By Cyril Okonkwo, Abuja
The federal and state governments in Nigeria have recommitted to the protection of residents of all states, including non-indigenous communities and religious and ethnic minorities within states’ jurisdiction.
The National Economic Council, NEC at its first physical meeting in almost a year took the decision at its meeting on Thursday presided over by Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo at the Conference Centre of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting had governors of Nigeria’s 36 states in attendance.
Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, who briefed State House correspondents after the meeting, said that the council also made commitments to the arrest and prosecution of all perpetrators of crime.
Abiodun said that the council resolved to work in collaboration of federal authorities for the “reconstruction of destroyed homes and payment of compensations where appropriate for damage to property and livelihood sustained during targeted attacks on communities within the states’ jurisdiction.
“We are also committed to ensuring that deceased victims of such violence are duly accorded dignified burial rites.”
According to Abiodun, the NEC called for “the immediate public and unequivocal condemnation of all manifestations of hatred, targeted violence and other hate crimes against ethnic, religious and minority groups.”
Local security
The Ogun State governor said that the Council agreed to ensure “that local security initiatives, whether they are states’ government and special agencies or local vigilante groups or the community policing programme of the Nigeria police are inclusive and are composed with due consideration given to adequate representation of all non-indigenous community or resident communities.
“We also resolved to ensure that all states, local and community security initiatives operate according to guidelines consistent with states’ legislation and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and relevant laws that are subjected to rigorous oversight.”
Ethnic and religious affiliations
Abiodun said the Council was also committed to ensuring that innocent citizens and entire communities are not slandered by criminal elements within those communities on the basis of ethnic or religious affiliation.
He said they and also deliberated on management of forest reserves across the country.
The Governor said the Council encouraged the continued organisation and participation, by governors, in town hall meetings in the localities where ethnic strife has taken in place by governors representing all geo-political zones.
“The council deliberated on how our forests should be better managed and secured against criminals and criminality.
“We know that most of the crimes that we have seen lately are seen as crimes that are being committed by those that are living in those forests.
“They come into town, they attack innocent citizens and they run back to those forests. So, we deliberated on how to ensure that those forests are better secured and managed against criminals and criminality,” he explained.
Livestock modernisation
The Ogun governor said that the council encouraged states to promote the modernisation of livestock and also the strengthening of the National Livestock Transformation Plan, NLTP.
“We also discussed and agreed that government would look at strengthening the vigilance on border and cross border migration between our country and neighbouring countries to discourage this cross border crimes,” Abiodun stated.
Confidence Okwuchi
