NBA President Paul Usoro, SAN., Urges FG To Take Action On Insecurity

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Paul Usoro
(SAN), has iterated on the need for the Federal Government to act
now on the issue of insecurity, that is at the verge of breaking
the national.

He is urging the Federal Government to give every Nigerian a
sense of inclusiveness to prevent the country from degenerating
into a state of anarchy.

Usoro, SAN, made the call against the backdrop of insecurity and
sectarian agitations in the country.

On Tuesday, the Northern Elders Forum and the Coalition of the
Northern Group called on Fulani herdsmen living in the southern
part of the country to return to the North where their safety and
that of their property could be guaranteed.

The northern elders said the call became necessary following
open threats of war against Fulani herdsmen by the southerners.

The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Chief Gani Adams, had last
week lamented the increasing attacks and killings by Fulani
herdsmen, saying if the situation was not brought under control by
the government, the Yoruba might resort to self-help.

Adams warned that the Yoruba were no cowards and they would
“resist any conspiracy aimed at killing our people at will.”

Against the backdrop of the growing animosity towards the Fulani
herdsmen by the southerners, former President Olusegun Obasanjo had
urged the Federal Government to take action to prevent Nigeria from
experiencing a Rwanda-like kind of genocide.

Speaking on Wednesday on the sidelines of the press conference
to announce the 59th edition of the NBA Annual General Conference
holding in Lagos between August 23 and 29, 2019, Usoro said the
tension in the air was not unrelated to the state of the rule of
law in the country.

“At a stage that the different sections are calling on their
people who are living in different parts of the country that they
should come back home, then we are degenerating into a state of
anarchy and I truly believe the government needs to take
responsibility as far as provision of security of lives and
property is concerned and more importantly, give everybody a sense
of inclusiveness; that we are all part of this country and that you
are safe, you are secure and that I have as much right as you and
you have as much right as I do and that’s very important. It’s from
actions and also from statements that the government will be able
to do that,” the NBA President said.

He noted that the NBA had consistently drawn the attention of
the government to the need to preserve the rule of law so as to
prevent degeneration into a state of anarchy.

He further said that in order to douse tension, the government
must give everyone a sense of belonging through its actions and
statements.