 Chairman of our work Consultative Forum raises alarm over the insecurity and tension ahead of the forthcoming Governorship elections in Kogi State. And would also address calls for the involvement of women in key positions in the Tunibu-Shatema Administration. This is Plus Politics. I am Massey Bukbo. The Chairman of our work Consultative Forum and President of the Niger Institute of Architects and Gabriel Adoko has raised the alarm over the insecurity and tension ahead of the forthcoming Governorship elections in Kogi State. Now he expressed concerns that the elections slated for November 11, 2023 might not hold if violence continues unabated, given the manner innocent people are being killed outrightly and their property has been banned. Earlier this month the Kogi State Government had confirmed an attack on the convoy of the Governor Yahya Bello by gunmen along the Abudra-Lokudra Highway, also full-scale manhunt and apprehension of notorious criminal gang in the state. So joining us to make sense of this in this discussion is Kinsley Fawon, Commissioner for Information Kogi State. Thank you so much, Kinsley Fawon, for joining us. Thank you very much Massey for having me with me, viewers around the world. Well, so apart from the fact that there was an attack or an attempt on the convoy of the Governor Yahya Bello, there also reports that from the leadership of the Social Democratic Party in Kogi State, who happened to have appealed to the President to intervene in Kogi to maintain law and order, that's following the attack as well on the governorship candidate of the SDP, Yakubo Ajaka, and his supporters. So I'd like to ask you, Kinsley, can you quickly bring us to speed with what exactly is going on in Kogi State in terms of security? Thank you very much. Kogi State is one of the most secure states in the country today. We inherited a crime infestastic when we came in 2016. But today it is one of the safest because of the security architecture, the security policies and strategies of the Yahya Bello administration. So what we are saying is that despite the fact that we have the governorship election on November 11, we will not want a situation where the gains we recorded in terms of security will be reversed because of the political desperation of the politicians. Right now we are witnessing flashes of insecurity but the state government is on top of this situation and we will ensure that we maintain the level of security that we are witnessing in the state and as well improve on it because as the criminals try to invent new ways of trying to make the state insecure, we are also hoping again to ensure that the state remains one of the safest states in Nigeria. So if not any of these reports that you get, whatever is happening here are efforts at ensuring that the lives and property of our people are not put in jeopardy because of political desperation. Okay so I totally understand that you are the commissioner for information in Kogi State and I really don't expect a different answer from you but if you look at the fact that there's been a lot of tension ahead of the elections, we know that the elections will be held in November, all things being equal on the 11th to be precise 2023 governorship elections. There seem to have been a lot of complaints up to a point where you have the chairman of the Iowa Consultative Forum and the president of the Niger Institute of Architecture Gabriel Adoko who has raised the level of insecurity ahead of the elections. So again categorically apart from the fact that efforts have been made to curtail all of this, what exactly are you dealing with in the state? Is it politically motivated? We're talking about kidnapping, banditry, what exactly is going on? Yeah we don't actually know, let me pick it from two perspectives, we don't actually know the events that Gabriel Adoko was talking about and whether it had to do with the operations of security operatives a few days ago which led to the neutralization of notorious kidnapper, murderer and criminal that has been declared wanted by security agents and maybe it had to do with that. I can connect that because we can see where the complaints, where the noise is coming from. We don't also know whether architect Gabriel Adoko is also trying to defend his candidate of choice because he was part of a splinter group within an ethnic organization that endorsed the candidate of a certain political party and we know that supporters of that certain political parties have been seriously complaining on social media because of the operations that took out the criminals a few days ago. Maybe he's trying to defend his own candidate or you know because it would be unfortunate for him to use the platform of the Iowa Consultative Forum to promote an ethnic agenda that he's known for. Kogi is a multi-ethnic state and this present administration in the state has done a lot to unite the people of the state so nobody can play ethnic politics in the state again and succeed with it. So having failed to use the platform of his ethnic organization to promote his candidate maybe he's trying to use the Iowa Consultative Forum to be able to achieve his dream but you know that is going to be very unfortunate. If Iowa Consultative Forum that is having all the 19 states of the northern region of the country and it could make a Kogi person the chairman of the forum that is a sense of fairness because Kogi is the southern part is the most southern part of the