People’s Democratic Party Minority Caucus in the Kaduna State House of Assembly has described as passive and non-chalant, the response of both the Federal and Kaduna State Governments to the incessant killings in Southern Kaduna.
At a news briefing on Friday in Kaduna, Spokesman for the Lawmakers, Emmanuel Bako Kantiok noted that the Federal Government had neither condemned the attacks nor made any attempt to commiserate with the victims.
Rather, the Federal government unfortunately seemed to have justified the attacks as politically motivated and revenge, citing a statement from the Presidency.
On the other hand, “the silent in action” of the State government on the recent attacks in some local government areas, the Lawmakers added, was more worrisome.
According to the Lawmakers, “it is on record that since the inception of this administration in 2015, Southern Kaduna has not known peace as a result of incessant attacks by
armed militia with the resultant consequences of loss of lives and properties”.
The Lawmakers therefore asked the government to rise up to Its primary responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of the people of the area, the State and the country as a whole.
Here under is the full text of the Press Statement:-
TEXT OF A PRESS STATEMENT BY THE PDP MINORITY CAUCUS OF THE KADUNA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ON THE SPATE OF THE ATTACKS IN SOUTHERN KADUNA AND THE
URGENT NEED FOR GOVERNMENTS’ ACTION
Gentlemen of the Press
We the representatives of the people of Southern Kaduna elected under the
platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are saddened by the spate
of attacks, killings and kidnappings in Southern Kaduna, particularly in
Chikun, Kajuru, Kaura, Sanga, Kauru and Zangon-Kataf Local Government
Areas and Kaduna State as a whole and feel obliged to address you
gentlemen of the press.
The communities that have suffered this senseless attacks and killings in
Southern Kaduna are too numerous to mention and the victims, both living
and the dead too numerous to count.
2. Regrettably however, Government style, both at the State and Federal levels in response to these attacks have been passive and non-challant, and have consequently embolden the attackers with the usual narrative
that the attacks are reprisals but in no way condemning the attacks and the attackers. By the Government approach, the attackers feel
justified to continue with the attacks.
3. The latest of this unfortunate justification of these attacks on the people of Southern Kaduna is the press statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on media and publicity Mallam Garba Shehu where he said that “the problem in Southern Kaduna is an evil combination of politically motivated banditry, revenge killings and mutual violence by criminal gangs acting on ethnic
and religious grounds”
It is evident from the press statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President that there was no attempt at all to condemn the
attacks on the people of Southern Kaduna nor was there any attempt even pretentious to commiserate with the bereaved, injured and those who lost their properties due to no fault of theirs. The silent and in-action of the Kaduna State Government in these recent attacks in Kajuru, Kaura and Zango-Kataf Local Government Areas is more Worrisome.
4. The attitude and response of both the State and the Federal Governments to these attacks and killings clearly speak volumes of the understanding or willingness of Government to discharge its primary responsibility to the people of Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State and the country at large as envisage under Section 14 (2) (b) of our 1999
Constitution (as amended).
5. As elected representatives of the people, we are worried that these attacks, massacre and destruction of properties particularly in Southern Kaduna are unabating and we have a responsibility to remind the Government to live up to its responsibilities. Accordingly, we call on both the State and Federal Government to:
(i) acknowledge that the life of every citizen of Nigeria and particularly in Southern Kaduna matters and must be protected to ensure that the people enjoy their God-given right to life;
(11) Condemn all attacks and killings no matter their nature or motive and to stop justifying the attacks on the guise of reprisals. Evil in whatever form and shape is evil and must be called by its name;
(ii) rise up to its responsibilities of protecting the lives and properties of the people of Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State and the Country at large to avoid a descent to anarchy.
We equally call on the people of Southern Kaduna to remain vigilant,
calm, law abiding and avoid taking the laws into their own hands.
Every citizen has a responsibility to co-operate with the law enforcement agents and to provide information and report any suspected miscreant.
Finally, our hearts are with the bereaved families, the injured and those
that have lost their properties in all these senseless attacks to the people of Southern Kaduna. May God Almighty console the bereaved and grant the injured speedy recovery in Jesus’ name.
Long Live Southern Kaduna
Long Live Kaduna State
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
