President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, has called on Nigerian leaders to unite against criminality stemming from the activities of bandits and kidnappers, as well as resist the antics of divisive elements bent on instigating inter-ethnic tensions across the country.
According to him, “Insurgency, Banditry, Kidnapping and Militancy remain serious threats to a secured and safe Nigeria”, adding that they are challenges which require the collaborative effort of the Legislature and Executive to tackle.
Lawan made this known in a speech delivered on Tuesday during plenary to welcome lawmakers back from the Christmas/New Year recess.
The Senate President, while appealing to Nigerians for calm in view of the recent inter-tribal agitations and conflicts in some states in the southwestern part of the country, described the development as “worrisome” and one that requires the immediate intervention of political leaders.
“Distinguished Colleagues, the very recent emergence of inter-ethnic and inter-tribal conflicts in some parts of our country is worrisome. The Senate calls for calm. The situation also calls for leadership at all levels of government.
“Leaders must unite to fight and defeat criminality in the Country. Leaders must also unite to fight any divisive and centrifugal sentiments, and tendencies,” he said.
Lawan while emphasising the need for legislative interventions to douse the heightening inter-ethnic tension in the country, disclosed that the National Assembly would collaborate with all tiers of government towards finding a lasting solution to the problem.
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His words: “Political leaders are problem solvers. As parliamentarians, we should search for possible legislation to address the issues that tend to create tensions amongst our people.
“We are going to consult and partner with all arms and tiers of governments, in our quest to finding lasting solutions to these ugly developments.”
The Senate President also appealed to Nigerians to ensure the responsible use of various social media platforms in a way that fosters unity and dissuades strife and conflict.
“Let me take the opportunity to appeal to citizens to always use Social Media for enhancing Unity and brotherhood amongst Nigerians.
“Surely, the Social Media platforms can play very positive roles of engendering understanding amongst our diverse people,” Lawan stressed.
