Soldiers Harass Speaker Tambuwal In Kaduna

Soldiers who claimed they acting on orders from above yesterday subjected the House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and his convoy to public harassment. The Speaker, who arrived Hotel Seventeen, venue of an ongoing international conference on security and development organised by the office of the National Security Adviser at 9:16 am ahead of other VIPs, was stopped from gaining immediate access into the hotel premises by the soldiers, with his official car. LEADERSHIP reports Efforts made by the Speaker’s security aides to reason with the soldiers were rebuffed as the security men insisted on searching his car before allowing it into the premises. Angered by the conduct of the soldiers, the Speaker left his car and walked into the venue, leaving behind his official car with the full complement of the speaker’s flag and insignia of his office. Incidentally, while the drama was going on, the soldiers allowed other VIPs, especially governors who were attending the conference, to enter the hotel without hindrance. A security source also told LEADERSHIP: “Initially, we never knew it was the Speaker coming, but on getting closer, I discovered that it was the speaker, but I heard one of the soldiers saying they must search the car. The security officials attached (to speaker) protested, but their protest fell on deaf ears. I saw the speaker come down and walked away.” When contacted, the Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media, Imam Imam, confirmed the incident, adding that it was highly unusual for security operatives to search a staff car belonging to the speaker. Asked what such an action portends for the nation’s democracy, Imam said that Nigerians should be able to judge the action of the security agents. “What they are doing is undermining the legislature as a whole. It is not about the speaker, but the institution. “We are just urging them (security) to be mindful of the fact that the institution must be protected at all times. The constitution provides that the integrity of the legislature and the executive be protected at all times. If it cannot be protected, then it is unfortunate”. He said that the soldiers subjected the Speaker’s car to a search, using anti-bomb detectors, saying “if the number four citizen of this country can be subjected to such treatment, only God knows what will happen.” Vice President, Namadi Sambo who was at the venue of the conference and subsequently declared the meeting open kept sealed mouth to the harassment on the Speaker. Create Meeting Points For Pastoralist, Farmers To Discuss-Tambuwwal Meanwhile, Speaker Tambuwal who insisted on attending the conference despite the harassment, advised the Federal Government to create an enabling environment where the Pastoralists and farmers will meet regularly to discuss areas of conflict before it gets out of hand. According to the Speaker, “We must constantly create avenues where pastoralists and farmers can meet to discuss areas of conflicts before they get out of hand. If there is good communication between these two classes of food producers, there will be less reason for battles” Tambuwwal who observed that the terrible intensity of conflicts between the pastoralists and farmers have led to the sacking of whole villages and forced thousands to migrate their ancestral homes, stressed that, “It is therefore only appropriate for this conference to try and examine all the issues surrounding the recent upsurge in the clashes between pastoralists and sedentary farmers so that we can better prevent further occurrences. Meanwhile, the National Security Adviser (NSA) to President Goodluck Jonathan, Colonel Sambo Dasuki said the Federal Government in collaboration with state governments and other stakeholders were doing all they can to tackle the frequent conflict between pastoralists and farmers in the country. The NSA said several measures have been put in place to bring a lasting solution to the crisis that claimed many lives in different parts of the country. He said that the government has encouraged dialogue between the pastoralists and farmers so as to promote peaceful co-existence between them. The NSA noted, “Such crisis is mostly between fulani’s, kanuri, Tiv, jukun and other ethnic groups. But efforts have been made by the federal government in collaboration with state governments and other stakeholders to involve permanent measures to bring an end to such crisis or conflicts.” The Speaker stressed that “ a new and more sinister dimension is creeping into the fray with people adding political, religious and ethnic colouration to the issue. And as we all know, once ethnicity or religion is introduced into any crisis, the situation becomes more volatile and the potential for explosion increases quite exponentially. “The truth is that in order to better grasp the reason for some of the fiercest conflicts between two of the most important food producers on the African continent, we must view it against the prism of a battle for survival. “The itinerant pastoralists faced with shrinking grazing grounds are determined to fend for his animals whatever the odds; and the farmer is bent on ensuring that this does not happen at his expense. It is practically a historical contest” the Speaker said.