, he didn’t send anybody to represent him, he came by himself. That was because he wanted to be elected.

“What stopped him from coming to console with the people? But he went to Lagos for a book launch. We can only say “Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raji’in” (from Allah we come and to him we shall return). Sabon Birni, Shinkafi and Goronyo are in a very dire situation.

“We only depend on God for protection. It is only on God that we depend for his protection, not anybody. We are sad and disappointed with the way Buhari’s administration is treating our region.

“I was a governor for eight years and I know the responsibilities placed on me. Whenever a governor or a president is sworn in, he swears with the Qur’an or the Bible that he will protect the lives and properties of the people. Nobody says that the people will be responsible for the protection of their lives and properties.

“The leader who swore that he can do it by going to the people in their villages and houses and asked them to vote for him, must fulfil that promise. The saying that security is everybody’s business is true, but the onus rests with the leader, like President Muhammadu Buhari who swore with the Qur’an to protect their lives.

“The poor is even ready to lay his life to protect the life and dignity of his fellows. But he was not protected to do it.

“Take for example the bandits shooting and killing people, they have guns and our people have no guns and they don’t even know where to get it from,” Bafarawa fumed.