By Henry Uche
Over 127 Civil Society Organizations have unanimously asked President Muhammadu Buhari to take decisive action now to quell the incessant killings and other atrocities going on in the country across board.
In its fourth demonstration with the harsh tag #NigeriaMourns held in Abuja, the Joint Action Civil Society Coalition decried the atrocious violence, lawlessness and bloodletting that have taken over all parts of Nigeria.
They frowned over government’s negligence over the pressing issues bedeviling in the country and its failure to provide leadership in ensuring that the security and welfare of all Nigerians are preserved as enshrined in section 14 (2 )(b) of the constitution, urging the government to ensure concerted actions are humane and in tandem with section 17 (2)(C) of the Constitution.
They maintained that the president has been alerted in the past about the unfortunate incidents unfolding in the country saying that: “Since we issued our position, we have observed what appear to be responses from various levels of the government. We noted, in particular, the outcome of the meeting of the Southern governors in Asaba, Delta State, on 11 May, 2021 as well as the statements that have emanated from the governors of Kano, Katsina and Plateau States. We are not unaware of statements from the presidency in response to the Southern governor’s resolutions.
“These responses from government have been neither sufficient nor adequate to stem the growing violence across the country. In particular, President Buhari remains indifferent to the growing toll of massacres, industrial scale abductions and lawless abuse of Nigerians all over the country. This week alone, over 130 people were massacred in two separate incidents in Benue and Plateau states, without drawing a response from the president. It continues to appear as if the president is both indifferent to the suffering of Nigerians and unwilling to provide leadership in addressing it.
They maintained that citizens could no longer sit by and watch atrocities happening, stressing that “In 2018, we got together a coalition of concerned citizens to commemorate the lives and sufferings of victims of violence in our country in the first National Day of Mourning. Since then, we have marked 28th of May, every year as a National Day of Mourning to remember all those whom we have lost to atrocity violence and also show solidarity with their families and communities.
“This year marks the fourth year of the National Day of Mourning took place in every state of Nigeria, on social media and in the diaspora. We want to state unequivocally that: “The incessant killing of security officers across the country and the clear absence of political will and leadership from the president bring this an end to this deadly trend.
“The surge in atrocities against women, children, learners, teachers and the most vulnerable, schools and institutions of learning have been targeted to elimination, and government appears unable and unwilling to take urgent action in protecting these demographics.
“We have noted that impunity thrives in the country. Howbeit, the judiciary is vital to ending impunity but today makes it the 52nd day since courts all over Nigeria have been shut down by executive disobedience of court orders on judicial autonomy. While the courts remain shut, there can be no accountability for atrocity violence.
“The armed forces are deployed in 36 states of Nigeria on internal security operations, thereby retrenching the constitutional role of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). This is a constitutional anomaly. The rise in fatalities from military operations shows that the military is ove…