Musa Na-Allah, Sokoto
Sokoto State Government has announced plans to recruit additional personnel into the State Neighbourhood Initiative and the Sokoto Marshals, as part of efforts to strengthen community security and promote youth empowerment.
Under the new arrangement, members of the Neighbourhood Initiative will be deployed to rural communities, while the Sokoto Marshals will focus on enforcing traffic regulations within the state capital and providing security for government buildings and assets.
The Neighbourhood Initiative, first introduced by Governor Ahmad Aliyu during his tenure as Commissioner for Social Welfare under former Governor Aliyu Wamakko, was established to train young people to support conventional security agencies in areas such as crowd management, fire control, and traffic regulation.
Governor Aliyu disclosed this during the closing ceremony of the Sheikh Usman Bin Fodiyo Week held at the Kasarawa Conference Center, Sokoto.
He explained that the recruitment drive will provide job opportunities, reduce youth idleness, and curb the growing trend of youth involvement in criminal activities.
He further noted that his administration recently inaugurated a committee to oversee the recruitment of 3,000 qualified indigenes into the state’s workforce, reaffirming his government’s commitment to tackling unemployment and promoting peace and stability.
Speaking on the significance of the Sheikh Usman Bin Fodiyo Week, the governor announced plans to digitize the literary works of the leaders of the Sokoto Caliphate and make them publicly accessible for research and educational purposes. A committee, he said, would soon be constituted to implement the project.
Governor Aliyu reiterated his administration’s dedication to preserving the legacies of the Caliphate’s founders, especially in the areas of diplomacy, security, moral values, and societal reorientation.
In his goodwill message, the Governor of Taraba State, Dr. Agbu Kefas, praised the organizers for celebrating the contributions of the Caliphate’s founding fathers to scholarship and governance.
Also speaking, Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III observed that many scholarly works of the Caliphate remain unpublished and called for renewed efforts to preserve and share these intellectual treasures for future generations.
He reaffirmed the Sultanate Council’s commitment to sustaining the ideals of the Caliphate.
The Chairman of the occasion, the Etsu Nupe, Yahaya Abubakar, described the Danfodiyo Week as an important platform that highlights the sacrifices and leadership of the Caliphate founders.
He also commended Governor Aliyu for his support toward the successful hosting of the event.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Planning Committee, Malam Lawal Mai Doki, said the week-long event featured symposiums, quizzes, poetry recitals, and lectures celebrating the life and works of Sheikh Usman Bin Fodiyo.
A highlight of the ceremony was a public lecture delivered by Dr. Usman Bugaje titled “Sokoto Caliphate in Bilad Al-Sudan: State Formation, Statecraft, and State Fidelity in 19th Century Africa.”
The event also featured the presentation of awards to distinguished personalities and winners of the quiz and poetry competitions.
