The Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, Kolo Yusuf, has vowed to end insurgency in the state in three months.
Yusuf disclosed this during a meeting with members of the state’s organised labour unions, religious leaders, civil society organisations and journalists on Thursday.
He made the promise while calling for the suspension of the proposed nationwide protest by the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress slated for February 27 and 28.
The CP attributed the call for protest to the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, adding that by the next three months, all insurgency-related problems will be resolved.
The police boss noted that both the federal and state governments have set machinery in place to end the menace.
Yusuf said, “This problem did not start today. And the present government is all out to address the issue. The major problem associated with this is the withdrawal of fuel subsidies, and it was not done by this government.
“So, we need to be patient with this government because it is not this government that withdrew fuel subsidies. What this government needs now is prayer. People are calling for industrial action here and there. Even the trade union wanted to embark on industrial action, but they listened to me after I appealed to them, and suspended their threats.
“By the time all of you here don’t work, you will bring the state down to its knees. The bandits are there and refuse to allow anyone to farm. I don’t sleep anymore. I keep calling DPOs and area commanders just to resolve the problem.
“By the grace of GOD, in the next three months, all the problems will be resolved. All machinery has been put in place by both federal and state governments to end the insurgency. So let us support the government to end insurgency and forget about going on strike.”
The organised labour had planned a two-day nationwide protest over the high cost of living, inflation, insecurity and hardship in the country.
However, in another twist, the TUC backed out of the planned protest, saying that the decision to protest on the said dates was not taken collectively by both unions.
In his response to the police boss, the TUC chairman, Zamfara State, Saidu Mudi, said the group couldn’t back down on the protest as it hadn’t been ordered by its national leadership.
He said, “You were there, you witnessed the session. He has spoken as the CP on how he wanted the labour unions to back down on the strike actions. But for us, there is no way that we can shelve our planned strike because we have not received any directive from the national leadership. We are going ahead with it except an agreement is reached.”
