It’s unfair to insinuate that Buhari is condoning killings —Presidency

The Presidency on Tuesday said it was unfair and unkind for
anybody or group to keep insinuating that President Muhammadu
Buhari is condoning killings in Benue State and other parts of the
country.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and
Publicity, Garba Shehu, stated this in a statement made available
to journalists in Abuja.

Shehu said the President was conscious of his duty to Nigerians,
not least because he is held accountable for everything that goes
wrong.

He said Buhari was also worried about public pronouncements and
finger-pointing which he described as unhelpful to peaceful
coexistence in the country.

The presidential spokesman said, “President Muhammadu Buhari has
been concerned about these conflicts each time he received those
very gruesome pictures of mayhem from several parts of the country,
especially as it affected Benue and neighbouring states.

“He is equally worried about some public pronouncements and
finger-pointing that are, in most cases very unhelpful to peaceful
coexistence of our diverse peoples.

“The President is conscious of his duty to Nigerians, not least
because he is held accountable for everything that goes wrong. He
deeply sympathises with the families and all the other direct and
indirect victims of this violence. He is determined to bring it to
a permanent end.

“While there are many Nigerians who see the conflict between the
nomadic herdsmen and peasant farmers as an ethnic problem, others
point to religious differences and agenda. The President does not
subscribe to such simplistic reductionism.

“President Buhari holds the view, as do many experts, that these
conflicts are more often than not, as a result of major demographic
changes in Nigeria. When Nigeria attained independence, the
population of the country was estimated at about 63,000,000.

“Today the population is estimated at close to 200,000,000;
while the land size has not changed and will not change. Urban
sprawl and development have simply reduced land area both for
peasant farming and cattle grazing.

“It is therefore both unfair and unkind, for anyone to keep
insinuating that the President is condoning the spate of killings
in Benue and other neighbouring states.

“President Buhari has publicly condemned the violence at every
turn. He is prepared to permit every possible step that can lead to
the stoppage of the killings.”

The Presidency on Tuesday said it was unfair and unkind for
anybody or group to keep insinuating that President Muhammadu
Buhari is condoning killings in Benue State and other parts of the
country.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and
Publicity, Garba Shehu, stated this in a statement made available
to journalists in Abuja.

Shehu said the President was conscious of his duty to Nigerians,
not least because he is held accountable for everything that goes
wrong.

He said Buhari was also worried about public pronouncements and
finger-pointing which he described as unhelpful to peaceful
coexistence in the country.

The presidential spokesman said, “President Muhammadu Buhari has
been concerned about these conflicts each time he received those
very gruesome pictures of mayhem from several parts of the country,
especially as it affected Benue and neighbouring states.

“He is equally worried about some public pronouncements and
finger-pointing that are, in most cases very unhelpful to peaceful
coexistence of our diverse peoples.

“The President is conscious of his duty to Nigerians, not least
because he is held accountable for everything that goes wrong. He
deeply sympathises with the families and all the other direct and
indirect victims of this violence. He is determined to bring it to
a permanent end.

“While there are many Nigerians who see the conflict between the
nomadic herdsmen and peasant farmers as an ethnic problem, others
point to religious differences and agenda. The President does not
subscribe to such simplistic reductionism.

“President Buhari holds the view, as do many experts, that these
conflicts are more often than not, as a result of major demographic
changes in Nigeria. When Nigeria attained independence, the
population of the country was estimated at about 63,000,000.

“Today the population is estimated at close to 200,000,000;
while the land size has not changed and will not change. Urban
sprawl and development have simply reduced land area both for
peasant farming and cattle grazing.

“It is therefore both unfair and unkind, for anyone to keep
insinuating that the President is condoning the spate of killings
in Benue and other neighbouring states.

“President Buhari has publicly condemned the violence at every
turn. He is prepared to permit every possible step that can lead to
the stoppage of the killings.”