Conference condemns Abuja blast, adjourns
The National Conference yesterday condemned the bomb blast in Abuja and asked the federal government to take urgent and drastic measures to bring an end to these atrocities.
After they reconvened yesterday, the delegates adopted a motion sponsored by a delegate from the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Is’haq Modibbo Kawu and 19 others over the security situation in the country.
The motion reads in part: “whereas the security situation in the country has been deteriorating in the last 5-6 years.
“Whereas the preponderance of the security breaches has been in the north although security is a national issue.
“Whereas in the last two months the security breaches have escalated in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states where over 20 villages have been completely razed down and thousands of people killed including school children in spite of emergency rule which has been in existence for almost one year.
“Whereas in the north east the problem is Boko Haram, in the north west, it is armed banditry, cattle rustling and kidnapping of young women more particularly in Zamfara, Jigawa, Katsina and Kaduna states.
“Whereas in the north central, we have ethnoreligious and herdsmen and farmers conflicts which have led to the sacking of several villages, destruction of properties, displacement of people and killing of thousands of people in Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa states.
The conference also adopted all the prayers contained in the motion which included condemnation of the activities of the perpetrators of the heinous crimes.
“That the Conference is concerned about the continuous deterioration of the security situation and calls upon the federal government to take urgent, drastic action and concrete steps to arrest and immediately bring an end to these atrocities.
“That all necessary measures be put in place to use proportional and nonexcessive force to deal with the situation and safeguard the life, property and well-being of innocent civilian population in all areas affected.
“In particular, the federal government and other stakeholders should commence the immediate implementation of all actionable recommendations made to it by various committees such as the Gaji Galtimari, Kabiru T. Turaki, Borno/Yobe Elders, etc.
“That the federal government should immediately commence a process of reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the affected areas.”
The motion was seconded by Hannatu Ibrahim. The plenary also observed a oneminute silence for the blast victims.
Meanwhile, the conference would reconvene today by 4pm for the announcement of committee membership and leadership. The chairman Justice Idris Kutigi apologized that although a lot of work has been done into the compilation of committee membership, there were still some more work to be done before the list would be made public.