NBA President Paul Usoro, SAN., Urges FG To Take Action On Insecurity

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Paul Usoro (SAN), has iterated on the need for the Federal Government to act now on the issue of insecurity, that is at the verge of breaking the national.

He is urging the Federal Government to give every Nigerian a sense of inclusiveness to prevent the country from degenerating into a state of anarchy.

Usoro, SAN, made the call against the backdrop of insecurity and sectarian agitations in the country.

On Tuesday, the Northern Elders Forum and the Coalition of the Northern Group called on Fulani herdsmen living in the southern part of the country to return to the North where their safety and that of their property could be guaranteed.

The northern elders said the call became necessary following open threats of war against Fulani herdsmen by the southerners.

The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Chief Gani Adams, had last week lamented the increasing attacks and killings by Fulani herdsmen, saying if the situation was not brought under control by the government, the Yoruba might resort to self-help.

Adams warned that the Yoruba were no cowards and they would “resist any conspiracy aimed at killing our people at will.”

Against the backdrop of the growing animosity towards the Fulani herdsmen by the southerners, former President Olusegun Obasanjo had urged the Federal Government to take action to prevent Nigeria from experiencing a Rwanda-like kind of genocide.

Speaking on Wednesday on the sidelines of the press conference to announce the 59th edition of the NBA Annual General Conference holding in Lagos between August 23 and 29, 2019, Usoro said the tension in the air was not unrelated to the state of the rule of law in the country.

“At a stage that the different sections are calling on their people who are living in different parts of the country that they should come back home, then we are degenerating into a state of anarchy and I truly believe the government needs to take responsibility as far as provision of security of lives and property is concerned and more importantly, give everybody a sense of inclusiveness; that we are all part of this country and that you are safe, you are secure and that I have as much right as you and you have as much right as I do and that’s very important. It’s from actions and also from statements that the government will be able to do that,” the NBA President said.

He noted that the NBA had consistently drawn the attention of the government to the need to preserve the rule of law so as to prevent degeneration into a state of anarchy.

He further said that in order to douse tension, the government must give everyone a sense of belonging through its actions and statements.