Na’Abba, Kukah Seek Proactive Actions against Killings

By Paul Obi in Abuja

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Hon. Umar Na’Abba, and the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Mathew Kukah, on Sunday deplored the federal government’s handling of killings across the country.

The duo while speaking during the graduation ceremony of Pace Setter Academy, Wuye, Abuja, said government approach to the killings had not been helpful.

They observed that the handling of the killings by the federal government had not brought peace to the troubled areas.

Na’Abba said, “the issue of killing has not been properly handled. A long time ago communities would have been engaged more properly by the administration but I don’t think that they have been engaged.

“These conflicts had been on before this administration came to power but we thought that they would have been well prepared to curb the situation before coming into power but it doesn’t seem they were.

“I feel the administration would have been prepared enough to meet with the communities where the killings are taking place with a view to engaging them on a continuous basis. It is not happening.”

The former speaker contended that “the president can’t handle this problem alone and the impression he has given is that he is working alone but if he wants to solve problems in this country, he has to engage as many people and elders as possible. Not everyone in the government has the wisdom to handle this matter.”

Kukah on his part harped on the need for more proactive measures to stop the killings.

He said: “This is a wake up call that there has to be a country and a comfort platform for this young children to grow into and we just continue to pray to God that very quickly we will be able to put this very ugly past behind us. I am sure that where Nigeria is today is not doing good to anybody.

“Prayer is not enough because we need to see some practical actions.  We are heamoraging very badly and everyone who lives in this country knows that. I know that those in power know’s what needs to be done.

“The reason why government exist is to secure the territorial space of Nigeria.  There is no need to cast aspersion on anybody but we just need to know where we are.”

Chairman of Pace Setter Academy, Mr Kenneth Imansuangbon, decried the barbaric killings, stating that, “I don’t see this as a Christian and Muslim war but the drums of war are beating. I still believe we can stop the drums of war by supporting Buhari in the best way we can to stop the killings and bring peace and get things working even if you don’t want to vote for him in 2019.

“Every Nigerian has the constitutional right to make sure that the country works. It is a shame to our generation that we are now human killers. If we don’t take time, whatever is happening now, it will take the next 100 years to get people to believe in our country,” he submitted.