The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) notes with
great concern the attitude and action of the Federal Government following the
submission of the Report by the Presidential
Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the
North headed by Kabiru Turaki, also referred to as the Boko Haram
Dialogue Committee.
CISLAC observes that
the pronouncements of the President about compensating the victims as
recommended by the Committee is rather too dismissive and deflating, preempting
the outcomes of the work by a follow up committee which is to be set up on the
recommendations made.
Such conclusive
position without having studied the full report to understand how the Committee
reached its recommendation is suggestive of a pre-meditated position on how to
deal with the issues and renders the work of the Committee an unnecessary
venture. This places a doubt on Government sincerity to comprehensively resolve
the security challenges in the North and bring lasting peace to the region and
the nation.
We consider the
attempt to substitute compensation with assistance to victims as a ploy to
ultimately abdicate responsibility by the state which had the obligation ab
initio to protect the lives and property of citizens, the failure of which
resulted in the mayhem that the region has experienced.
The right to life and
means of livelihood and ownership of property are fundamental and guaranteed by
the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Federal government
must do everything to protect it or compensate those who have be deprived of
them not as an act of tokenism but as respect for rights.
CISLAC is also worried that the
extension of the emergency rule without considering each state on its merit,
are more motivated by political consideration than objective evaluation and
realities on the ground. This tendency to politicize security and issues that
affect the lives of the citizen does not augur well for our polity and
democracy.
We hereby call on the Federal
Government to diligently study the Report of the Committee and implement it in
a manner that respects the rights of citizens, shows sensitivity to the victims
and their families and restores confidence in the government peace and security
in the region.
The Federal Government should also
ensure that every decision and action in respect of the zone or any part of the
country is done with objectivity and sincerity, putting the interest of the
nation and her citizens first above selfish interests and narrow political
objectives.
CISLAC also calls on the Joint Task
Force to respect the rights of civilians in their operations and minimize cases
of collateral damage. We call on the Federal Government and military
authorities to ensure that the conduct of the military conforms with
international best practices and investigations into abuses are carried out to
bring erring soldiers to book
We call on all well meaning Nigerians
to prevail on the relevant stakeholders to fulfill their statutory mandates and
promote people oriented development, stem corruption and alleviate poverty to
reduce the incentives that result in the escalation of violence and despondency
in the land.
Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)
Executive Director, CISLAC
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