Address nation on killings within 48hrs

.Says failure would mean incompetence

 .Sets up ad hoc c”ttee to interface with Presidency, Service Chiefs, others

By Henry Omunu, Abuja

The House of Representatives on Thursday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to address the nation within 48 hours following the incessant killings in various parts of the country.

According to the House, areas to be highlighted in the nationwide address include the president’s and his administration’s inability since assuming office in declaring the killer herdsmen as terrorists, the failure of the armed forces under his watch to stop the reoccurring deaths of scores of innocent Nigerians from systematic deadly attacks by the killer herdsmen and by so-called bandits.

Other areas include the gradual occupation of affected communities by these herdsmen despite countless assurances and statements by the administration promising to stop the attacks, the president’s selective and ineffective responses to the killing of Nigerians by herdsmen, especially in Benue State and his immediate measure to dislodge the killers.

Also, the House demanded that the inability of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) under his watch to immediately provide relief materials and rehabilitation of affected communities in line with their statutory mandate in spite of the N10 billion he announced had been provided, the inability of his administration through the Nigerian Communication Commission, NCC and other relevant agencies or policy initiatives to enable proper communication network provision in affected communities and evidence of complicity of traditional rulers, political detractors and recently foreign miners in the perpetration of incessant killing of Nigerians should form areas to be addressed by the broadcast.

The House resolved that failure to address Nigerians within the stipulated period of 48 hours would leave it with the impression that the president and his “administration are incapable of permanently curtailing the incessant killing of innocent Nigerians by killer herdsmen.”

The House also added that it would mean that the president and his administration have failed in their primary constitutional responsibility of ensuring the security and welfare of Nigerians.

The resolutions were reached by the members of the House at Thursday plenary after considering and adopting a motion titled: “Resurgence of the Incessant and Annual Massacre of Innocent Nigerians Across the Country by Alleged Bandits and Killer Herdsmen, the Gradual Occupation of Affected Communities by These Attackers And The Lack of Adequate Rehabilitation and Relief Materials”, sponsored by Rep. Mark Gbillah from Benue State.

In moving the motion, Rep. Gbillah informed the House that the country was disappointed that the government and the armed forces have failed to protect the people.

He said: “The House is disturbed by the resurgence of attacks by killer herdsmen and alleged bandits in communities in Benue, Kaduna, Zamfara and other states of the federation from January 2019 till date which has resulted in the loss of hundreds of innocent lives and displacement of thousands of Nigerians who have fled their homes and means of livelihood for fear of losing their lives.

“Alarmed at the brazen nature of the attacks by the herdsmen and alleged bandits who attack these communities with impunity brazenly clad in military fatigues and audibly communicating with each other in Fulani as reported by eye witness accounts from the recent attacks in Kaduna.

“Obviously emboldened by the inability of the Nigerian armed forces to curb their activities these killers have gradually progressed from attacking remote villages at night to sacking whole towns in broad daylight displacing residents and occupying affected communities.

“Disappointed at the reactive responses of the Armed Forces to these attacks under this administration and their inability to proactively attack the publicly known location of these herdsmen or establish a permanent base at restive locations in line with globally recognized rules of engagements.

“In instances like the one in Benue where the army agrees to move personnel in closer proximity to the troubled spots the army requests for a location with proper communication coverages which is not the responsibility of a state government and requests for the state to cater for the welfare of her personnel.

“Worried about the inability of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, under this administration to fulfil their statutory mandate of providing relief materials and rehabilitation to hapless displaced Nigerian citizens and their affected communities especially when this administration claims to have allocated N10 billion for required intervention in affected states of the federation which till date, this administration has not provided details or verifiable evidence of the actual utilization of these funds.

“Even a formal petition to NEMA by an elected representative of the community requesting urgent relief materials and rehabilitation has not been responded to by NEMA over one year later.

“Refuses to further condone the continuous killing of innocent Nigerians with impunity despite the plethora of motions and resolutions passed on the floor of the House and the Senate in this regard and will have no other option than to directly engage the President and Commander in Chief of the armed forces who has the primary responsibility for the security and welfare of every Nigerian citizen.”

Adopting the motion, the House agreed to another prayer of constituting an ad hoc committee to interface with the presidency regarding the issues and also engage the Minister of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, Chairman and Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, related state governments and relevant stakeholders in a public hearing to determine permanent solutions to the killings.

On a similar note, the House also mandated its committees on Army, Human Rights, Justice and Police Affairs to probe the killings of some ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in Rivers State during the last general election.

The decision was sequel to a motion by Rep. Kingsley Chinda from Rivers State.

He stated that during the elections, “there was palpable presence of heavily armed men of security agencies, including the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and the Nigerian army in several places across the country including Rivers State with clear cases of harassment and intimidation of voters and electoral officials, and sporadic gunshots by men of the security agencies.

 “Dr. Ferry Gberegbe, a lecturer with the Ken Saro Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, Rivers State was shot in his lower abdomen by men of FSARS led by ACP Akin Fakorede and he died a few days later from the gun wound.”

He added that “also at Degema, one Mrs. Ibisaki Amachree was shot dead by the Nigerian army”.

Rep. Chinda said that the killing was callous and inhuman and called the House to immediately investigate the incidents.

Adopting the motion, the House gave the committees two weeks within which to do their assignments and report back to the House for further legislative action.