VICE President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, assured that the Federal Government will not sweep the major issues underlying the conflict in Southern Kaduna under the carpet so as to effectively deal with the situation.
Osinbajo stated this at the ongoing virtual Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Annual General Conference.
Speaking at the special conversation, the Vice President identified the major issues to include, ‘ensuring justice, fixing economic marginalization and the prosecution of persons responsible for these killings, this is to ensure that the impunity doesn’t worsen.
On the way out, he stated: “I have been involved since 2001, through the work of the Macedonian initiative, an NGO that focused on providing relief materials to displaced persons in Southern Kaduna and several other places, especially in North Central part of Nigeria.
There have been judicial commissions and all sorts, but the problem remains. So, there is the need to address the underlying issues. You can’t sweep under the carpet justice and the cries of economic marginalization.
The fact is that we must prosecute persons responsible for these killings, otherwise impunity will worsen. And also support those who have lost their bread winners.
The mindless, callous killings in Southern Kaduna are heartbreaking. And again, we must condole those who have lost loved ones and those injured or who have suffered loss of property. These tragedies are unacceptable and they are avoidable.
On efforts of the Federal Government to deal with the situation, he said: “First is the improvement of security in Southern Kaduna. Now, we have a military base there, for the first time. We also have a lot of Air Force surveillance.
We have about 500 conventional and mobile policemen in Zangon-Kataff and Kaura Local Government Areas and then the combined military team of the Army and the Navy, who are also on ground 24 hours. This is basically to take care of the volatile situation there.
The President has also held several security council meetings and I have attended all of those, where the issues were discussed and the possibilities of engagement have also been discussed.
He expressed optimism that the issues would be resolved, noting that “some of the peacemaking efforts have been fairly successful” as recent peace efforts between the Zangon-Kataff and the Fulani communities would yield positive results.
He also urged those who have concerns about the recently signed Companies and Allied Matters Act, CAMA 2020, to approach the National Assembly for possible amendments, since “we are in a democracy.
He said: “We have a process by which this can be redressed. Whatever the proposal for amendment may be, whatever the view of the leadership of the church may be, regarding the question of how the trustees, whether they are interim trustees or not, can be put into a proposal that will be brought to the National Assembly for consideration for amendment to the law, that is the process which is entirely opened and ought to be pursued.
We are in a democracy and there is a process by which things can be done and that process is the one where you bring forward amendments to the National Assembly and they will do whatever is considered useful in the circumstance.
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