Press Release
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People gather at the site of a bomb
explosion in Kano, Nigeria, Friday Nov. 28, 2014. Photo by AP
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Following the most recent bombardments leading to the death of
innocent Nigerians in Kano, Adamawa and Borno States, Civil Society Legislative
Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) seriously condemns the lackadaisical, selfish and
nonchalant attitudes of Nigerian ruling class towards resolving the ongoing
heightening insecurity in the country arising from attacks, kidnapping and
bombardments.
It worrisome that despite the intensity of attacks in various
parts of the country, the ruling class has refused to engage in constructive
dialogue to bring end to insurgency; as their family members and relatives are
excluded from the attacks.
Instead of making sincere effort towards
constructive dialogue, they are caught in various conspiracies to make live
unbearable for innocent citizens. This among other things validates the reports
that the attacks are reinforced by political battle triggered by continuous
bloody struggles towards sustaining their miserable positions in 2015 and
beyond.
In addition to the aforementioned, former Governor of Borno State,
Ali Modu Sheriff, and former Chief of Army Staff Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika
who were indicted in Steven Davis’s report for sponsoring the insurgents are
brazenly found in political reckoning and supported to deliberate on national
issues.
It is shameful that despite such serious indictment, the Former
Governor is leading the front to campaign for the ruling People Democratic
Party (PDP). This shows lack of sincerity by the government in fighting the
insurgents.
CISLAC finds continuous massacre—under the pretense of religion,
of innocent men, women and children from both Muslim and Christians’
communities totally obnoxious and undesirable; as both religious strongly
forbade unjustified attacks against innocent individuals and preach peace and
unity.
While in the last four years, huge financial resources are
committed to security and defence annually from national budget, yet the fight
against the insurgents rages on with deadly consequences. It is regrettable
that the insecurity has been reportedly remained persistent and intensified by
bloody interests accrued to some unpatriotic parties, who benefit largely from
security vote; as well as rampant corrupt practice and mismanagement flooding
the security sector.
It is embarrassing that in several occasions, the State Security
Service has told Nigeria deceptive stories of thousands insurgent members it
has arrested without useful information so far to curtail subsequent attacks;
as well as lack of sincere effort to thoroughly investigate Sheriff and
Ihejirika for their contributions towards the insecurity.
Similarly, Nigerian security forces have made series of scandalous claims
to have killed leader of the insurgents with his subsequent resurface in new
videos.
Giving the daily massacres and destruction of property across the
country by the insurgents, various reports are of opinion that upgrading arms
and ammunition for the nation's Armed Forces to tackle the insurgents would be
of no benefit without constructive strategy to end the unwary
attacks.
As concerned communities declared readiness by exploring the idea
of Civil Joint Task Force to strategically brainstorm on the effective medium
and collaborate with Nigerian security forces towards combating the insurgents,
government has denied them adequate support to bring insurgency to an end.
Consequently, the communities remain the worst hit by attacks by insurgents.
Apart from being the victims of regular attacks, security
personnel are not adequately equipped, fortified and compensated to curtail the
attacks; and the degree of attacks by the insurgents have clearly indicated
they are well positioned to be at advantage of the ongoing calamity.
While the Armed Forces groan in midst of poor working conditions
and inadequate equipment, the government has showed no appreciative effort to
call to account the natural and artificial persons who have mismanaged various
security contracts resulting in failure in national security.
Meanwhile, the recurring nature of numerous attacks have rendered
thousands homeless without means of livelihood to suffer a lot of depravity and
other forms of hardship including loss of income from inability to work in
places where they are relocated as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across
the country.
The vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women and the
aged are persistently kept under trees and in uncompleted houses and left
uncared for. Also, victims and communities of previous attacks have not been
adequately compensated, rehabilitated nor reintegrated into their communities.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
CISLAC therefore calls on National Assemble for prompt declaration
of State of Emergency in Nigerian security sector; for the unresolved massacre
of innocent citizens and mismanagement of national security vote. CISLAC calls
on immediate support and intervention by international community into the
ongoing mischievous and bloodshed of innocent citizens.
CISLAC demands immediate and patriotic efforts to recover and
return the mismanaged and looted various security funds back to the treasury;
thorough and exhaustive audit of defence spending since the return to civil
rule in 1999 by National Assembly and other relevant stakeholders; constructive
and sincere efforts by all levels of government and relevant stakeholders to
strategically dialogue with the insurgent and bring the merciless attacks to an
end; rapid provision of sufficient means of livelihood in terms of food
supplies and medicine to mitigate the plights of internally displaced persons,
especially women, children and the elderly.
Signed
Auwal
Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)Executive Director, CISLAC
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