The Committee will be inaugurated on Wednesday, August 22 at Niger State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja at 11 a.m.
Members of the panel are Ambassador Zakari Ibrahim, Prof. Tijani El-Miskin, Prof. Shedrack Best, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, Prof. Habu Galadima, AIG Hamisu Ali Jos (rtd), Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (rtd), Prof. Muhammad Akaro Mainoma, Hajiya Dije Bala, Maj. Gen. Yakubu Usman (rtd), Prof. Sani Abdulkadir, AVM Mukhtar Mohammed (rtd), Justice Umaru Abdullahi, Hajia Mariam Uwais, Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, Group Capt. Bilal Bulama (rtd), Col Musa Shehu (rtd), Iliya Ithuve, Ali M. Dandiya, Gen. GP Zidon (rtd) and Justice Usman Baba Liman.
Others are Sheikh Mohammed Isa Talata Mafara, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, Karibullah Nasiru Kabara, Sheikh Yusuf Sambo Rigachikun, Sheikh Ahmed Lemu, Bishop Michael E. Apochi, Imam Goni Mohammed Gabcha, Imam Salman Aboki A. Ankpa, Bishop Buba Lammido Wusasa, Rev. Kalla Abari, HRH, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, the Emir of Ilorin, Kwara, HRH, Alhaji Zaiyanu Abdullahi, the Emir of Yauri, Kebbi, HRH, Dr. Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa, the Lamido of Adamawa, Adamawa,
HRH, Nde Joshua Y. Dimlong Ngolong Ngas, Plateau, Dr. Kole Shettima MacArthur Foundation, Nigeria, Dr. Shettima Ali, Sir Ahmadu Bello Foundation, Mrs. Aisha Oyebode, Murtala Mohammed Foundation, Dr. (Mrs.) Nguyan Feese, ESSPIN, Nigeria, Hajiya Saudatu Mahdi WRAPA, Abuja and Sister Kathleen McGarvey, Inter-Faith Council, Kaduna.
A statement signed by Daniel C. Shashere, Secretary to the Government of Niger
State and Chairman, Forum of Secretaries to the Government of Northern States,
reads: “The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) has left no one in doubt
about its concern for the general welfare of the people in its areas of
jurisdiction. Therefore, it has made several attempts to address the unabated
security challenge confronting the region which has not only led to massive
loss of lives and properties but has also severely altered the harmonious
community relations established and nurtured over several decades, among the
peace-loving peoples of the region.
“The negative consequences of insecurity for freedom, liberties and the
thriving economic activities within the Northern States are very serious. It is
in recognition and total concern for the hard-earned national peace and harmony
of our great country, Nigeria that the Forum decided at its meeting held on
Thursday July 26, 2012 to constitute a high-powered committee to handle issues
bordering on reconciliation, healing, peace and security within the troubled
areas across the Northern States of the Federation.
“The Committee comprises very eminent personalities from diverse backgrounds,
with the mandate to fashion out strategies to address the disturbing state of
insecurity, and proffer practical and enduring solutions to the Forum.
“The Committee will be inaugurated on Wednesday August 22, 2012 at Niger State
Governor’s Lodge, No 22, Jose Martin Crescent, Asokoro, Abuja at 11:00 am
prompt”.
Meanwhile, there was an indication of a crack yesterday in the Christian
Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the North over call on President Goodluck Jonathan
to resign for saying that he could not crush Boko Haram.
The body said it was shocked by the President’s statement that he could
not handle the sect because “they are our siblings and you cannot set the army
to wipe out your family”.
The spokesman of the body, Mr. Sunday Oibe, had said: “So, the President
is not bothered about the killing of Christians and other Nigerians! Is it
because Christians are not members of this family he is talking about? So, the
security agents who are being killed by the Boko Haram are not members of this
family?
“Jonathan has failed us Christians, he has failed Nigerians and he should
resign as President because by this statement, it is very clear that he is not
capable of handling the danger posed by the Boko Haram insurgency.”
Also, at the weekend during the daily Ramadan Tafsir (preaching) at the
Sultan Bello Mosque, Kaduna, a renowned Islamic scholar, Shiekh Ahmed Gumi,
made a similar call by asking the President to resign for allegedly
staining his hands with “so much innocent blood.”
He had accused the President of not doing enough to stop the killings of both
Christians and Muslims in the country, alleging that even when the President
was presented with documents to act on, he did not do anything.
