PGF Director-General cautions against divisive statements on security issues

Nigerians need to desist from making divisive statements and politicising national issues such as security.

The Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum PGF, Mr Salihu Lukman made this known in a press statement released in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

He stated this in reaction to the media debates that resulted from the exchange between the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu and the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the Nigerian President, Mr Garba Shehu.

It would be recalled that Governor Akeredolu gave unregistered herdsmen seven days ultimatum to vacate the forest reserves of Ondo state and halt night grazing immediately. The aim of the ultimatum is to prevent the forest reserves from being used as hideouts by kidnappers and bandits. However, the Presidential spokesman, Mr. Shehu called for the Ondo state government and leaders of the herdsmen to continue dialogue to find a suitable solution.

Following this, the PGF DG noted that people have interpreted the exchange along ethnic and religious sentiments.

“Since the release of the statement by Mallam Garba Shehu, the usual divisive politics has been activated. Afenifere, Arewa, Christian groups and many Nigerians are engaging the issues, sadly in ways that may only compromise or distract our leaders from being able to summon the courage to ‘reform, modernise and move our nation forward’. Ensuring that Forest Reserves, and indeed all forests, not just in Ondo State but in every part of the country are prevented from being used by kidnappers, bandits and all criminals, which as Mallam Garba Shehu correctly indicated should be given every urgency given the ‘nightmarish challenges’ it poses. This calls for courage on the part of our leaders to be able to initiate any viably effective reform.

“It is also very clear to any rational observer that any proposal for reform may be interpreted along divisive lines and many public commentators, may prioritise debating matters of interpretation rather than the substantive proposal for reform. This necessitates that our leaders should be able to demonstrate higher decree of caution in making public statements about policy proposals, especially those that could potentially activate our national divisive fault lines” he said.

The PGF DG called for further dialogue adding that Governor Akeredolu should have discussed with the herdsmen association before giving an ultimatum.

“Without therefore attempting to pass any judgement on our leaders, one would have wished that in the first place, Governor Akeredelo, rather than issuing a public statement on the matter, invite the leadership of Miyetti Allah and all other groups and directly engage them on strategies of enforcement of initiatives to secure all Ondo State forests, including the ban on night grazing.

“On the other hand, if Ondo State government was unable to engage groups and its decision to initiate reform as announced by Governor Akeredolu portend the possibility of violating provisions of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended, given the powers of the Federal Government, rather than a public statement of caution by Mallam Garba Shehu, one would have rather recommend that the appropriate agency of the Federal Government invite the Governor, discuss the matter and agree on the best way to achieve the laudable initiative of the Ondo State government and accordingly inform Nigerians about the way forward. To make a public statement of caution suggest some disagreement between the Federal Government and Ondo State government about the desirability of reform as announced by Governor Akeredolu, which is not likely the case,” he explained.

Mr Lukman pointed out that both Ondo state and the Federal government are led by the All Progressives Congress, APC.

“The easy temptation is to politicise the debate. Luckily, on this matter, both Ondo State and the Federal Government are controlled by the APC. This simply confirms the liberal atmosphere in APC. APC controlled state government is not constrained to disagree with APC controlled federal government. Put differently, APC controlled federal government is not shy from publicly disagreeing with initiatives of APC controlled state government. On a matter as grave as the issue of kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities, it will not be treated in APC as a family affair when it affects APC controlled state government but differently with state governments controlled by other parties,” Lukman added.

PIAK