Insecurity: How Sen. Laah Missed The Point!
BY SIMON REEF MUSA
In the past one week or so, several Atyap villages have come under severe attacks, with military personnel unable to stop hair-rising assaults that have left no fewer than 100 persons dead, with about five communities decimated, according to a statement issued by the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU).
Presently, Zonkwa and other surrounding towns have been transformed into straggling Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps, with displaced people fleeing in thousands to these make-shift camps for refuge. As it stands, the Kaduna State Government under Malam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai is yet to respond to the deplorable humanitarian crisis situation caused by these upsurge in attacks, apart from the regular security updates.
Worried by the monumental destruction unleashed on Atyap communities by these heartless attackers, both the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) and SOKAPU, among several other groups, have called for the imposition of a state of emergency on the state owing to gross failings of both security and democratic structures in Kaduna State to address insecurity. The current security challenges is not restricted to Kaduna State, but the recurring rate of kidnappings, destruction of communities and ongoing grisly killings in Southern Kaduna, made worse by Governor el-Rufai’s unguarded remarks, have enraged the bandits to perpetrate more attacks on vulnerable communities.
In the ongoing efforts at arresting the deplorable insecurity ripping across the state, Senator Danjuma Laah, who represents Kaduna South Zone in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, yesterday tabled a motion to arrest the horrifying and raging slaughter of innocent populace in Southern Kaduna.
First, it needs stressing here that Sen. Laah does not represent Southern Kaduna as there’s no Southern Kaduna Senatorial Zone but Kaduna South Senatorial Zone. The geographical entity called Southern Kaduna stretches beyond the eight local government areas of the state that now constitute Kaduna South zone.
In a motion presented on the floor of the Senate yesterday, Laah called for a security emergency in some parts of Southern Kaduna to end the rising spates of killings and massive destruction of property and farmlands. The Senator also appealed to the government to deploy a special military task force to stop the flooding rivers of tears and blood that has caused national and global outrage.
Acting on Order 42 and 52, Sen. Laah also called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts at “bringing to justice all persons involved in these attacks” He also made a case for the establishment of IDP camps to cater for thousands now in various camps just as he requested the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to “implore NEMA to provide food and relief materials for the people in IDP camps”.
I am conversant with the subtle means through which the leadership of the Senate has blocked the use of Order 43 of the Senate Rules that allows other senators to comment on motions brought by members. It is in line with the politics of discouraging senators from turning the floor into an acerbic platform for unleashing acerbic criticism against the government.
Though the chances of getting an opportunity in pushing for issues relating to insecurity is getting diminished by the day, the resort to Order 42 and 52 by senators offer a safety net devoid of avoiding embarrassing comments from angry voices in the Senate on the government. It is based on this that members of the upper chamber interested in tabling motions have always resorted to interacting with leadership of the Senate at the back door to finalise wordings of motions/prayers that are passed speedily without any contribution from the floor.
I got really curious when the seconder of the motion, Sen Uba Sani of Zone 2, supported the motion. It is on record that the Kaduna Central Senator has never pretended to be a friend of Kaduna South Zone 3. Unlike Sen Shehu Sani, the man whom he replaced, Uba Sani, despite recurring killings in Zone 3, the former aide of former President Olusegun Obasanjo has never deemed it fit to visit and condole with the people. So, when an indifferent man to your welfare begins to support you, then, his motives become suspicious.
Laah’s motion may not be calling for the declaration of a state of emergency in Kaduna South Senatorial Zone, but such prayer, if and when granted, may serve as a prologue to a full blown state of emergency. If all past military deployments have not resolved the issues of killings and destruction in Kaduna South, what chances are there that setting up a military task force will do the magic? Or has Sen Laah forgotten how Zangon Kataf LGA was locked under a 24-hour curfew for over a month before higher authorities unlocked the curfew?
Let me stress here that while there is no evidence to prove that the military as an institution is not committed to resolving insecurity in that part of the state, it can’t be doubted that some corrupt elements in the security forces are not favorably disposed of in ending the culture of banditry and insurgencies. If you doubt me, ask Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.
No one, including me, can doubt Laah’s courage in standing for his people at a great personal cost. Unfortunately, his job as senator is to play the effective lobbyist and creative diplomat in engendering creative synergies with both the Federal and State government, including critical stakeholders of the zone, to bring succour to his people. Being the second highest elected politician in the zone after Deputy Governor Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, Sen Laah’s role should be creating the much needed local, national and global linkages to improve the lives of people residing in the senatorial zone.
Let me quickly note here that lawmakers in both state and federal level must be seen as underground agents engaged in explaining issues confronting their people to higher political authorities in a bid to get intervention programmes to alleviate the pains of their communities. As a senator for Kaduna South zone, he is expected to be the leader of all state and federal lawmakers who hail from Kaduna South Zone and should regularly call for meetings to review issues affecting the zone.
I recalled in 2016 when we had an opportunity to meet Governor el-Rufai, he had requested that we reach out to Kaduna South political lawmakers for regular interactions on how to tackle problems confronting our communities. With that open invitation, I quickly made several attempts to meet with Sen Laah without securing an appointment to meet him. After many failed attempts by one of his aides to secure an appointment to meet his principal, I gave up on the chase.
If the truth must be told, our political leaders have mismanaged the tremendous goodwill Governor el-Rufai once had for the zone. Instead of our political leaders exploring means to meet the governor, they resorted to silence and quiet criticisms in venting out their anger. Laah and other lawmakers from the zone must recognise this fact we did not send them there to fight and engage in unnecessary bouts of anger over issues that ail the rest of us. They should serve as purveyors of a better tomorrow and work in harmony with one another in advancing the interest of communities. I wish to appeal to our Senator to rally the best hands to assist him push for a common front in advancing the interest of the zone. As it stands, some of our representatives have performed dismally and that explains why we are where we are.
The disposition of some of our lawmakers is either too indifferent or too afraid to initiate a synergy with the executive arm for our overall interest. When the next time Kaduna South senatorial zone goes to the polls, let us not get people that are too anxious to express anger; let us be strategic in getting someone who will think above the howling mobs. For me, I still believe that there is enough time for Sen Laah to demonstrate leadership and work harder to join hands with the Federal, State and other lawmakers from Kaduna South zone to establish a Joint Civilian Task Force, comprising local vigilante groups, to stave off further attacks on our communities.
