ABUJA — Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara yesterday lamented the killings in various
parts of the country, saying Nigeria is now being painted red with blood. He
spoke on a day that Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, took a swipe at the
government over the precarious security situation in the country. DOGARA
According to him, the failure of government to protect the lives and property
of Nigerians is a tragedy and an indictment on both the executive and the
legislature. This is even as Plateau State Governor, Mr. Simon Lalong,
disclosed, yesterday, that over 14,000 persons had been killed in Plateau and
Benue states in the last few years by suspected herdsmen. Nigeria painted red
with blood — Dogara Yesterday, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu
Dogara, lamented the fact that the country was now being painted red with
blood, following the killing of scores of people, including women and children,
in Benue and Taraba states in particular and other parts of the country. In his
address to lawmakers who resumed from recess, yesterday, Dogara frowned on the
violence in Benue, Taraba, Kaduna, Rivers, Zamfara, and Adamawa states. He
said: “Indeed, at no time in the recent past has the nation’s peace and unity
been so vigorously and persistently challenged. This, however, is the real test
for true leadership. “Our dear country is now being painted red with the blood
of the innocents on account of unremitting bedlam callously promoted by cold-hearted
merchants of death. “At these moments of intense outpouring of grief across the
nation, it is important that we shun buck passing and accept responsibility for
these wanton killings without which we will never find a solution to this
evil.” Reacting to the ongoing fuel scarcity, Dogara said the green chamber
felt betrayed by the executive, stressing that it was unfortunate that even
with the cooperation the lawmakers gave to the executive in a bid to resolve
the fuel crisis, the situation still persisted. “We expected that with the
legislative cooperation given to the executive arm, to effect an increase in
the fuel price from N87 per litre to N145, and based on their assurances,
incidents of fuel scarcity would be a thing of the past. We were also assured
that fuel subsidy had come to an end.” Senate ready for solutions — Saraki
According to Saraki, the 8th Senate was prepared to help find solutions to
assuage the hurt to affected parts, bring the perpetrators to justice and
enthrone peace in all four corners of the country. In his welcome address to
senators, who resumed from end-of-year recess yesterday, Saraki also warned the
executive and the lawmakers against early politicking ahead of 2019,
saying it was too early to embark on
that for governance not to be grounded. Saraki said: “Human life is sacred. We
state without equivocation that Nigerian life must become sacred. When we fail
in our duty to protect Nigerian lives, it is a tragedy and an indictment on us
all. “We as the 8th Senate stand ready to help find solutions to assuage the
hurt to affected parts, to bring the perpetrators to justice and to enthrone
peace in all four corners of this country. “Let me state that the 8th Senate is
disturbed by these unfortunate incidents, and we have been for some time. “We
were concerned enough to have inaugurated the Ad-Hoc Committee on Security in
November of last year. And so, it was that, with the shocking reports from
Benue, Rivers and other places, the security committee members also cut short
their recess to resume sitting, with a view to fast-tracking their
investigations, in order to present an interim report for the Senate’s
consideration immediately on resumption. “I really must commend the committee
for its swift action in this regard; and I am happy to note that the interim
report is ready for the consideration of this chamber. “We are a
people-oriented Senate, and I believe I speak for us all when I pledge that we
shall continue to demonstrate similar dedication to our duties this year, as worthy
representatives of the people who voted us into office.” Stop politicking now
ahead of 2019 — Saraki On early politicking ahead of 2019, Saraki said: “Going
into the new year, I can only wish each and every one of us the best as we
prepare for the task ahead. It is a crucial year. “As you all know, this, in
all probability, will be the last productive year before we go into the 2019
electioneering period. Not only is there a need to up the ante in terms of
productivity, it is important we keep our eyes on the big picture. “Let us not
be caught in the political fray before due season. This is Nigeria’s time. Let
us devote ourselves to her service. It is, therefore, imperative that we speed
up consideration on the various bills on which legislative work remains
outstanding, particularly economic bills.” Calling for similar attention are
the other parts of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) related bills still to be
passed, namely: the Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill and the Petroleum Host
Community Bill. “It is my appeal to each and every one of us, that our
legislative duty to Nigeria and her people, must be uppermost in our minds. We
must not allow the upcoming 2019 elections to overshadow our work for the
people that elected us – or distract us from that which we are mandated to do
by the constitution and the trust reposed in us by the people. “This is my
appeal: it is too early for 2019 politicking to override the legislative agenda
and the larger work of governance. We have begun a good thing with the economic
core of our agenda; let us see it to its proper conclusion. ‘’It would be most
insensitive to the needs of the people of this country if we were to do
otherwise. I am directing this appeal not only to us in the chamber but to the
National Assembly as a whole, as well as to the Executive and, indeed, all
political actors.” Saraki, who noted the suffering Nigerians passed through
during the Christmas and New year celebration as a result of fuel scarcity,
said: “I am not unmindful of the
sobering fact that the new year has met many citizens in a reflective mood.
