*As House adjourns to honour late Akure Rep, Omolafe
By KEMI KASUMU
“In the South of Nigeria, East and West, miscreants and criminals masquerading as separationist activists have emerged to wreak havoc, take lives and commit economic sabotage against fellow Nigerians and the state. These people, in their inclination for devastating violence against fellow citizens, … are no different from Boko Haram and ISWAP.”
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabimila, has said that activities of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the South East and Yoruba Nation agitators in the South West were not in any way different from the Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorist groups.
Gbajabimila, who, however did not mention any group in his welcome remarks at Wednesday’s plenary of the Green Chamber that is also available on video clips, said miscreants in the South of Nigeria, East and West, masquerading as separatist activists have emerged to wreak havoc.
The DEFENDER reports that although the speaker did not mention groups but that groups behind the security challenges in both regions are known for no other than IPOB and Yoruba Nation agitators.
According to Gbajabiamila, disruption of economic life and academic activities as well as the groups’ inability to dialogue or accommodate a different opinion placed them on the same pedestal with terrorist organisations.
“We must now add to these concerns an emerging threat that presents the same clear and present danger. In the South of Nigeria, East and West, miscreants and criminals masquerading as separatist activists have emerged to wreak havoc, take lives and commit economic sabotage against fellow Nigerians and the state.
“These people, in their inclination for devastating violence against fellow citizens, their appetite for the destruction of private property, their disruption of academic activities, commerce, and industry, their propensity for defiling institutions of the state, society, and community, their refusal to engage in debate, or to consider the possibility of dissenting opinions and alternative viewpoints, are no different from Boko Haram and ISWAP.
“Given space and time, they will take our nation down the same path of destruction,” Gbajabiamila said.
Gbajabiamila continued, “Thus far, we have rightly focused our national security concerns on the machinations of extremist insurgents who seek to remake our world in the image of their discredited theocracy and bandits who maraud and terrorise whole regions for profit.
“We know from experience that neither appeasement nor overwhelming violence alone will work. We have been down this road before; we know what the consequences of inaction can be. We also know that we cannot afford to be reactionary in our approach.
“This is the time to convene our best efforts to articulate a political, economic, military and policing strategy to address both the manifestations and root causes of this emerging threat.
“Let nobody be under the impression that there is a political opportunity in exploiting this moment. This is a time for statesmen to act beyond the petty considerations of politics, to do the hard things and achieve greatness.
Gbajabiamila raised the hopes of Nigerians to the possibility of revisiting the controversial amendments to the Electoral Act and also pleaded with his colleagues, who felt bad about the outcome, to sheath their swords and embrace peace.
Meanwhile, lawmakers resumed from two-month annual recess on Tuesday but adjourned plenary till Wednesday in honour of their late colleague from Akure South/North Federal Constituency, Adedayo Omolafe.
