….will not impose solution on any state
Decisive
military force will now be fully engaged to deal with the bandits believed to
be behind the killings in parts of the country especially regarding the crisis
often associated with herdsmen, authoritative sources say. The role of bandits
and suspected mercenaries in what has become known as herdsmen/ farmer clashes
and violence may have provoked the need for a fresh approach to dealing with
the crisis, informed sources close to the Working Group formed recently by the
National Economic Council have hinted.
The settled view in official circles is that the
reported killings and violence recorded are the work of bandits and mercenaries
since in many cases the herdsmen are often well-known in the communities where
their cattle normally graze. An authoritative source disclosed that this is one
of the outcomes of the Working Group formed less than two weeks ago by the
National Economic Council with 9 Governors, and chaired by the Vice President
in a renewed bid to end the impunity that has marked the activities of the
bandits resulting in several deaths and maiming especially the recent case of
Benue State.
According to the Kano State Governor Dr. Ganguje who
read out highlights and decisions of the NEC to reporters (alongside his Ebonyi
counterpart ) after the Council meeting that Thursday the Working Group “will
work in accordance with the President’s commitment to ensuring that all
perpetrators of violence are brought to book.” The highlights also noted that
the Working Group which consists of Governors from Zamfara, Kaduna, Adamawa,
Benue, Taraba, Edo, Plateau, Ebonyi & Oyo States actually commenced its
work with a meeting presided over by the VP right immediately after NEC at the
Presidential Villa. An informed source disclosed that at the end of the Working
Group meeting last week, it was clear a major turning point had been reached in
the management of the crisis and sufficient consensus recorded on the need to
stop the impunity by engaging the military in a more decisive manner.
Close watchers of government business indicated that
the crisis also required a political solution considering the religious and
ethnic tones that could easily become further exacerbated and possibly worsen
the situation if proper and timely care is not taken.
This is the reason analysts argue, even with some
critical opinions on the composition of the Working Group, that the idea of
gathering together governors across the country including the states where the
crisis have been intense to collaborate actively among themselves and with the
FG to address the situation is useful. Indeed one of the firm outcomes of the
Working Group’s meeting was the expressed readiness of the FG to locate and
identify the bandits who perpetrate the killings and the violence, and using all
necessary means including military involvement to flush them out of their
hideouts in forests across the country as a definite move to secure the life
and property of Nigerian citizens.
The Working Group has also resolved to work with the
FG to strengthen law enforcement and all security & intelligence agencies
in the country so they can coordinate better in dealing with, checkmating, and
preventing the crisis from further escalation. On how to permanently address
the basis of the herdsmen and farmer clashes, the Working Group sources say
have taken the view that every State should by a rigorous consultative process
with all stakeholders design its own solutions.
The Federal government will not
impose any solution on any State.
The Vice President assured all that the Federal
government would certainly not imposed its ideas n the States and noted that
fears being expressed on cattle colonies are misplaced, the sources at the
meeting disclosed. An authoritative source also confirmed that the military are
already engaged and would soon begin to implement decisive military steps to
tackle the situation.
Also the Nigerian Police and other security &
military agencies have been asked to recruit more rank and file to tighten
security in the troubled spots and in the country generally.
Feel Free To Comments Here...
No comments:
Post a Comment