“Jonathan’s government can not continue to rule with bloods in its hands. There
are so many documents given to President Jonathan for him to act on in regards
to the killings of innocent people in both Mosques and Churches but he has
refused to do anything,” he said.
But yesterday, Special Adviser to Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State on
Religious Matters, Reverend Joseph Hayab, cautioned religious leaders in the
country on utterances that could cause disaffection.
He said that the statement urging the President to resign was capable of
inciting Northerners and specially Christians against the Jonathan
Administration.
Hayab, a former Secretary-General of the Kaduna branch of CAN, said in
the statement: “I read the alarming news headlines in various newspapers and
especially in Leadership alleging that the leadership of the Christian
Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states of the federation
expressed disappointment in the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, over his
handling of the Boko Haram insurgency, and also on the front page of NNN where
Sheik Gumi is calling on President Goodluck to resign.
“Let me quickly state that as a former Secretary of CAN, Kaduna
State and also a former PRO of CAN, 19 Northern states and the Federal
Capital Territory and in my personal capacity as Special Adviser to the Kaduna
State Governor on Religious Matters, that nothing could be further from the
truth than these alarming headlines which are calculated to incite Northerners
and especially Christians against the Jonathan Administration.
“To begin with, let us start with the Latin maxim Cui Bono (who benefits?).
Northerners and the Christians populace do not benefit from the careless
statement released by Oibe and Gumi. Recent statements by these duo has not only
heat up the polity but has created serious friction between followers.
“Back to the question of who benefits, I would like to draw the attention of
the public to 1 Timothy 6:5 which talks of “constant friction
between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think
that godliness is a means to financial gain”.
“Most statements by these two do not represent reasonable minds in the North,
be they Muslim or Christians, but are always politically motivated and
sponsored.
“Members of the public should note that for these two to issue their statements
on the same day is only a grand strategy to make gullible Nigerians think
Christians and Muslims are fighting this Administration, or do they want us to
believe it is a coincidence? Only a fool would believe that. Of recent,
there has been hyperactivity amongst disgruntled politicians who covet the
presidential seat and just then, this strange statement comes out. It is the
hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob.
“But be that as it may, may I ask those who have procured this statement where
they were when some persons of vile minds were activating terror with words,
warning of making the country “ungovernable” or of impending
“bloodshed” should their political ambitions not be realised or is this
Sheik Gumi’s way of appeasing Boko Haram for their threat against him?
“Northern CAN has no quarrel with the statement from President Jonathan that it
would not be the preference of the Federal Government to send in soldiers to
wipe out Boko Haram for the simple reason that Boko Haram are faceless and when
soldiers are sent in to wipe out a faceless group, it is the innocent that
suffers.
“We would rather the administration focus on an intelligence driven covert
operations that would target Boko Haram with precision which is in line with
biblical principles which provides in Proverbs 15:22 that “Plans fail for
lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed”.
“I note that it was wise counsel and covert intelligence that led to the
capture of Abu qaka, Kabiru Sokoto and the killing of Habib Bama and many other
“I call on the Federal Government and the Nigerian people to be alert and
refuse to be pressured into taking actions that would pit Muslims against
Christians which is what would happen if soldiers are sent in to level
communities without taking into account that the innocent would be killed with
the guilty. We note that when this happens, some of those now setting up such a
catastrophe would be the first to condemn the government.”
In Abuja, Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State submitted that the insecurity
in the country has changed the focus of the nation’s budget implementation.
Suswan said that government is more concerned in acquiring security gadgets
rather than providing infrastructures.
He described the growing insecurity in the country and poor outing at the just
concluded 2012 London Olympics as signs of national decline.
The Benue State governor spoke through his Special Adviser on Ethics and
Religion, Mr. David Agada at the 2nd National Peace and Unity Conference in
Abuja.
According to the governor, government is now investing heavily on security
gadgets at the expense of poverty, diseases and unemployment.
“Instead of fighting our enemies which are ignorance, poverty, diseases,
hunger, illiteracy, unemployment among several others, we are fighting one
another. Instead of investing our resources in infrastructure provision and
other spheres of development, we are investing in security gadgets as well as
peace efforts.
“The signs of national decline are there for us to see. We are doing very
badly in sports as was evident at the London Olympics 2012 and other recent
international competitions.
