The founder and president of Vision Africa, Bishop Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha and other stakeholders have called on the federal government and the military to collectively identify and evolve effective strategies to combat insecurity and other forms of conflicts bedeviling the country.
He made the call yesterday in Abuja when Vision Africa, in collaboration with the King Abdulaziz International Centre For Inter-religious Dialogue (KAICIID) organised a roundtable on review of laws/legislations for the promotion of peace. The Bishop noted that nothing should be left to chance in the search to improve peace and security in Nigeria for the sake of future generation.
“I will however, urge us all to concentrate on exceptional issues that are integral and common to us all, but especially to our young demographic; because the core essence of this is to give the younger generation hope, because whatever we do as leaders will rub-off on them. We have a young generation that is quickly losing hope in its leadership, and the concern is that if we don’t address these lingering issues now, no military can manage the revolts of their collective frustrations,” he said.
The president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) His Eminence Archbishop Daniel Okoh, welcomed the initiative towards finding peace and improving security in the country. He said considering the varied views expressed at the event, it is good for such engagements to be sustained at all times.
Imam Fuad Adeyemi, who represented the Sultan, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, expressed hope that the roundtable would go a long way in broadening frontiers of understanding in mobilising collective action towards tackling insecurity and other criminal activities confronting the nation.
A member of the House of Representatives, who represents Damboa/Goza/Chibok, Hon Ahmad Jaha declared that the National Assembly has done everything within its power of appropriations for the Armed Forces.
He exonerated the lawmakers from any form of abdication of responsibility noting that “We have done our job by appropriating required funding for the Armed Forces.
“What we should be asking is that have the armed forces done what they were expected to do with the funds? The problem we must tackle here is that, after appointing security chiefs, we should set them targets and deadlines for meeting such targets.
“If they fail to achieve such targets, we should then ensure there are consequences to be faced. So, it is not enough for security chiefs to be appointed, but we must ensure they are given targets and monitored to meet the targets of their appointments.”
The Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Christopher Gwabin Musa, while making his remarks reiterated the determination of the Armed forces to secure Nigeria and work towards bringing improved security and eliminating criminal elements that have confronted the nation.
Major General Musa, who was represented by Air Vice Marshal Anthony Ndace , recalled past efforts at tackling insecurity, and noted that the armed forces, more than any other time, are committed to the defence of the nation and assist in ensuring internal peace and security.
The spokesman of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dr Peter Afunanya, called on Nigerians to appreciate the sacrifices of the country’s secret police in confronting terror groups and elements that sometimes lead to the killing of their personnel.
“Three children of our personnel were once killed in the presence of their mother in order to cause mental trauma for both her and her family members. This is just a case that we witnessed as risks involved in fighting criminal elements,” the spokesman said.
The chairman of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr Pogu Bitrus, who was represented by the Deputy National Secretary, Barrister Ejembi Aba, described what he called as the mischaracterization of the conflict confronting the nation. He insisted that it was only appropriate for the conflict to be portrayed as deliberate efforts by criminal herdsmen armed to the teeth to take over ancestral lands of the indigenous people of the Middle Belt Region and other zones.
“What is happening in the Middle Belt Region is not herder/farmer’s clashes but a ploy by criminals using sophisticated weapons to unleash terror and destruction of unimaginable proportion,” the MBF president noted.
Chief Edwin Clark, who is the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Development Forum (PANDEF), called for restructuring of the country, insisting that only when regions are allowed to own resources of their regions can peace be realised.
Represented by Chief Ominimini Obiuwevisi, the PANDEF leader wondered why petroleum resources from the South are treated as belonging to the federal government, but solid minerals in the North are not for the collective treasury. He said for security and peace to be entrenched in the country, justice and equity must be entrenched.
Dr Akin Fapohunda, who represented the Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, suggested that the country should emphasize the country’s regions as economic zones. He said, “We should go back to 1960 where we recognize our differences. The grassroots must work to ensure recognition of ethnic and economic zones.”
Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, identified injustice as the major cause of terrorism and banditry as he called on Nigerians to task politicians and security agents to do their jobs. He described perpetrators of terror attacks as victims of injustice and called for peaceful negotiation with these criminal elements living in the forest to embrace peace and be given amnesty as was done to Niger Delta militants.
Former executive secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf, lamented that the failure of elders in the country has given way for the brigandage and violence being witnessed in Nigeria. He called on stakeholders to embrace peace and negotiate a way out of the present gloom and crisis Nigeria finds itself.
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