Proscription, categorization of IPOB as 'terrorist organisation' unconstitutional — Saraki Decries.
BY BENEDICT ODINAKA. writing for ODOGWU MEDIA.| Publish on 18/09/2017.The
President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said that the
announcement of the proscription of the group known as Indigenous People
of Biafra (IPOB) by Governors of the South-east states and the
categorization of the group as a ''terrorist organisation'' by the
Nigerian military are unconstitutional and does not follow due process.
The
President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said that the
announcement of the proscription of the group known as Indigenous People
of Biafra (IPOB) by Governors of the South-east states and the
categorization of the group as a 'terrorist organisation' by the
Nigerian military are unconstitutional and does not follow due process.
Saraki stated this in a statement he personally signed on Monday and circulated by his media aide.
He
maintained that "Our laws make clear provisions for taking such actions
and without the due process being followed, such declaration cannot have
effect. I am sure the President will do the needful by initiating the
right process. This will go a long way in demonstrating to the world at
large that we are a country that operate by laid down process under
every circumstance. So, those who have been hammering on this point
should maintain their cool"
Saraki
also disclosed that the National Assembly will investigate the crisis
that erupted in the South-East following the class between the military
and IPOB members.
He urged all Nigerians to maintain peace and show brotherly love.
The statement reads.................
“Following
the clash between the military and members of the Indigenous People of
Biafra (IPOB), I hereby call for calm and restraint by all Nigerians so
that we would all jointly find the right solution to the current problem
rather than worsening the crisis”
“Our
brothers and sisters in the South-east, in particular, should continue
to maintain peace and tranquility and go about their lawful business.
This crisis will not benefit anybody but would only expose innocent
people to unwarranted danger”
“At
this point, Nigerians outside the South-east who have worked to ensure
that the crisis does not spread to other parts of the country deserve
our commendation. I therefore call for continued efforts to sustain
peace, unity and stability in all our communities so as to ensure that
all residents, no matter their religion, tribe and creed remain
protected and safe under the law”
“It
is also important that commentators and purveyors of information on all
media platforms should be conscious of the need, at all times, to
maintain the unity of the country. Therefore, they must refrain from
circulating information that has the potential for aggravating the
crisis. We should all realize, as individuals and as a collective, that
Nigeria is all we have and it is in our individual and collective
interests that we do not stoke the fire of crisis and fan the ember of
discord through the message we are spreading. We must all protect and
strengthen our country rather than contributing to her collapse and
disintegration”
“I
also wish to state that the announcement of the proscription of the
group known as Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) by Governors of the
South-east states and the categorization of the group as a 'terrorist
organisation' by the Nigerian military are unconstitutional and does not
follow due process. Our laws make clear provisions for taking such
actions and without the due process being followed, such declaration
cannot have effect. I am sure the President will do the needful by
initiating the right process. This will go a long way in demonstrating
to the world at large that we are a country that operate by laid down
process under every circumstance. So, those who have been hammering on
this point should maintain their cool”
“We
must commend the military for their efforts in restoring peace to
different parts of the country and sustaining the unity of the country.
However, in the face of provocation, the military should allow
themselves to be guided by their training which emphasizes respect for
human rights, even in war. Also, giving the nature of this particular
situation, the military has every reason to be hesitant in the use of
force”
“Also,
it is my view that we should not over-stretch the military. We need to
protect our military against dissipation of their fighting strength. And
this means we need to strengthen the police and equip them with the
capacity to deal with civil crisis. That is why we, in the aNational
Assembly, are already reviewing the Police Act and also looking at the
possibility of enabling other para-military agencies to help in curbing
civil unrest and maintenance of law and order”
“I
want to also make it clear that the National Assembly intends to embark
on a fact-finding investigation aimed at determining what actually
happened during the period of the military exercise in the South-east.
We want to be able to sift the facts from the fiction and determine who
did what. It is quite clear that all the facts are not yet known. We
assure Nigerians that there will be no cover up. We intend to lay the
facts bare”
“On
a long term, we want to remind Nigerians that the reason for embarking
on constitution review by the National Assembly was to enable us look
into issues that are agitating the minds of Nigerians and creating
tension among us. We have promised that the exercise would be
continuous. We intend to keep that promise by further taking decisions
that would strengthen and improve on our structures. The Eighth National
Assembly, on resumption, will play its constitutional role by
addressing all those issues that are agitating the minds of our people
and over which they feel so strong. I appeal to all our people to always
direct their grievances to the right channels”
“Let
me further reiterate the need for all leaders of thought -political.
religious and traditional- to continue to engage with our people on the
need to maintain peace and be our brothers' keepers
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