Kabir,
This situation in Nigeria is very alarming,we know that this is the work of
politicians,who are good at using religion to divide the people for political
power,lets hope that this does not spread to other parts of Nigeria.The
consequence of not separating religion from politics will always result to
such situations.And you here the minister saying that the troops were deployed
only after it was discovered that an attack on the oil refinery was
underway.You see how little the life of poor people is less worth in relation
to wealth and instead of confronting this situation we are told it is the
responsibility of the Bar association.God Bless Africa !!
For Freedom
Saiks
> ---------------------------------------------
> Attachment:
> MIME Type: multipart/alternative
> ---------------------------------------------
Nigerian Lawmakers, Ministers Meet On Kaduna Violence
Nigerian Lawmakers, Ministers Meet On Kaduna Violence
February 23, 2000
Paul Ejime
PANA Correspondent
LAGOS, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria's Federal Executive Council and the House of
Representatives, the lower chamber of the National Assembly, held separate
meetings Wednesday on the two-day religious violence that has reportedly
claimed up to 50 lives in the northern city of Kaduna.
Uneasy calm was reported Wednesday in the city, where the movement of people
have restricted with troops patrolling the streets, and under instruction to
shoot trouble makers on sight.
Briefing journalists on the outcome of the Executive Council meeting,
Information Minister Dapo Sarumi said troops were deployed after it was
discovered that the mob was moving toward one of the country's oil refineries
in Kaduna.
Intelligence reports had also indicated that students of the Ahmadu Bello
University in Zaria, near Kaduna, were mobilising to join the fighting between
the Christian and Moslem groups over the introduction of the Islamic Sharia
legal system in the state.
Sarumi said security reports reaching Abuja, indicated that the situation was
now calm after the violence, which erupted Monday, had continued till
Tuesday.
But the minister did not rule out the possibility of a hidden agenda by the
perpetrators of the violence.
"Some people are packaging something to look like a Sharia declaration," he
added.
On the legal implications of Sharia in Nigeria, which is secular by
constitution, Sarumi said it was the responsibility of Nigerians, the Bar
Association and the Christian Associations to initiate legal challenge to the
system.
"It will not be politically wise for the executive arm the to initiate such a
process because it would be accused of bias," he added.
At a special session on the security situation in Kaduna, the House of
representatives condemned the carnage and called on the federal government to
take all necessary measures to restore law and order.
Representative Binta Koji of the opposition All Peoples Party, Kaduna state,
urged that urgent steps be taken to prevent the violence from spreading to
other parts of the country.
"This is not the time to be fighting one another based on religion," he
declared.
His colleague, Garba Matazu from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, also
from Kaduna, expressed a similar view, adding that offenders should be brought
to book.
Several political and religious leaders in the country have denounced the
violence, with President Olusegun Obasanjo calling for restraint.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2000 Panafrican News Agency. All Rights Reserved.
____________________________________________________________________
Get your own FREE, personal Netscape WebMail account today at http://webmail.netscape.com.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