north and the most northern part of the south. So you can see that if they could make someone from Kogi the chairman that person should live up to the billing of ensuring political neutrality fairness and justice and not do anything that will endanger the unity, cohesion and togetherness of the good people of Kogi state. So he will need to make more clarifications as to what exactly he's talking about maybe he's still trying to promote his candidate or he's trying to use the platform of SCF to promote ethnic division in one of the northern states of Nigeria. Well so I think that we'll come back to that conversation first of all yourself and himself who's in absentia now but looking at some of the statement that has been made is about Kogi state and then at the end of the day we're asking is there insecurity in Kogi state or it's just just the you know are we just manufacturing on of this report because we hear that you know the governor there was an attempt on the governor's convoy a higher below there was also an attempt on you know on the SDB candidates himself of course which he has spoken about and all the insecurity issues. So at this point again let's be very certain is it that you know we're just making stories or are there political tension is there political tension right now in Kogi state? We can't refer to what happened between the SDB candidate and the convoy of the governor as a measure of insecurity. It was a clash orchestrated by supporters of the SDP candidates who attacked the convoy of the governor, blocked the governor from passing. So let me get this correctly Kinsley are you saying that you know the attack on the convoy of Yahya Bello was orchestrated by you know the SDP and their supporters? It is not about suspicion it was it was a clash that was in public domain he was trying to overtake that convoy he was blocked by a vehicle where they were keeping arms and ammunition and then the security had to rise to the occasion to be able to take the governor off the place. Some vehicles belonging to the convoy of the governor were smashed and damaged shots were fired at this vehicles conveying the security operatives that are to secure the governor. So it is something that is in the public domain we have decided we are not going to talk extensively about it because it is a matter that is being investigated by law enforcement agents and we know that they will bring their report to the public and ensure that perpetrators are prosecuted. In other words you are saying that the SDP is responsible for the attack on the convoy of the governor of Kogi state? 100%. All right then I mean there's so much confidence in that but again like you have said do you have proofs? Definitely you know it was a confrontation on our convoy coming from Abuja we have proofs we've presented all of these two. So how do you know that the the confrontation was coming from the SDP because then again you know the reports that we're having right yes that members of the opposition party are not allowed to breathe and that's because the powers that be in Kogi state are intimidating and harassing the people but then again you were saying that the recent attack on the convoy of the people and also dismissing the fact that the SDP president the governorship candidate was attacked. Let me give you this scenario. A few days ago the candidate of a court party held a very massive program in the state bringing all his supporters across the state nobody harassed that congregation. Recently Senator Dino Melae the candidate of the People's Democratic Party went round the state to meet with traditional rulers to meet with interest groups nobody harassed his convoy or the congregation of his supporters. Also recently the candidate of the ADC on Rebuleke Abeji day went round to meet with royal fathers and also unveiled his deputy governor all of this happened in Kogi state he was not harassed nobody harassed him so the report that the opposition parties have been harassed is ludicrous it is false. Not opposition party specifically the SDP saying that yes governorship candidate was attacked as well as his supporters. Let me land on this thought this is an isolated case and it is a case of desperate politicians who were thinking they could harass a city governor in the state. An attack on the governor is an attack on the authority of the Kogi state it is not just about the governor it's about the people of the state so if others are going about their campaign without without any hindrance without any molestation without any harassment why is it that it is this particular person that is complaining of harassment why is it that the police the state security service went on an operation to neutralize criminals who were bent on disrupting the peace of the state and it is still the same party that was complaining about it so you can nip it together and know where the problem is what we are sure of is that we know that politics is not a crime but crime cannot also be politics so we are not going to politicize criminality in the state. But again I'd like to take you on this particular one Kingsley you have stated that because the PDP and all the political parties had their rallies and campaign without any sort of violence and whatsoever then again you just assume that you know the fact that the convoy of the the sitting governor was attack would have been the STP so were you able to identify any member of the STP were you able to you know seize stickers