*Vows perpetrators of communal clashes will be dealt with according to law
“As leaders, our duty is to lead the people towards prosperity and development. That is the kind of leadership we must provide. If we don’t provide that, then we have lost our rights to be leaders.”
Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), on Tuesday, paid an on-the-spot visit to Numan, Dong and other communities and areas affected by recent communal clashes in Adamawa State, where people were killed and properties destroyed, which afforded the number-two-citizen to do a personal assessment of the situation.
Details of the visit were provided in a statement issued in Abuja by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande, copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER on Tuesday.
During the visit, Professor Osinbajo, ventilating his dismay over the clashes and seizing the incidence to warn other Nigerians, called on all those in leadership positions in the country to lead the people out of the cycle of violence into prosperity and development.
The clashes claimed scores of lives and injured many others, as the attackers destroyed houses in the affected villages.
During the visit to the State, the Vice President’s delegation discovered that Kikan, a previously affected community, had been completely deserted. The delegation, therefore, organised to have a follow-up meeting with the community’s leadership at the earliest opportunity.
Osinbajo, who visited the affected communities in the state on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, emphasised that it was the responsibility of all categories of leadership to solve problems and offer prosperity to the people.
He said, “Our country is at a point in its history where we all need to join hands to make sure that all we are concerned with is to provide food, shelter, good livelihood for our people; that is our primary aim now. This is the time to come together to make progress as a people. There is no reason why we should allow so much poverty, and what we are doing is fighting, killing each other. Our role should be to provide security, to provide resources for people so that everyone can enjoy their lives as citizens of this country.
“Nobody can benefit from killing or the loss of lives. Everyone who is a leader, if all that we are thinking about is, “something has gone wrong, let us just wait until another thing happens”, then we are not true leaders; that’s not leadership. Anybody can fight, anybody can kill; only true leaders can bring people together and make progress. Anybody who says, “I am a leader”, but is just encouraging continuous fighting, and cannot find a solution, has lost the right to leadership. As leaders, our duty is to lead the people towards prosperity and development. That is the kind of leadership we must provide. If we don’t provide that, then we have lost our rights to be leaders.”
The Vice President condoled with victims of the attacks and assured them of the Federal Government’s resolve to ensure that perpetrators of violence are dealt according to the law.
He further said that the Federal Government would find a lasting solution to the crisis, and called on all parties to embrace peace and dialogue.
“It is a very sad occasion, and I’m here at the behest of Mr. President first to commiserate with the people of Adamawa State and to express sincere condolences to the families who have lost their lives, and to those who have lost their homes, their property and means of livelihood. We are here to seek definite and permanent solution to the problems that have arisen here,” Prof. Osinbajo said.
The Vice President was received on arrival at the Yola Airport by Adamawa State Governor Jubrilla Bindow.
While in Adamawa State, Prof. Osinbajo also met with the Lamido Adamawa, Dr. Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa, and other community chiefs, including the Hamma Bachama, HRH Honest Irmiya Stephen; and Hamma Bata, Chief Alhamdu Teneke, in Numan Local Government Area.
The Vice President was accompanied by the FCT Minister, Alhaji Muhammad Bello, the Adamawa South Senator, Senator Ahmad Abubakar, and the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu.