Many were on the queue for petrol; many households are grief-stricken. ‘’This
mood of reflection is also one from which no lawmaker is immune; what affects
one, affects all. When one part of the body is hurting, the whole body hurts,
and this holds true for the entire nation. “We have all been witnesses to the
hardships which many Nigerians experienced in the new year, stuck on fuel
queues at petrol stations in many of our cities. ‘’It has been disheartening to
see, especially during the festive period when Nigerians should have been
enjoying carefree time with their loved ones, with enough petrol in their tanks
to make that cherished journey to their various hometowns.” “Distinguished
colleagues, the 8th Senate has continued its historic run, because by the end
of 2017, we had passed 140 Bills over a period of 30 months. The landmark
Economic Bills we passed, helped to propel the country’s emergence from
recession, powering us upwards in the Ease of Doing Business Report. ‘’While
the legislative feats of the year gone by shall go down in the annals of
lawmaking in this country, what is also true is that we cannot lose momentum,
nor can we afford to rest on our oars. “In conclusion, it bears reiterating
that we cannot waste a moment of this year that rolls its boundless
opportunities out for us.” Benue: Senate gives IGP 14 days to arrest
perpetrators, sponsors This is even as the Senate, yesterday, gave the
Inspector- General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris, 14 days to arrest the
perpetrators and sponsors of the killing in Benue State. According to the
Senate, the IGP should aside arresting those behind the crime in Benue State,
extend his searchlight to Zamfara, Kaduna, Plateau, Taraba, Adamawa, Edo, Enugu
and other areas where crime had taken place, with a bid to bring them to book
to serve as a deterrent to others. According to the Senate, the days of
indifference complacency, negligence and impunity must come to an end. The
upper chamber also resolved to convene, as a matter of utmost urgency, a
national security summit that would help examine the recurring violence and
mayhem visited on rural communities before they become an existential threat to
national cohesion and survival. The summit would involve all the heads of
security agencies at the federal level, governors, commissioners of police in
the states and state chief judges. Reps summon Interior Minister, IGP, service
chiefs, others Also, yesterday, the House of Reps members summoned Interior Minister,
IGP, service chiefs and others. Members upon resumption after the 2017
Christmas break had roundly condemned the killings and also resolved to find
solution to the incessant nightmare by way of oversight functions and enduring
legislation. The resolution chiefly followed a motion titled “Need for the
Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on security over spate of
deadly attacks in the country by suspected herdsmen”, sponsored by Hon.
Babatunde Kolawale (Ondo State) and a similar one moved by Hon. Dickson
Tarkighin from Benue State. Consequently, the House set up a high-powered
ad-hoc committee and mandated it to summon and interface with Minister of
Interior, Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP,
Ibrahim Idris and Service Chiefs to explain to the House the measures being put
in place to forestall further attacks and loss of lives across the country.
