Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has stressed that no ethnic group should dominate other ethnic groups in the bid to resolve the recurring clashes between herders and farmers in some parts of the country.
Gbajabiamila, who spoke yesterday with journalists after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, however, called for an amicable resolution of the clashes for the nation to move forward.
The Speaker, who said he had fruitful discussions on the state of the nation with the president, stressed that it would be wrong for any ethnic group to lord its views on other ethnic groups in the country.
He said: “I don’t think any ethnic group should lord it over the other ethnic group. The South-west should not lord it over the North; the South should not lord it over the Nouth. We should respect each other’s trade, geographical space, history, culture and more importantly, the issue of crime, murder – all those things should be completely jettisoned”.
Gbajabiamila assured Nigerians that the National Assembly will wade into the issue when it reconvenes next Tuesday with a view to finding a lasting solution to the clashes.
“From the National Assembly, solutions will come from talking. I believe that now that we are about to start work on Tuesday, I know these issues will come up and adequate and proper legislation that will address the issue frontally and in the best interest of the country such legislation will be put in place”.
He added that eventually the issue will be better resolved through round table discussions, saying:
“Everybody just has to come to the table and discuss and come to an amicable resolution, which I’m sure we will.
“But more importantly, we all have to sit on the table and discuss this matter and look for the way forward. I think everybody is willing to do that”.
The Speaker hailed the appointment of new service chiefs by Buhari who eventually listened to the voice of the general public.
“The appointment of new service chiefs is what everybody has been clamouring for – the House, Senate, the public and the President took his time and he studied the situation very well and did it at the right time that he thought he should do it and we are in support of what he has done.
On what support the National Assembly will give to service chiefs, he said: “everything that is needed, we are all in this today, the National Assembly will not in any way put hurdles before the service chiefs, we will make the working environment suitable for them to be able to discharge their responsibilities very efficiently”.
He advised all members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and potential members to come out to revalidate and register as members of the party ahead of 2023 general elections.
To him: “Everybody should come out and register. You know registration is the beginning of an election process, an election is not a one-day event it has started already. I will encourage all party members, those who are not even party members who have not register before, those who have attained the age of 18, those who have seen the good works of Mr. President and this party to come in and join the fold and register.
“So that come 2023 you know politics is about numbers, they can pick whoever they want to elect to represent them as a party flag bearer.”