“Even, our image at the international level has plummeted and we are fast
becoming a pariah nation. Life expectancy is going downwards in the country,
epidemics are on the increase, and our educational calendar suffers innumerable
hiccups.
“Equally, our politics is full of violence and corruption has become an
untamed monster. What kind of future are we then bequeathing to our children.
How do we overcome this ugly situation?”
As a way forward, he pushed for a public hearing where all those aggrieved
would discuss frankly to restore peace and security in the country.
Speaking at the occasion, former FCT Minister and Chairman, National Council
for Peace and Unity, Muhammed Abba-Gana, suggested that Lagos, Abia and
Edo states should be emulated to tackle the issue of Boko Haram.
According to him, how Lagos State was able to handle the issues of OPC
militants and Area Boys and how Abia State tackled the Bakassi Boys should be
studied and emulated to ensure peace in the country.
He said on Edo: “There is no greater threat to peace, unity and security
than allowing unhonourable and unconvincing electoral victory to stand.
Therefore, the Edo State Governorship Election of July 14, 2012 is an
example to uphold or emulate by all levels of government.
“So, the easiest and surest way to achieve sustainable peace, unity and security
in our country is that all of us and our relevant institutions must ensure rule
of law, free and fair elections, ensure that people are governed by the leaders
they like, trust and voted for in the relevant elections. No other way,”
he stated.
In Akwa Ibom State, Governor Godswill Akpabio said that the current security
challenges in the country can best be solved if the Federal Government allowed
states to have and control their police force.
Fielding questions from journalists in Uyo, Akpabio said: ”The state police is
a solution to resolving most of the intra-conflicts in the country.
”If Kogi State had the state police, Boko Haram probably would not have
reached the state. In Niger Delta, kidnapping would not have reached the level
it had reached at that time because the indigenes that would make up the force
know the criminals among them and would fish them out. Every family knows who
is who. That is why I say state police remains the answer.
”In most developed democracy, policing is not a federal thing alone. In Abuja,
policing 160 million is not possible. You must allow the local government to
have its say in policing. The State Government should have its say and then,
the Federal Government to have its own say in policing. Outside this country,
we have federal parastastal, state parastatal and municipal parastatal. These
things are found in the country.
”We must empower states to have the capacity to fight crimes because
when you are depending on federal forces to assist you to fight crimes, and if
they are inadequate, automatically the criminals would overwhelm you. If you
post 1,000 policemen to your state and you have 5,000 criminals, they would
overwhelm the policemen”.
On revenue allocation, the governor called for a reduction of the monthly
federal revenue allocation and the amount given to states and local
governments in the country with more responsibilities to enable them to
undertake and complete many development projects.
He recalled that during the Economic Summit he attended in United States (U.S.)
recently, the organisers brought investors from Europe, Middle East, U.S.,
United Kingdom and Canada, among others who made different presentations with
the Nigerian Ambassador to Canada, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, serving as Chairman of
the occasion.
”We had presentations from people who are coming into power sector. We had one
registered company called ‘Ikot Abasi Power Generation Plant’ and they made a
presentation. And we also have a group interested in building a refinery,
a group interested in seaport construction. Some of the people who came
were actually interested in the agro-allied industry. Some interested in
revamping the agricultural sector.
”So, for us, it was an eye opener yet indeed Nigeria was seen as an attractive
destination despite the various challenges we are having today in the
country. I think that if we can have an atmosphere of peace pervading the
entire country, more investors would come and the fortunes of our children
would be turned around. In terms of wealth creation, I think definitely
something would come out of the economic summit”.
Meanwhile, Boko Haram denied yesterday that 20 of its fighters were killed in a
raid by security forces in Maiduguri, Borno State on Sunday, saying all those
killed were civilians.
A security officer said a mixed military and police force, tipped off about a
Boko Haram meeting on Sunday, had been fired on when they approached the site
and killed 20 “terrorists” for the loss of one soldier in the ensuing
shootout.
Boko Haram spokesman, Abu Qaqa, told a teleconference for journalists in
Maiduguri, capital of Borno State and the sect’s heartland, that his fighters
had not been meeting at the place where the military said it killed them.
“They only succeeded in killing civilians,” Qaqa said. “Twenty
of us cannot risk sitting in a volatile place to hold a meeting … It is not
possible.”
