Following security crises across the country, the elder statesmen and leaders of socio-cultural organisations reportedly lamented the incessant killings in the country on Monday, urging government to take concrete actions to ensure security.
This was reportedly disclosed in Abuja, at a retreat on inclusive security organised by the Global Peace Foundation in collaboration with Vision Africa, and in attendance was the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Obasanjo stated that, “People talk of political will, but I talk of political action. Political will is not enough. It must be matched by political action.”
He added that, “The problem of insurgency will not go away, if all we are using is the ‘stick’ (military action). We may suppress it, and keep it down a bit, but we have to use ‘carrot and stick’ together to effectively tackle the problems.”
Sultan, on his part said, “As leaders, we must always look at one thing, let us serve humanity first. So, we must stop politicising insecurity.”
The monarch added that, “It’s unfortunate that this is what we are seeing across the land. Parties are accusing one another of not doing enough to tackle insecurity. I think that is the major problem we have been facing in the country.”
He made it known that, “I want to say there is hope in finding solutions to the numerous problems facing us, because I know all of us here believe and identify that we have problems. To know you have a problem is to have half of the solution. And the other half we are looking for, can come from this kind of gathering, if we are circumspect and talk to each other with honesty and sincerity as we discuss in efforts to bring peace and stability to our country.”
He disclosed that, “Peace is the most important aspect of our lives because without peace, you just can’t do anything. All is not well with our country, and I think this forum is very important.”
Meanwhile, the Bishop of Evangelism and Discipleship, Methodist Church Nigeria, Reverend. Sunday Onuoha, reportedly regretted that the security problems in the country were worsened by the perceived existence of a wide gulf of trust deficit.
According to him, “Very few are trusted around dialogue tables; so-called influencers have betrayed the young, that now they thumb their noses at the heritage we once held so dear, and they stand against traditional institutions that give us the unique identities we pride ourselves by.”
CAN president, Reverend Samson Ayokunle, who was represented by the Deputy President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Archbishop John Praise, opined that,“There has to be justice and fairness, if peace is going to reign in the country. We need to keep putting pressure on government to let the security operatives live up to their responsibilities. They are making efforts, but they can do more.”
Also, the Aare Ona-Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Otunba Gani Adams, reportedly said, “This oligo-military constitution of 1999 that we are operating in Nigeria is not a product that emanated from Nigerians.”
He noted that, “We must rise to condemn it. We must unite to say that this constitution should be trashed and Nigerians should be put together to write a new constitution.”
Edwin Clark, who is the national leader of Pan Niger-Delta Forum maintained that, “The Nigeria we are in today does not provide anything for the common man. If oil is produced in your land and exploited, you should at least be rehabilitated with that resources. The problem in the country is hunger because the people don’t have any means of livelihood anymore.”
The Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum, Chief Audu Ogbeh, reportedly probed that, “Can we end the current violence? The question here is not just the socio-political issues we are dealing with. Something is fundamentally wrong with the economy.
He added that, “We are a nation of importers of everything. Today, it is impossible to build a factory. The youths can’t cope because the economy just doesn’t allow growth.”
In another development, notable Islamic scholar, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, disclosed that, “We all know that bandits initially don’t kill people. They only kidnap people to get money, but something has metamorphosed and turned them into a Frankenstein monster that kill people just for the pleasure of it.”
However, the President of the Middle-Belt Forum, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, reportedly stated that, “Most of these attacks on innocent communities are unprovoked. So far, over 186 communities in Kaduna have been sacked and the people displaced. Whenever we call a spade by its name trouble follows. These mindless killings are atrocities committed on an unimaginable scale in our society.”
The Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Okey Emuchay, on his part noted that, “Without security, every other sector is in danger, and there is very little a country can achieve. The insecurity in Nigeria has a huge socio-economic impact on the country.”
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