Questioning Senate’s approach to crises
Please, why are some of our senators, their president inclusive, in most cases favouring some parts of the country against others? Why do they believe that the blood of some Nigerians is precious and sacred, while that of the others is worthless? Will such stand promote unity and love for one another in the country? Can this act guarantee security for all? Are these senators acting out of sentiment and unjustifiable bias? The senators should be seen as representing the interest of the whole nation and caring for all equally.
Lopsided approach to issues of security and lives will only engender bad blood, acrimony, animosity, hatred and unsymmetrical coexistence. These senators should be extremely careful and cautious.
The above mentioned observations and views of fact are my personal opinions, and I am entitled to them. I have been following the events in the country and the debates in the Senate. Out of this, I came up with these cogent perceptions based on the following incidents.
When the gruesome and appalling legal way for retrieving our rights.
I am calling on those senators, especially a senator from Kaduna State. Please he should be just in his analyses and utterances.
We feel that his position in the Senate does not do justice to the North and to the government of today. Many people share this view with me, and as a lecturer most of my students nurse the same outlook.
This anti north Senator said, as reported by Liberty TV on January 18, 2018 that, it was President Buhari that should visit Benue State, but not elders of Benue that should visit him, because normally condolence is paid to those who are bereaved but not vice versa.
Beautiful, but Mr. Senator where were you when many people were recently subjected to pogrom and ethnic cleansing in Taraba? Did Buhari visit them? Where were you during the last administration when large numbers of people were killed by some errant officers in Borno State? Our Shehu, His Royal Highness led delegation to see Jonathan, instead of the other way round and he took no action to address the matter. People should not be myopic because they are disgruntled.
Notwithstanding, not all senators are birds of the same feather. There are really the distinguished, honourable ones. Senators should do justice to all, so that their image would be redeemed. Many people are keenly watching you. In the past Republics, senators constituted committees of enquiry to look into any crises happening in the country and investigate thoroughly before they issue any statement of condemnation or take any action.
Therefore senators of today should follow suit.
Those who fan the fire of Benue clashes are aiming to unseat Buhari and unhorse him in 2019 as happened to Jonathan in 2015. This will never happen, Inshaa Allah. These people should bear in mind that the clash between farmers and herdsmen has been existing in Africa for many centuries. It is not only in Nigeria that we have this problem.
It is an economic crises and nothing more. These few lots should be intelligent enough to differentiate between Boko Haram and cattlerearers. The Ekiti man said on Channels TV that herdsmen should be declared as terrorists. Well, let it be so, but equally area boys, Oduduwa People Congress (OPC) should be declared terrorist.
What is more devastating today is the role of some media houses from some parts of the country. They aggravate the situations by exaggeration and repeating bad news over and over again for the purpose of incitement, but if such things happened to a particular people, the tone of the media will suddenly change.
On the other hand, I must praise and commend the position of the House of Representative under the able leadership of Right Honourable Yakubu Dogora who constituted a committee to go and look into the Benue crises before the house will take any step. This is how things should be done.
Prof. Nguru is the Chief Executive of Nigeria Arabic Village, GamboruNgala, Borno State.