By Adesuwa Tsan
365Daily – Ex- Senate President and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to address violent and non violent agitations across the country in a citizen inclusive forum as a means to halting uprisings in the country.
He urged him to establish a commission to interrogate the causes of all non-violent agitations in the country in an open letter addressed to President Buhari on May 3, 2021.
According to him, rising insecurity across the country emerged as a result of unaddressed agitations from different groups across the country.
He added that though the President had shown commendable determination to tackle insecurity when he assumed office in 2015, it became hydra-headed and beyond his control.
Anyim advised that the commission should be modelled after the Willink Commission of 1957, which produced a far-reaching report from extensive hearings of complaints and suggestions from the people.
He explained that he used an open letter as a means of conveying his message to the president as an earlier attempt in 2018 was unsuccessful due to bureaucratic interference.
Anyim said the open letter was a sure way to get to Buhari because “the private one did not get” to him.
The letter stated: “I wish to note that every violent agitation originates from a non-violent agitation that was not attended to. Today, Nigeria is bedeviled with violent and non-violent agitations.
“It is also a fact that the current violent agitations originated from non-violent agitations, e.g. Boko Haram started as a non-violent procession;
“The herders/farmers clashes which has degenerated into a deadly conflict with many states now bloody theatres of war; ethnic conflicts in Kaduna, Ebonyi, Cross River, Benue, Plateau states etc. which are escalating to an unmanageable scale;
“Armed Banditry in virtually all states of the federation, particularly Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto, which has overwhelmed the law enforcement agencies, kidnaping which has become occupational in most parts of the country.
“To worsen matters, Boko Haram, has acquired new impetus that they now overrun the military and have even expanded their base to Niger State.
“IPOB has become a regional challenge. On the non-violent side, agitations for restructuring are scaling up in momentum, ethnic consciousness and allegiance even among the elite are far eroding national concerns.
“All these and many more coupled with gross downturn in the national economic, social and political space has become an apparent threat to our nationhood.
“I am to add that it must be known that military actions or even foreign help alone cannot bring permanent solutions to ethnic conflicts or nationality agitations. Mr. President, you need to create a platform to hear Nigerians out.”
“There is no gainsaying that reservations about the continued existence of Nigeria is building up to a dangerous time bomb.
“I make bold to say that no solution, except one birthed by an independently conducted engagement with fact-based recommendations arrived at with the participation of the citizens, will provide an enduring solution.”
“Such document will be the foundation for a new Nigeria anchored on negotiated settlement derived from the legitimacy bestowed by citizen participation and the credibility of the commission,” Anyim said.