National Security Council blasts Nyako over genocide memo

An expanded meeting of National Security Council convened Thursday by President Goodluck Jonathan descended on Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako for accusing the Federal Government of sponsoring genocide in the north. The closed door meeting, held inside the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, lasted for about seven hours. Rising from the meeting, Defence Minister […]

An expanded meeting of National Security Council convened Thursday by President Goodluck Jonathan descended on Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako for accusing the Federal Government of sponsoring genocide in the north.

The closed door meeting, held inside the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, lasted for about seven hours.

Rising from the meeting, Defence Minister Aliyu Gusau told State House journalists that it was agreed that the Federal Government, in collaboration with state and local governments, must do everything possible to bring the security challenges under control.

The minister said the meeting also resolved that all Nigerians must be security conscious as security is everybody’s responsibility.

The governors of Abia, Niger and Ekiti States, Theodore Orji, Babangida Aliyu and Kayode Fayemi respectively explained that the meeting unanimously condemned Nyako’s memo and cautioned all the political leaders against utterances that could incite Nigerians against the authorities.

Orji said: “The memo written by one of our colleagues, Governor Nyako of Adamawa state was discussed and there was a very unanimous condemnation of that memo. All officers and people in positions of authority were advised to be cautious of what they say. That what they say should at least enliven every person and make us to know that this country belongs to all of us and not something that will demoralise us, not something that will incite people to go the negative way”.

Orji said the meeting also agreed that the Boko Haram insurgency is not a religious war and that Nigerians should not misrepresent it to be so “because both Muslims and Christians are being killed. It doesn’t discriminate against any person”.

He added: “The meeting recognised that security issue is not for the federal government alone, it should be a cooperate issue handled corporately by the federal, state and local governments. When there is a synergy, obviously progress will be made. The meeting also agreed that at the state level, governors who are chief security officers have to do a lot to help because that is where the security issue is. In so doing, the state governors should mobilise their radio houses to sensitize the people so that they’ll be aware of this security situation”.

Aliyu said after condemning Nyako’s memo, the meeting concluded that “we need to be careful about our statements in order not to give terrorists the impression that they’ve won”.

“I’m sure many of you’ll be curious about letter written by our colleague, the governor of Adamawa state. We looked at it all. In fact, he was allowed to read the memo to all us. We concluded that for many of us, we need to be very careful about the kind of statements we make; and that we need to be very careful that whatever we say are either evidenced-based or something that can be authenticated, otherwise, there is no need to be giving terrorists the opportunity of thinking that they’re succeeding because all a terrorist wants is for him to find out that what he does is really carried out in such a way that people will have the impression that he has made impact”, Aliyu.

On the incessant crises between Fulani herdsmen and farmers, Aliyu said the meeting agreed that all grazing routes be properly gazetted for peace to reign and that Fulani herdsmen be settled/relocated.

He said the meeting also cautioned against religious preaching that could undermine national security.

Aliyu added that the meeting also agreed that the Federal Government should sustain the cooperation with neighbouring nations.

He also noted that it was agreed that it is legal for the president to involve the military in any domestic affair when necessary.

According to him, the meeting also understands that there is we need to remove the issue of indigenship from the constitution.

Also speaking, Fayemi said it was resolved that all political leaders should rise above partisanship when dealing with security issues, especially by avoid hate speeches.

He said apart from emphasising the importance of data sharing among security agencies, the meeting also agreed that a holistic and comprehensive response to terrorism and “we should work out anti-poverty policies”.

Fayemi said the talked about the importance of addressing the capacity of media organisations so that the sensitivty of the security is taken into consideration
No discussion of the state of emergency

He stressed that the meeting did not discuss the state of emergency in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.

On the abduction of Borno schoolgirls, he said the meeting resolved that everything be done to ensure they are released unharmed. “The security agencies assured us that they are working on it”.

Borno State Governor Kassim Shema said all the leaders at the meeting reaffirmed their commitment to working together, irrespective of their political, ethnic and religious affiliations, to tackle the problem confronting the nation.

According to him, the meeting emphasised the need for greater investment in the development of advanced security technology “because of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons”.

The governors present at the meeting were those Zamfara, Anambra, Abia, Bayelsa, Benue, Adamawa, Sokoto, Borno, Kaduna, Kwara, Ebonyi, Taraba, Nasarawa, Ekiti, Kebbi, Niger, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ondo, Bauchi, Enugu, Osun, Delta and katsina States; while the governors of Jigawa, Kano, Rivers, Yobe,Oyo, Edo, Plateau, Imo and Ogun States were represented by their deputies.

Also present were the president of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar as well as the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.

Others were Vice President Namadi Sambo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Defence Minister Lt.-Gen Aliyu Gusau, National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), the Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, the service chiefs, Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar, the Directors-General of the State Security Services and the National Intelligence Agency as well as heads of paramilitary agencies.