was it really anything I mean because you say you sound very sure that it's the STP that's involved I'm not holding back for the STP but I'm asking questions now because from what you have said it sounds like you're just it's just a conspiracy theory you're forced to let's just assume that the STP would have been responsible for the attack but then again if you have a government because a government has a responsibility of securing lives and properties whether or not they belong to a certain political party or not the complaint from your state has been that tension has actually increased ahead of the elections and one is asking what exactly could be going on and you have also dismissed the you know reports coming from the STP saying that that's not true maybe they're turning the stories but don't forget that they're also citizens they're also part of the state so again I ask also you you have reports especially coming from you saying that at some point you understand the fact that the attacks that are coming you know who's responsible monarchs have been involved in insecurity and what have you in your state so for sure do you have evidence could you identify or did you identify any member of the STP has been involved in you know the attack on the convoy of the governor of your state Yahya Bello who's your principal thank you very much and I'm going to answer all of the things you've said is seeking for proof and I'm just going to answer you by saying that the tundra that broke the governor and we found and the nomination in that tundra is the is a tundra that was branded with the colors ticker's logo of the STP and also in that convoy was the governorship candidate of the STP all of this happened in his presence we have video evidence to this effect and I am repeating and reiterating and practically to you that there is no tension whatsoever in Kogi state all there's a campaigning around the state even the STP candidate has gone around the state to talk to people to campaign he was not harassed by anybody it was that incidents of blocking the way of the governor that led to that's coming that they and you know what we are saying is that despite the fact that they don't belong to the ruling party it is not about the party governor Yahya Bello is the governor of Kogi state governor of people that are in STP in APC in everywhere so it is his responsibility to protect all of the people of the state and that's exactly what the governor is doing so I am saying and practically no political tension so you're saying that there's no insecurity consent or security consent in your state well we have been speaking with the commissioner for information in Kogi state Kingsley a farm war Kingsley can you hear us the people are going about their novel business there are no issues whatsoever I think that we lost connection for a bit but I like that you reiterate or you know come again let's talk about that because we're looking at the state of security in your state and we know that for sure over time there's been several complaints that here Kogi state used to be very peaceful but then again is neighborhood around almost nine states and there might probably just be a trickle down effect where the political tension that has been reported from different quarters including the attempted attack or whatever that happened on the convoy of the government there seemed to be a lot of consent from different quarters so I asked literally to you are you saying that there are no security threats in Kogi state that everywhere is peaceful no banditry issues kidnapping terrorists and what have you Kogi has been very safe you know in the past few years we've put in place a security architecture that has been able to deal with the issues of security part of the effort was what you saw a few days ago when the security joint task force went after a notorious kidnapper modra gun runner and ensure that he was neutralized when they approached the place he opened fire on them and wanted to kill all of those security agents but he was neutralized at the end of the day so in Kogi state we don't have we don't have war laws we don't have criminals that are above the law we ensure that we do everything humanly possible to encourage security agencies to be able to maintain law and other in the state so I am saying again Kogi is very safe Kogi is very peaceful only politicians that are afraid of the past that are afraid of their fake identity that are afraid of their fraudulent past that are afraid of their criminal machinations only those only those politicians are afraid of coming to Kogi state if your hands are clean you will come to Kogi state regardless of your political party to campaign and engage in your political activities others are doing it why is it just one party that is complaining bitterly about the possible so you're saying that there's been no attack on any uh human live uh properties have not been destroyed or bond whatever within this period 2023 let me give you um let me give you a scenario there is no society in the world where you have no no you haven't answered my question I'm asking are you saying that there's been no security or insecurity incident however in 2023 open till January till this moment there's been no threat whatsoever that's where that's where I'm going I cannot be boxed to a one answer situation what I'm saying is that there is no society where you don't have insecurity what what separates and distinguishes any