Senate Asks Federal Government To Go After Boko Haram Sponsors
The Senate Wednesday expressed concern over the current level of insecurity in the country occasioned by incessant bombings by members of Boko Haram and asked the Federal Government to go after the sponsors of the perpetrators by dealing with them squarely.
Also, the upper legislative chamber has, for the umpteenth time, summoned the security chiefs to appear before its committees on national security and intelligence, defence and police affairs today to update the senate on their efforts at mitigating the worsening security challenges in the country.
On the same day, prominent Igbo leaders in Enugu, also expressed concern over the continued killings and increasing state of insecurity in the Northern part of the country, and asked President Goodluck Jonathan to find best ways of arresting the situation before it degenerates to an unmanageable level.
Senate President, Senator David Mark, gave the charge while rounding off debates on a motion on the general insecurity in the country sponsored by his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, and 72 others.
Also, most senators from the South-eastern part of the country condemned the incessant killings of Igbos in the North, with their caucus leader, Senator Uche Chukwumerije declaring that “Igbos are tired of being made sacrificial lamb for the unity of the country and if Nigeria cannot protect us we are going to seek the help of the United Nations to beg for protection because we are an endangered race.”
The Senate President said: “Nobody is so big that he is above the law in this country. If any Nigerian irrespective of his position is involved in sponsoring the current level of insecurity, he must be dealt with according to the law and as quickly as possible because we did not want this to go on as it is becoming an impediment to our desire to develop our country.”
The Senate President added that their activities had no religious coloration explaining that “it has nothing to do with religion because all the clerics, both Christians and Muslims have condemned the acts of these terrorists and people who are their sponsors.
Meanwhile, some of the leaders, who expressed dismay over the situation, noted that the order handed down to southerners to vacate the north by Boko Haram was causing disquiet in the South-east, as they were now finding it difficult to convince their people to continue staying in the crisis-ridden zone.
In a four-paragraph communiqué issued by Dr. Dozie Ikedife, and read to newsmen by the MASSOB leader, Uwazurike, the leaders noted that available records have shown that majority of victims of these attacks are Igbos. According to the leaders, “The Federal Government, as a matter of urgency, should ensure that Boko Haram immediately withdraws its original threat to Southerners and Christians to leave Northern Nigeria.”
The statement continued that Igbo leaders continue to find it very difficult to persuade Igbos to continue to stay on in the affected areas in view of the fact that Boko Haram has continued to make good all their threats to lives and property of southerners, especially the igbos.
They demanded that in order to ascertain the exact number of Igbos, who had been killed, the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ambassador Ralph Uwechue should immediately set up an emergency desk at Ohanaeze Headquarters in Enugu with dedicated telephone lines which victims and relations can use to notify Ndigbo of their plight.
They also suggested that the leadership of Ohanaeze should set up an Emergency relief Committee to seek for relief from individuals, groups, NGOs, government within and outside Nigeria in order to assist some of these victims who have lost not only their lives but their life savings.
The Igbo leaders observed that in the history of Nigeria, Igbos have made of a lot of contributions towards the economic development of the country but regrettably on the other hand they have been the greatest victims of every civil upheavals in the country.
Among the Igbo leaders who met at the residence of the late former Biafran warlord, Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu, include former Ohanaeze Presidents General, Justice Eze Ozobo and Dr. Dozie Ikedife; Chairman, Champion Newspapers Limited, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu; Chairman of the South-east Council of Traditional Rulers; Eze Cletus Ilomuanya; Eze Nri, Eze Onyeso; MASSOB leader, Chief Ralph Uwazurike; and Iyom Bianca Ojukwu.
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