The Council
of State yesterday rose from an extraordinary meeting with a resolve that
security forces must go the extra mile to ensure that the reign of terror in
the country being perpetrated by the Boko Haram comes to an end before December
this year.
At the
emergency meeting convened by President Goodluck, the council of state also
resolved to put measures in place to begin the process of abolishing
indigeneship and encourage the recognition of all Nigerians based on where they
reside.
Akwa Ibom
State Governor and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’
Forum, Chief Godswill Akpabio gave the hint, while briefing journalists
alongside his Niger and Enugu counterparts: Governors Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu
and Sullivan Chime as well as the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Dasuki
Sambo.
This came
just as the NSA said the federal government was helpless on the use of the
abducted Chibok girls by the Boko Haram sect as female bombers because they
were under the control of the insurgents and not government.
“What really
can anybody do? The Chibok girls who are in captivity are not under government
control. The only thing we do is try and address those who are outside who will
have contact with them. If they are released today, we have a programme we put
them through to make sure that if there is any indoctrination, we try at least
to reduce the intensity if we don’t release it completely. That is all we can
do before they go back into normal life”, Dasuki said.
Niger State
Governor, Aliyu who hinted of council of state resolve to ensure that the
terror activities of Boko Haram ended before December said, “So, all the things
came to the fore at the meeting and subsequently, each of us made it a
deliberate resolution to all bi-partisan or non-partisan to support the
President to make sure that we get rid of this insurgency before December”.
On the issue
of abolishing indigeneship in the country, Akpabio said it was one of the most
important issues discussed at the meeting, adding that it bordered on how
Nigerians can actually be Nigerians in their country and feel free to live and
do their business without molestation.
He said the
council set up a committee composed of six governors, one from each of the
geo-political zones of the country to work on modalities on how to abolish
indigeneship and address the issue of non-indigene registration by some states.
The committee which included the governors of Niger, Sokoto, Enugu, Gombe, Akwa
Ibom and Ondo states was expected to submit its report within two weeks.
Akpabio said,
“So the issue of indigeneship, the issue of deportation or return of Nigerians
from any part of the country to their various states were discussed. Council
viewed the report seriously that some citizens were being deported. Deport
should be from one country to the other, but where you have a Nigerian who is
being returned to his state of origin to other states then you know there is a
problem.
“We felt that
that was capable of disrupting the unity of the country, making Nigerians to
become apprehensive and unsafe. Also council frowned at the idea of even
registering Nigerians in various parts of the country and felt this must be
brought to an end immediately. And so we looked at all these issues and the
role every leader should play from the local government level to the federal
level.
“The role
each one of us should play to ensure that we solidify the unity of this
country. We also looked at this discriminatory practices across board from all
parts of the country, north, south, west and the east and we felt all those
issues must be brought to the front burner, solutions proffered to ensure that
Nigerians are united, live freely and do their businesses without hinderance”.
On the
committee, he said, “Council in the course of conclusion decided to set up a
committee to further discuss with Nigerians and identify discriminatory
practices in all states of the federation and in all the local government areas
and then this committee should submit report to council in the next two months,
in order for us to know what steps to take to stop such practices.
“Whether we
need to go to the National Assembly, then we will go to National Assembly or
whether we need to do so through policies at federal, state or local government
levels just to make sure that the country is totally united and all those discriminatory
practices are brought to an end so that Nigerians can truly feel free and safe
to work in any part of the country without hinderance.
On his part,
Governor Aliyu said: “In some states, there are some discriminatory school fees
paid. If you are not a so-called indigene, you pay higher than the indigenes.
In fact the very concept of indigeneship came to the fore that whether in
Nigeria we should be concerned with so-called indigeneship or residency.
There is need to clarify whether the registration of residents required by Lagos State Govt is also affected by this order.
ReplyDeleteCAN THE INNOCENT ONE CONTINUE DIED TO DECEMBER BEFORE THIS TO STOP WHAT IF YOU DIE BEFORE THE DATE.
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