The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Tuesday, lamented that the country was now being painted red with blood, following the killing of scores of people, including women and children, in Benue and Taraba states in particular and other parts of the country.
In his address to lawmakers who resumed from recess, yesterday, Dogara frowned on the violence in Benue, Taraba, Kaduna, Rivers, Zamfara, and Adamawa states.
He said: “Indeed, at no time in the recent past has the nation’s peace and unity been so vigorously and persistently challenged. This, however, is the real test for true leadership.
“Our dear country is now being painted red with the blood of the innocents on account of unremitting bedlam callously promoted by cold-hearted merchants of death.
“At these moments of intense outpouring of grief across the nation, it is important that we shun buck passing and accept responsibility for these wanton killings without which we will never find a solution to this evil.”
Reacting to the ongoing fuel scarcity, Dogara said the green chamber felt betrayed by the executive, stressing that it was unfortunate that even with the cooperation the lawmakers gave to the executive in a bid to resolve the fuel crisis, the situation still persisted.
“We expected that with the legislative cooperation given to the executive arm, to effect an increase in the fuel price from N87 per litre to N145, and based on their assurances, incidents of fuel scarcity would be a thing of the past. We were also assured that fuel subsidy had come to an end.”
Meanwhile, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has taken a swipe at the government over the precarious security situation in the country.
According to Saraki, the 8th Senate was prepared to help find solutions to assuage the hurt to affected parts, bring the perpetrators to justice and enthrone peace in all four corners of the country.
In his welcome address to senators, who resumed from end-of-year recess yesterday, Saraki also warned the executive and the lawmakers against early politicking ahead of 2019, saying it was too early to embark on that for governance not to be grounded.
Saraki said: “Human life is sacred. We state without equivocation that Nigerian life must become sacred. When we fail in our duty to protect Nigerian lives, it is a tragedy and an indictment on us all.
“We as the 8th Senate stand ready to help find solutions to assuage the hurt to affected parts, to bring the perpetrators to justice and to enthrone peace in all four corners of this country.
“Let me state that the 8th Senate is disturbed by these unfortunate incidents, and we have been for some time.
“We were concerned enough to have inaugurated the Ad-Hoc Committee on Security in November of last year. And so, it was that, with the shocking reports from Benue, Rivers and other places, the security committee members also cut short their recess to resume sitting, with a view to fast-tracking their investigations, in order to present an interim report for the Senate’s consideration immediately on resumption.
“I really must commend the committee for its swift action in this regard; and I am happy to note that the interim report is ready for the consideration of this chamber.
“We are a people-oriented Senate, and I believe I speak for us all when I pledge that we shall continue to demonstrate similar dedication to our duties this year, as worthy representatives of the people who voted us into office.” – Vanguard.
