Sola Ojo, Kaduna
Following the looting and vandalization of public and private properties by miscreants at the weekend and subsequent imposition of a 24-hour curfew by Kaduna State government, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna on Sunday appealed to the State Government to review the timing.
CAN Chairman in the State, John Joseph Hayab said, this appeal became necessary to enable the citizens to go about their lawful businesses.
“We call on the Government to as a matter of urgency reassess and review the 24 hours curfew imposed to a more favourable time to enable citizens to go about their lawful business”, he said.
According to Hayab, CAN Kaduna State Chapter condemns in strong terms the vandalization and looting of public and private properties in Kaduna State by youth.
Hayab also challenged the State Government to investigate the delay in sharing of the looted items believed to have been held for months just as he called on the Christian leaders to abide by the government’s directive on the curfew.
“We are sad to know that palliatives were discovered in warehouses located in Barnawa in Kaduna, as a result of which the youths fell into the temptation of vandalizing the property and looting the said palliatives stored there going as far as searching for other warehouses in other locations within Kaduna. CAN frown at such actions and condemn it in strong terms.
“More disturbing and repugnant is the fact that Government officials, in the face of hunger and untold hardship that has been made worst by the COVID-19 pandemic could withhold palliatives that should have been shared to relief poor citizens from the hardship and hunger that the pandemic came with.
“We note that whoever is responsible for holding these palliatives is/are to take responsibility for this unholy act. In that regard, we call on the government to investigate and take drastic actions against those whose greed and insensitivity caused the near break down of law and order.
“CAN calls on those responsible to come out publicly and apologize to the citizens for withholding what belongs to us at a time we needed it most. CAN is also calling on the youths to resist the temptation of vandalizing and looting.
“We understand the pains, we feel it too but as responsible leaders and organization, we all know that two wrongs don’t make a right.
“On the curfew announced by Government, CAN sees it as unfortunate and a step in the wrong direction, we cannot address every issue by imposing curfew all the time. How can we allow the wrongdoing of a few, within a little part of the state cause the larger Community of the 23 LGAs pains and hardship? The government should find other ways of handling criminality.
“Curfew has become an easy tool in the hands of a government that at the slightest provocation, it is imposed and life made difficult by a vast majority of law-abiding citizens. We fear that if we continue in this direction, in the future, citizens won’t take government seriously when the need for it arises”, Hayab noted.
