Agitation: It’s time for honest dialogue, Abdulsalami’s committee tells FG

Niyi Odebode, Abuja

The National Peace Committee, led by a former Head of State, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar, has blamed politicians, who failed to fulfil their promises, for the rising division and hatred in the country.

The NPC stated this in Abuja on Tuesday in a statement entitled A call for restraint’, which was signed by its chairman, Abubakar, and the Convener, Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah.

The group said politicians, who failed to deliver on their mandate, had found common cause with the advocates of division and hatred.

It advised the Federal Government to consider the possibility of using the reports of the 2005 National Political Reforms Conference and other national conferences as a base for contructive national dialogue.

The NPC said besides meeting with leaders, it was time for the government to engage in an honest dialogue with all segments of the Nigerian population.

It stated, “Ongoing efforts to reach out to leaders from various parts of the country should be broadened into an honest dialogue with all segments of the Nigerian population to ensure that ordinary citizens get the opportunity to convey their views to government at the highest levels and get carried along in the formulation and implementation of government policies.”

The group said the country could not afford “to stoke the fire of hate and divisiveness” when ordinary Nigerians were finding it difficult to secure their livelihood amidst rising insecurity and increasing fear.

It added, “We have lost too many of our citizens to random and diverse acts of violence; have many more maimed for life or living in displacement. Tens of thousands of children have been orphaned by conflicts and millions of our fellow citizens now face threats of starvation in the face of rising food insecurity.

“In many parts of the country, mass killings go unpunished and unresolved, inter-communal clashes have become chronic, economic deprivations and growing social exclusion and feelings of alienation, particularly among the youths, are being exploited by segments of the elite with potentially dangerous and painful consequences for us all.”

The committee expressed serious worry over these developments.

It commended Acting President Yemi Osinbanjo for meeting with leaders from the South-East and the North over the tension generated in the country in the past weeks.

The meetings, the NPC said, were aimed at checking the rise of mutual hostility and tension that had been stoked by elements from parts of the country.

The group appealed “to further voices of leadership, reason and moderation from all communities in the country to reinforce the message of the Acting President.”

According to the NPC, the rising division reflects the perceptions by citizens that there is poor governance in Nigeria.

It stated, “Politicians, who have failed in delivering on the mandate of the electorate for better livelihoods and neighbourhoods have, instead, found common cause with advocates of division and hate.

“In many parts of the country, young people, who have been left without means of livelihood or hope in their future, have become converts to radicalisation preached by demagogues in various guises including ethnicity and religion.”

“At this time in Nigeria, more than ever before, we need government, at all levels, which work for the people, with commitment to respect the rule of law and to the security and well-being of persons and communities in the country.”

“We also need credible institutions, an economy that guarantees a fair deal and outcome for hardworking people, better physical infrastructure and an enabling environment in which citizens can thrive.”

The NPC called on state governments to develop their people and rely less on Abuja to fund their consumption through monthly allocations.

“We also encourage the Acting President and the Federal Government to remain steadfast in the steps they are taking to reassure all communities and citizens of equal stake holding in the Nigerian project,” it added.

The body called on politicians to deny support to or endorsement of groups that expressed disdain for peaceful coexistence among Nigerians.

It also supported the position of government on the need to “ensure effective enforcement of laws that prohibit hate and divisive speeches that constitute a threat to our constitutional and collective right to live in a democracy founded on free expression.”

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Agitation: It’s time for honest dialogue, Abdulsalami’s committee tells FG

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