The Christian Association of Nigeria has presented an eight-point solution to Governor Nasir El-Rufai on how best to bring an end to the killings in Southern Kaduna.
The points were presented on Monday by the President of CAN, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, in an address during a meeting with the governor in Kaduna.
Pointing out that the efforts of the governor in stopping the killings in the state were not good enough, CAN urged the governor to take a look at some of the recommendations it had made with a view to implementing them.
The solutions to the problems, CAN said, could be found in its recommendations which read:
“1. A stop to accusations and counter-accusations between the government and other stakeholders over the killings in Southern Kaduna but rather a round table solution. Every provocative statement over the matter should be avoided. Everybody is looking at the governor as a father of the state and this is the understanding with which he should handle every accusing finger pointed at him. Your office is like that of the dung where all kinds of rubbish are dumped. When you were not in charge of the governance of the state, nobody was pointing accusing finger at you.
“2. No bandit, gunman or cattle rustler should be allowed to strike and disappear into the thin air any longer without being pursued to his or her base for apprehension and prosecution.
“3. The guns in the hands of criminals should be recovered. Bushes should be combed through surveillance to do this.
“4. Technology should be deployed extensively by the security agents to apprehend the criminals in their hideouts, including the mercenaries that may be coming from outside the state.
“5. All sources of ammunition the bandits and killers are using should be investigated and blocked.
“6. Community healing, forgiveness and reconciliatory meetings should be held, bringing different ethnic groups in communities together to chart the way forward for peace.
“7. Your government should further strengthen the State Emergency Management Agency and the Kaduna State Peace Commission for the development and rebuilding of Southern Kaduna and other crises ridden areas. A commission should be set up to cater for many orphans, widows and widowers whose future had been put in jeopardy as a result of the killings of their breadwinners.
“8. It is apparent that killings are noticed on both sides. Nonetheless, an increase in security forces be deployed to the troubled spots until lasting peace is restored.”
The leadership of the Christian body said it had continuously complained about the devastating situation because it was indeed tired of the endless killings.
Said the group: “Sir, whenever CAN in the state and at the national level cry out against the insecurity, it is because we are tired of seeing human beings being slaughtered like animals. It is because, not only our heart is bleeding, but that of God our Creator and Maker as well. Whenever you see us complain to your government or the federal government, it is because we have no other person to cry or look up to but you and the security agents.
“We equally cry because of the economic downturn this perennial crisis is bringing to the state. We cry out against the killings because of the negative image the continuous crisis is bringing to the state and our nation in the international community. If people say that it is religious or ethnic, we do not have the right to say they are foolish or should shut up because the continuing crisis has given them room to say whatever they are saying as long as the killings continue. So, the government is the one who has our trust and resources to secure our communities and we have the legitimate right to challenge the government to empirically convince us that it is doing that.”
