Governor
Governor
We ‘re committed to peace in southern Kaduna—El
Rufai
Governor Nasir El Rufai has said that his administration has
done everything within its constitutional powers to bring peace in
Southern Kaduna and all parts of the state for over five years.
In a welcome address to the high-level security meeting which
held at the council chambers of Sir Kashim Ibrahim House on
Tuesday, the governor was specific to the peace-building efforts in
Southern Kaduna.
‘’We answered the decades old demand for a permanent military
base by working with the Federal Government to deploy a forward
operating base of the Nigerian Army in Kafanchan.
‘’Our government purchased an estate to provide accommodation
for a permanent mobile police squadron in the area. Also, deployed
in area aretroops from Operation Safe Haven and Nigerian Army
Special Forces, complemented by two mobile police squadrons,’’ he
added.
The governor however said that in spite of these measures, ‘’
the best guarantee of peace is the willingness of communities to
live in peace and harmony, and a resolve to settle differences
through exclusively lawful means.’’
El Rufai recalled that his government ‘’established the Kaduna
State Peace Commission to engage communities and nudge them towards
accord and conciliation as a better alternative to the breaking of
bones and the shattering of lives.’’
According to him, the current crisis is as a result of ‘’the
tragic aftermath of events of 5 June 2020 when youths from two
communities clashed over farmlands in Zangon-Kataf and the upsurge
of violence in the same area that started on 11 June 2020.’’
‘’Like an unwanted virus, the violence has spread to and has
necessitated extraordinary measures in four local government areas
in southern Kaduna,’’ he added.
The governor said that he called the security meeting ‘’ to hear
from you the leaders of the security agencies deployed in the area
what further measures can be taken to end the agony.
‘’On our part, we continue to support the efforts of the
security agencies as best as we can,’’ he added.
El Rufai promised that his government ‘’will also continue
invest effort in the urgent necessity to create and sustain a
constituency for peace by persuading elected officials, traditional
rulers and community leaders in the affected areas to live up to
their responsibilities, respect diversity and the rule of law.
‘’We have nudged stakeholders in Kauru and Zangon-Kataf LGAs on
this path and will continue to do so. We have also resolved to
address lingering issues from the 1992 crisis in Zangon-Kataf by
producing a White Paper on the recommendations made by the Judicial
Commission of Inquiry and the Reconciliation Committee,’’ he
added.
The governor lamented that ‘’so much unhelpful narrative is
being spun, but the priority is to stop the bleeding and encourage
communities to live in peace.’’
The governor warned that ‘’no one should be allowed to get away
with crime just because they can hide it under an ethno-religious
veneer.Respect for the rule of law compels us to prosecute anyone
indicted for involvement in the wanton violence’’