Information Minister and the Supervising Minister of Defence, Mr. Labaran Maku says the Federal Government will continue to take firm actions to promote peace and restore public orders to all parts of the country. He made the remarks in Abuja when the Conference of Peoples Democratic Party Local Government Secretaries, Nasarawa State Chapter visited to sympathise with him over the recent violence in parts of Nasarawa State.
He said the immediate deployment of troops to the flashpoints in Nasarawa State had brought significant peace to the affected areas and reports have indicated that displaced persons have started returning to their homes.
The Minister said the Federal Government would continue to partner with stakeholders in the state to guard against the recurrence of such violence. “We will continue to work in concert with all stakeholders in Nasarawa State; with all community leaders to make sure that we rein in all persons and groups that constitute a threat to public peace in our state. The various disturbances in Nasarawa State cutting across all the three Senatorial Districts: from Awe to Doma to Ekye to Mararaba Udege to Kokona and parts of Nasarawa Eggon to everywhere there has been disturbances, so it’s a challenge for those of us that God has given leadership to stand up and be counted,” he said.
The Minister reminded those involved in violence that the enforcement of law and order is a most as government would not sit back and allow the reign of anarchy in any part of the country.
Mr. Maku therefore appealed to the youth not allow themselves to be used for whatever reason to perpetrate violence in order not to compromise their future and retard the development of their areas. “Let me seize this opportunity to particularly appeal to our youths, you must not allow people to use you for violence. Everything we are doing at the level of leadership is for young people, so if you don’t give peace a chance you are condemning your future,” Mr. Maku advised.
The Minister said no ethnic group is an island in Nasarawa State and that all the ethnic groups must resolve to co-exist peacefully because there is no alternative to peace and unity in the state.
He advised the political class especially those in leadership positions to always ensure that peace and development are the basis of their participation in politics by creating peaceful atmosphere for people to go about their normal business and earn a living.
Mr. Maku also commiserated with the communities affected by the recent violence and pledged to mobilise support to assuage their pains and ameliorate their sufferings.
In his remarks, the Chairman Conference of PDP Local Government Secretaries in Nasarawa State, Alhaji Sani Mohammed said it is disheartening that despite the peace advocacy of the Minister to Churches, Mosques and other social and cultural organisations, recent events in the state showed that misguided youths still involve themselves in crises which are affecting the communal relationship that hitherto existed among the various ethnic groups in the state.
He condemned the renewed violence and called on the Federal Government to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the conflict with a view to bringing the perpetrators to book.
Alhaji Sani Mohammed berated the Spokesman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for questioning the integrity of Mr. Labaran Maku over his recent appointment as the Supervising Minister of Defence.
He said: “For the information of Mr. Mohammed, the Honourable Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku was the first public figure in Nasarawa State to start campaign against the activities of the Ombatse militia group.
“The people of Nasarawa State know the link between these violent groups and the APC Government in Nasarawa State. The APC’s campaign in Nasarawa State towards the 2011 election was highly violent and led mainly by violent youths”.
He alleged that the APC in Nasarawa State used most of the violent groups to further its campaign and later abandoned the youths to their own faith. “When you use people for election and dump them, there are always consequences. This is what all of us in Nasarawa State are now paying for,” he stated.
JOSEPH MUTAH
Press Secretary
