Adamawa genocide: Buhari should act now or resign or be impeached
They say when evil is done by the wicked silence of the righteous is complacency and God shall not find the latter guiltless. Not to speak is to speak; and not to act is to act. What is going on in Adamawa state, as in other parts of Nigeria, is unacceptable! As you read this writeup now a genocidal war of mutual attrition is going on in the state - in Girei, Demsa and Numan LGAs, and in many parts of the Southern Senatorial District, which is being suppressed by the authorities. The Fulbe on the one hand and mainly the Bachama and Bata on the other are engaged in a war of mutual annihilation. The stories coming from the areas and the gory pictures of mutilated human beings posted on the Facebook and other Social Media tell the terrible tale of the war.
This has started about two months now and is growing in intensity and ferocity. When this conflict started, some of us have raised our voices calling on the authorities to act immediately and nip it in the bud by bringing the perpetrators to book. I personally took our complaints to the highest security officers of the land appealing for action but to no avail. I equally personally took the matter to the office of the then Acting President and lay bare the facts and the likely consequences if no action was taken. It’s most sad that no action was taken thereby allowing the situation to degenerate to the present daily war of mutual attrition. In almost all these atrocities not a single person was arrested and prosecuted.
But enough is enough! Mutual genocide cannot be our daily way of life!! It must come to a halt NOW!!!
It is very clear to all in Adamawa state, and the rest of the country, that both the state and federal governments have failed to secure the lives and property of our people. As responsible citizens, we can no longer continue to remain silent in the face of this evil. A simple deed of drawing attention to the heinous facts on the ground so as to publicity lay bare the complacency of the authorities may very well catalyze the removal of this evil pervading my state. This in itself, I believe, is a service to our people.
The very least the governments owe the people is to keep the peace. Any government that cannot guarantee that to its citizens has lost all legal and moral rights to continue in office. Either President Buhari immediately calls for an emergency combined meeting of the National Council of State and National Defense and Security Councils to devise a clear plan of halting this national carnage and international embarrassment or the president should resign his office forthwith or the National Assembly should, as a matter of urgent national importance, immediately commence impeachment proceedings against him.
Institutions are established by the constitution to perform specific functions of resolving governmental issues of this nature, and not to stay dormant like national ornaments. It is the responsibility of the operators of these institutions to initiate action when action is needed. The need for action to stop the daily killings in our state and country has long been overdue. Yet, the president has consistently failed to act.
We cannot continue to forever wait for the president to initiate simple action to resolve this most serious of issues, while such action is not forthcoming even though it’s his duty to act with all the powers, personnel and resources at his disposal. Nigerians must tell the president in no uncertain terms to act now or give way. Our people cannot all die before the president acts!
Mr. President, ACT NOW OR GO! There’s no two-way to it; ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!
Umar Ardo, PhD, umarardo@ yahoo.com