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Civil Society groups on the platform of OneVoice have expressed worry about the state of the nation, condemning incessant killings and the crisis between the executive arm of the government and the National Assembly.
In a recent civil society/media parley in Lagos, the coalition expressed its concerns at the Centre for Constitutional Change, Ilupeju, Lagos, calling for more transparency and accountability in the future elections in Nigeria.
Reading his address at the parley, Chairman of OneVoice Committee, Pastor Adedeji Adeleye ran through a list of concerns the civil society organisations and Nigerians generally have been expressing in recent time.
According to Adedeji, some of the concerns include continuous and constant executive-legislative feud, lack of respect for the National Assembly by the executive arm among others which have confirmed the feud between the ruling class.
In his words, “Some concerns are being expressed on the continuous, constant executive-legislative feud, sometimes degenerating into absurd unthinkable non-issues such as ‘lack of respect for the National Assembly’ allegedly by the President or his men; reordering of election timetable, demand for and sharing of money; refusal of many NASS members to honour invitation by EFCC and Police either on corruption charges or criminal offences etc.”
Another point raised by the chairman of OneVoice is the continues attacks by Fulani herdsmen which have claimed hundreds of lives of Nigerians.
He also lamented some other security concerns in the land, “The monstrosity with which Fulani herdsmen continue to massacre innocent Nigerians in hundreds and thousands cause for grave concerns,” Adeleye said, continuing that, “Added to this are still the rampaging Boko Haram insurgency in North East, Zamfara bandits in the North West, militant Fulani herdsmen, kidnappers and militant thieves in the South South and other ethnic militias or separatist movements all over the country.
He however tasked thee security operatives to be on ground to carry out their duties of defending the people.
“The security agencies must be given marching orders to curtail the sustained killings of Nigerians across the country and protect lives and properties of Nigerians as this is the primary duty of any responsible government,” he advised.
Participants at the event took turns to condemn the incessant killings of Nigerians by Fulani herdsmen and bandits across the country.
A lawyer and activist, Mr. Collins Okeke at the event however tasked Nigerians to always read between the lines and reason before jumping at conclusion on any matter as such hasty conclusion is capable of escalating the crisis the country is currently battling with.
“I was raised on the Plateau and I know the issues and the complications there,” Okeke said, adding that, “Most of the crisis in Jos and its environs should be well understood in order to know how to tackle them. Pointing fingers of accusation immediately a crisis erupts may not provide a lasting solution but escalate the issue by way of making people revenge which would help nobody at the end.”
He however advised the government to adopt measures to create peaceful coexistence between the herders and the natives since the both groups had lived together for ages in a symbiotic relationship.
