Confab delegates Condemn Nyanyan murders …Want implementation of Gatameri report

Delegates at the on-going national conference have condemned in strong terms the Monday morning killings in Nyanya, a suburb of Abuja, describing it as unwarranted. It was reported that about 200 people were feared dead in the Nynaya bombing.

Raising the motion under matters of urgent national importance, Barr. Dan Nwanyanwu, a delegate representing the Labour Party, LP, says the conference must condemn the killings of innocent persons in any part of the country.

 ”I want this conference to take a decision by calling on the security agencies in this country to take further and immediate urgent steps to deal with these insurgents forthwith. So that Nigerians will not be dying like chickens. This morning we heard that the number of those murdered are in their hundreds. And we don't know where next they will attack”, Nwanyanwu said.

 Another delegate, Mike Ozekhome said while seconding the motion insisted that the federal government must be mandated to do everything to stop the wanton killings spreading across the country. He said the time has come for this matter to be handled once and for all judging from the high level of killings of innocent persons who have no reason to be extra judiciously murdered.

Also speaking, former Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Coomasie said the conference must urge all the concern authorities and security organisations to look into the political dynamism of the security challenge in the country.

While maintaining that “the matter as we can now see has gone beyond security but has taken a political colouration”, he wants delegates to come to the aid of the country.

Chief Edwin Clerk in his contribution enjoined the delegates to understand that what is happening is a national issue and not one that is limited to one part of the country as according to him, the people killed across the country on a daily basis are not carefully selected but killed randomly.

Chief Clerk said, the security operatives maybe doing their best to curtail the challenge but the cooperation of all Nigerians is crucial. He made a case for the meal subsidy for the delegates should be used to come to the aid of victims and families of those who are affected by the activities of the insurgents.

Meanwhile, another delegate and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Femi Falana insisted that, the Ambassador Gaji Gatimeri panel recommendations that looked into the security challenges that befell the country in 2011 must be exhaustively implemented.

 Falana wondered while those who were directly or indirectly accused of infringements have been allowed to go scot-free thereby complicating the matter.

The Gatamari panel was set up by President Goodluck Jonathan to look into the immediate and remote causes of the political and security breaches that trailed the 2011 general elections.

One of the key recommendations was the establishment of special election offences tribunal to try people involved in violence before, during and after elections in the country to specifically try election offences in the country.

The panel also wanted the Federal government to make it possible for speedy dispensation of justice and all those who took liberty to spread violence to cause mayhem in elections in the country are not only brought to book but that the judicial process is to try them such that there will be orderly dispensation of justice.

The report also pointed out that some elite were involved in funding the initial activities of violent political groups are often engaged by political office seekers, particularly elective office seekers, used specialised youth groups that run like militia and these groups are believed, from all security reports sometimes, are involved in the escalation of violence.

The panel wanted the Attorney-General of the Federation to work with the Inspector General of Police to proscribe all youth groups that are set up specifically to be used as thugs during elections in Nigeria.

In addition to this, panel also recommended the need for civic education to enlighten the public to train our children especially in school principles and the right conduct.

Equally, the panel wanted people and politicians to watch their utterances and conduct themselves in a manner that would engender peace and oneness of the country, while factors that engender good conduct should be included in the Code of Conduct by the Independent National Electoral Commission, among other things.

Speaking in the same vein Ishaq Modibbo Kawo said the conference must make a strong case for perpetrators of such dastardly acts to be punished just as he called on initiation of reconciliation measures.

To Amb. Yerima Abdullahi, the direct condemnation of the killings on plenary is an indication that more impetus in the war against insurgents has been added.

Abdullahi said that singular act has done away with the gullibility that hitherto existed about the matter