state government is how you respond to that security threat and we have been responding in such a very spontaneous manner in the state that the people have so much confidence in our government in our security agencies in our security architecture so I am not saying that totally there is there are no flashes of insecurity here and there yes we have one or two of of those situations but what matters most is how we have been able to deal with the situation and put it on that control to ensure that our people are safe so but there are also still concerns uh that uh you know people members of your state and people are worried about the elections that are slated for November the 11th even though some people will stay we still have a lot of time to November the 11th uh saying that if all of this is gone on abated then there might just be concerns of not having the elections holding so what exactly is your government doing categorically to address all of this there are also some points where you have also stated your government has stated that you understand those who are involved in this criminal and criminality and you're doing everything to address it so if you know those who are involved in it how come they have not been apprehended there's the temperatures the political temperatures in the state we are not going to allow that we are going to ensure that we have a free, fair, credible and peaceful vote on November 11th that is the commitment of the government and we have started that what I suspect is that some of these so-called statesmen are supposed to come out to health security agencies for ensuring that criminals that would have disrupted the election some of them have been taken off the stage and what it means is that we will not allow anyone to continue to kill co-guides and kidnap co-guides and create a situation of tension and... Kinsley we seem to be having you know nobody's about the law and like I said politics is you can play your politics peacefully and at the same time crime is no politics you cannot be involved in yourself in criminality and say you are free politics the state would make sure that's sorted well it's unfortunate that the allegations that you know the powers that be it's an undemocratic situation in your state as political opponents and other stakeholders who want to run for political offices in the state are constantly subjected to intimidation harassment and threat can you please speak to this and and you know when they say powers that be what powers are we referring to could it be the incumbent power Kinsley can you have to take the question again because I didn't hear all right yeah you have to take the question yeah so I'll take that because we're almost out of time and this will probably just be the last for us you have spoken about you know the security situation saying it is not what we're hearing it's a different situation whatsoever they're probably just element who are just trying to you know make things get out of hand but then again your government and yourself have been quoted for today to say you know what is responsible for insecurity in your state and I'm asking if you know those who are costing and constituting a nuisance how come they haven't been apprehended that's on the one hand and then secondly there are also complaints from different quarters saying that this current situation ahead of the elections in in November 11th is undemocratic as you have powers that be not allowing a political opponent and stakeholders to run for political office as they have been subjected to intimidation harassment what powers are they referring to could it be the incumbent especially when you talk about contesting for political office and then having powers that be so what exactly are we dealing with we are both um mostly we are both journalists and there when journalists say sources that do not want their names mentioned then you know I would say that again this is the aroa consultative forum what I'm trying to bring out is when you say there are concerns in certain quarters what are those quarters where are they the aroa consultative forum they are very vocal on this particular one they have stated that there are powers that be in cogey state that are not allowing political opponents to contest for offices or office in the state that they have been subjected to intimidation harassment and in court powers that be so I ask you what powers do you think that they are referring to could it be the incumbent I don't speak for them and I've given you the scenario of the piece that we have in the state of how political um political candidates candidates or political parties are going around the states to campaign peacefully without molestation without harassment I've told you all of this so if they are talking about powers that be I think they would have to define it and let us know but I know that one of the powers that be have been neutralized by security agencies a few days ago maybe those are the powers that be that they are referring to all right at Kingsley we have to go at this point thank you so much for being part of the show we do appreciate you thank you very much all right then we have been speaking with the commissioner for information in cogey state uh here's Kingsley faro uh right there joining us thank you so much for joining us we'll take a break and when we return we'll be discussing the cause for women involvement in tinnable shatimar's administration please stay with us