From Gyang Bere, Jos
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed federal security agencies to ensure that citizens in rural communities across the country are protected.
President Buhari disclosed this on Monday in Jos during a dialogue between Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) with citizens of Plateau State, held at Government House Rayfield, Jos.
The president, who was represented by the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, said the gathering is highly significant in fostering peaceful coexistence across the country.
‘I shall mobilise resources to bring the criminals to justice, appropriate security agencies have been directed to intensify intelligence gathering, surveillance and effective protection of the citizens across communities. I have directed that all culprits must be apprehended.
‘The current security situation in the country and indeed Plateau calls for continues dialogue as part of the processes of peacebuilding, removal of mutual suspension, peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance.’
He said the strategy for achieving peace must be all inconclusive and commended the steps taken by Governor Simon Lalong for setting an Inter-Religious Council in the state to promote dialogue and peaceful coexistence.
President Buhari applauded the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) for stepping into the situation in Plateau State with a view to reconciling the aggrieved persons.
He condemned the wanton killings and destructions of properties by criminal elements in Plateau and assured citizens of the state that justice will be served.
The president maintained that in line with the Constitution of Nigeria, safety and security which remains the primary responsibility of government also need all hands on deck with a collaborative mind.
He said he remained optimistic that the aftermath of the meeting will give special assurances to the people of Plateau State as well as change every ugly narrative in the state and the country at large.
‘Our determination to restore peace or sense of justice in a transparent manner, the government remained determine to continue to protect all innocent law-abiding citizens in their communities.
‘Assurances of government to continue to promote peaceful coexistence, religious tolerance through dialogue and engagement. A united condemnation of killings and consequences of reprisal in the circle of violence.
‘Assurances of the determination of the government to apprehend and bring perpetrators to justice. And government determination to reinforce sanity of lives and pursue the cause of justice.’
He said Federal Government will continue to collaborate with organisations that will promote the cause of peace and development in the country.
The Co-chairman of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council NIREC, His Eminent Alh Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, said religious leaders must ensure they reclaimed the faith in the hands of politicians.
‘Let’s take our religious belief from the hands of politicians and bad people who want to divide us. If anybody said you should go for protest let his son come and lead.
‘It hurt us when we heard things being said on the pulpit as Muslim Clerics or Christian Clerics. We have to up our game of protecting our communities, we should not be allowed people to deceive us.
‘We are in a very very bad situation. If you don’t know, I repeat, we are in a very very bad situation. Traditional rulers have been on the ground before the coming of government by the whites and later the Amalgamation of the country in 1914.’
The Sultan recalled that the bastardisation of traditional institutions in the country was the very beginning that trouble befalls the country. ‘Before now there were various empires and kingdoms, let all go back to the wood, we have a culture, tradition and heritage, we can not say what the white-man brought is all good than what we have.’
The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rev Samson Ayokunle, who is also the Co-Chairman of NIREC, expressed pains over the shedding of blood in the state and the country in general.
‘We are so pain by the blood bash in this state, and all those involved in the killings are both from the Christian and Muslim faith. Nobody has the monopoly of violence, if you celebrate today you may be at the receiving end tomorrow.
‘We are meant to understand that identifying these criminals has become so difficult because of how sophisticated they are. Our law enforcement agencies need to step up their game. One of the things causing problems is justice delay,’ he stated.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Governor Kayode Fayemi, said the country must draw lessons from the ongoing happenings across the country.
‘If we are to draw lessons from what has happened in recent times here. Plateau has learned a lot from the sectarian crises than most of us.
‘The path to peace is justice, and the path to justice is fairness in all ramifications. We must do everything within our power to return this state back to its good old days.
‘There are so many attractive sites that brought people here living for centuries. Jos is a glue that bind us together.’
The Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum in the country, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal who was in attendance said people keep pretending to be killed in the name of religion and in the name of ethnicity, questioning what benefits has all the killings brought to the country?
‘If you are in peace, you sleep in peace, if your neighbouring community is not at peace, you too you are not at peace. No investor will come to an environment that is not peaceful.
‘Let’s go back to the real teaching of our religions. Clerics, you have a lot to teach your followers, any person that understands the essence of his religion truly will not go and kill.’
Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari and other stakeholders who show interest in the violence in Plateau and said his administration would continue to stand for peace and justice.
He cautioned religious leaders who preach inciting messages to stop forthwith and pursue the path of peace and unity or would be arrested.
He described Plateau as a miniature Nigeria which hosts virtually all ethnic groups in the country, adding that peace and unity in Plateau will guarantee peace and unity in Nigeria.