Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State
on Wednesday inaugurated a 16-member committee to find solutions to the
incessant killings in the Southern part of the state. The committee,
headed by retired Gen. Martins Agwai, a former Chief of Defence Staff, had 30 days
to unravel the causes of the attacks.
Statistics released by the National
Emergency Management Agency showed that 23, 890 people were displaced by
communal clashes in Kaura, Kachia and Sanga Local Government Areas of the state
in 2014.
El-Rufai said that government was
determined to end the circle of violence through dialogue.
“The circles of killing in Southern
part of Kaduna have been a source of great concern to us. “We are
concerned because communities that have lived together for hundreds of years
have suddenly turned against each other.
“We know this problem can only be
solved through community dialogue so as to get to the root of the problem and
bring everyone to the table and hear their side,’’ the governor
said. According to him, the setting up of the committee is part of the
government’s multi-dimensional approach in finding lasting solutions to the
problem.
“The idea behind the committee was
started by the previous administration, but for some reasons the committee
never took off. “When we came in and saw the idea, we thought it is a very
good idea that can contribute in no small way in resolving the problems that
had resulted to the killings in Southern Kaduna.’’
El-Rufai commended Agwai for
agreeing to serve, and hoped that he would deploy his experience in crisis
management at national and international levels, to end the conflict in the
area.
He pledged that the administration
would use the committee’s recommendations and that of the Peace and
Reconciliation “to lay the foundation for sustainable peace, reconciliation and
progress in the state’’.
Responding on behalf of the
committee, Agwai pledged to deliver on the mandate given to them. “I
promise that we would do our best and meet the 30 days deadline to come out
with the report on the findings,’’ Agwai said.
Source: Vanguard
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