Declare Miyetti Allah terrorist group — CAN In a similar development, Christian
Association of Nigeria, CAN, has demanded that Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders
Association be tagged a terrorist organisation as it, yesterday, accused the
Muhammadu Buhari administration of pursuing an Islamist ideology based on hate
against the tenets of the religion of Islam. The association at a press
conference at the National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja, while rejecting the call
for cattle colonies, also demanded the reorganisation of the leadership of
security and educational institutions, saying nearly all of them were headed by
Northern Muslims. CAN Secretary General, Rev. Musa Asake, who addressed the
press conference, also drew attention to alleged acts of bias by security
forces in their engagements with terrorist groups. Asake particularly cited an
incident last month it said was confirmed by Air Force spokesman when Nigerian
Air Force sent an Alpha Jet and an EC 135 attack Helicopter to fire “warning”
shots at alleged Islamist militia attacking Christians in Numan, Adamawa State,
but not to kill them. He alleged that the attack aircraft subsequently bombed
neighbouring Christian villages, leaving 50 persons dead but only fired warning
shots at the attackers. Frowning on the incapacity of the security forces, the
CAN scribe demanded the resignation of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim
Idris, who the body flayed for repeatedly describing attacks by Fulani herdsmen
as communal attacks. He said: “In
December 2017, an Air Force spokes person confirmed that the Nigerian Air Force
sent an Alpha Jet and an EC 135 attack Helicopter to fire “warning” shots at
Islamist militia attacking Christians in Numan, Adamawa state, but not to kill
them! The villagers were later to report that the Jet actually bombed the
Christian villages resulting in the death of over 50 people, while, the Nigerian
Air Force said it merely fired warning shots at the Islamist militia attacking
the villagers. This is jihad as we cannot understand fired ‘warning shots’ in
the narrative of this attack. “Under President Buhari, the murderous herdsmen
enjoyed unprecedented protection and favoritism to the extent that the herdsmen
treat Nigeria as a conquered territory. Rather than arrest and prosecute the
Fulani herdsmen, security forces usually manned by Muslims from the North offer
them protection as they unleash terror with impunity on the Nigerian people.”
14, 000 persons lost in Benue, Plateau — Lalong Meanwhile, governor of Plateau
State, Mr. Simon Lalong, has disclosed that over 14,000 persons had in the last
few years been killed by suspected herdsmen in Benue and Plateau states. He
said the development called for concerted joint effort by both state
governments to end the killings. The governor, who led a delegation of Plateau
State’s Elders Advisory Council to Benue State to commiserate with the
government and people of the state over the New Year day killings in Guma and
Logo local government areas of the state, said the onslaught against the two
brotherly states by herdsmen should be stopped in the greater interest of all.
Represented by his Commissioner of Lands, Survey and Town Planning, Festus
Fuater, the governor tendered a formal apology to the government and people of
the state over his recent comments on the Benue killings. He said: “We share in your pains and grief and we
stand with you because we have also gone through this before and we know what
it feels like. It is an onslaught against the people and we will overcome it.
“In the last few years, each of both of our states had lost over 7,000 lives to
the activities of herdsmen in our various local government areas, that is the
more reason we must come together to find a solution to the killings.”
Responding, Governor Samuel Ortom, who received the delegation, said he had
earlier forgiven his colleague in Plateau State over the comment, stressing
that the challenges being faced by both states should be a uniting factor for
the governments and people of the two states. “I pray God to help us overcome
the challenges we face because whatever effects Plateau state also affects us
in Benue and they are beyond us. “I also apologize for my outburst over the
comment made by my brother governor and I think that we need to get closer
together now more than before and share ideas the more. “The fact of the matter
is that the grazing law we enacted in Benue is to ensure peaceful coexistence
among herdsmen and farmers and not targeted at chasing anyone away from the
state. It is a win win for everyone,
livestock and crop farmers in the state alike.”
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