Nasarawa State governor, Tanko Al-Makura has said the former minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, is responsible for pitching President Goodluck Jonathan against the North while in office, saying his divisive tendencies along ethnic and religious lines, helped fuel the recurrent crisis in Nasarawa State.

Maku, had at a press briefing in Abuja at the weekend, alleged among other things that innocent citizens had continued to be killed by gunmen as a result of what he described as the “insensitivity” in handling the security situation in the state by the state government which he claimed would have been addressed if he was sworn in as governor of the state in May, this year.

But in a swift reaction on yesterday, the Special Assistant to the governor on Media and Publicity, Ahmed Tukur, said it was rather unfortunate that Maku who had ignored invitations extended to him and other stakeholders on several occasions to brainstorm towards finding lasting solution to the communal crisis in recent past could make unguarded utterances when the state government has succeeded in overcoming the situation.

He alleged that the insecurity in the state in recent past became worse as there was an increase in the proliferation of arms and ammunition when Maku held sway as the supervising minister of Defence, insisting that the former minister should rather commend his boss for the relative peace being enjoyed in the state.