The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has called on the federal government to intensify efforts in tackling insecurity, particularly in northern region still plagued by banditry and violence.
He, however, praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for policies that have led to a noticeable drop in food prices across the country.
The Sultan made the remarks during a town hall meeting and sensitisation on the mid-term achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, organised by the Federal Ministry of Information in Sokoto on Thursday.
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While acknowledging the administration’s progress in alleviating economic hardship-especially through improved access to food-he expressed concern that many citizens continue to live in fear due to the activities of armed groups.
“We want to see our people living in their communities without fear. We also want to see them traveling safely on our roads-from here to Abuja and other parts of the country-without the constant fear of abduction,” the Sultan said.
Represented by the Sarkin. Yakin Gagi, Umar Sani, the monarch also commended the launch of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), a government-backed student loan initiative designed to support students in tertiary institutions.
“We carefully monitor the progress recorded by the Bola Tinubu administration and the Ahmed Aliyu’s government, who have done extremely well in terms of infrastructure upgrade, education development, among others.
“But we are expecting more from them, until we ensure that no single citizen will move in fear of threat from Sokoto to Abuja, from Sokoto to Kano, and to other parts of the country. We know they are doing their best, but we want them to redouble their effort. We want our country to be safe,” he said
He urged Nigerians to remain prayerful and support their leaders, noting that national progress depends on both good governance and the unity of the people.
In his address, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Muhammad Idris, said the federal government, in collaboration with the Sokoto State government, has committed the sum of N7 billion to upgrade the education sector in the state.
He added that 30,000 metric tons of milled rice were provided to civil servants in the state by the federal government at a subsidized rate of N40,000.
He also mentioned the 1,068 km Sokoto-Badagry road being constructed as part of their achievements.
In his address at the event, the NELFUND desk officer at Sokoto State University disclosed that over 4,000 students from the University are currently benefiting from the loan scheme.
Meanwhile, some attendees expressed concern over the slow pace of some of the infrastructure projects, especially roads.
They urged the federal government to fast-track construction timelines, arguing that doing so would enhance security and ease movement across the region.
