Senator Uba Sani representing Kaduna Central has urged leaders and elders in the Southern Kaduna to cooperate with the government and collectively work for peace.
In a statement on Friday, Senator Uba Sani advised the Southern Kaduna leaders to pull the brakes, move for a rapprochement with the State Government, and collectively work out strategies for frontal battle against bandits wreaking havoc on the communities and people.
“We must also rein in conflict entrepreneurs feeding fat on the conflicts and the misery of the people,” he said.
Continuing, the Senator said: “my heart bleeds for the citizens who have suffered the loss of lives and wanton destruction of property in parts of Kaduna State. I offer my sympathy as we work for peace with other leaders in our state.”
He advised that amidst the suffering, leaders should not indulge in pushing false narratives in any part of the state.
“The urgency of now is a push for peace, an end to all forms of communal violence so that our communities and governments can work together to protect our people from criminals,” he said.
Noting that as leaders whose constituents have been attacked and continue to be menaced by bandits, he called on all compatriots from southern Kaduna not to give in to those who seek to divide and distract victims with false narratives.
“Conflict is a disincentive to progress and development. We should not allow things to degenerate further. It is possible to deal decisively with the bandits and reconcile our people. It is possible to resume the arduous task of rebuilding our communities torn apart by conflicts. But there are things we must do if we are serious about confronting the bandits and forging peace.
“We must, as leaders, must live up to responsibilities, including the duty to be constructive in what we say and an obligation to rally our people to peaceful conduct. We must obey the law and respect the right to life and livelihood of others who may not share our religion or ethnicity.
“After 40 years of violent conflict, it is time for us to put our differences aside and make sacrifices for our people. Southern Kaduna stakeholders must reopen lines of communication with the State Government for a collective approach to the battle against the bandits.
“Governor Nasir El-Rufai has been working assiduously to bring the situation under control. But his efforts have been unappreciated by stakeholders in the area. Certain elements have been reinforcing and amplifying false narratives against the Governor. In the process, they have escalated the crisis and further deepened the misery of the people. This is unfortunate.
“We are one people. We are Kaduna people. No one must take joy in seeing our people being killed. No group or community should be treated as if they are not entitled to enjoy constitutional rights because they are in the minority where they have chosen to live.
“We must urgently embark on some confidence-building measures. A united front is what is needed to confront and defeat the bandits making life unbearable for our people. The time to do that is now,” he said.
