The former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim has called on the President, Mihammadu Buhari to set up a Commission of Inquiry to look into various agitations for self-determination in the country and make recommendations for solutions. According to him, the Willinks Commission was set up during the build up to the nation;s independence to assuage the concerns of the minority tribes in the three regions of the country who feared domination. The Commission paid off as its recommendations included inclusion of the Fundamental Human Rights chapter in the Constitution which helped to stave off agitations. The Commission of Inquiry he suggested would play the role Willinks Commission played then in assuaging the concerns of agitators in Nigeria.
In a personal letter sent to the President date May, 3rd, 2021 titled: The State of insecurity in Nation: My personal suggestion, Senator Anyim reminded the President of the spate of insecurity in the country compared to when he took over in 2015. Said he” “Mr. President, on your assumption of office the most striking promise you made to the nation was to tackle insecurity with emphasis on reclaiming the territories occupied by Boko Haram. I must admit that you did approach the insecurity challenge with commendable determination but unfortunately, the challenge, with time, became hydra headed and no doubt went beyond your control”.
“I wish to note that every violent agitation originates from a non-violent agitation that was not attended to. Today, Nigeria is bedeviled with violent and non-violent agitations. It is also a fact that the current violent agitations originated from non-violent agitations e.g.,Boko Haram started as a non-violent procession; the herders/farmers clashes which has degenerated into a deadly conflict with many states now bloody theaters of war; ethnic conflicts in Kaduna, Ebonyi, Cross River, Benue, Plateau States etc. which are escalating to an unmanageable scale; Armed Banditry in virtually all states of the federation particularly Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto which has overwhelmed the Law enforcement agencies, kidnapping which has become occupational in most parts of the country”.
Like the colonial administration did in Nigeria, the present government should involve the people in seeking solutions to the nation’s problems “It is important to note that in a democracy, no action is deemed successful or completed until the buy-in-of the people is secured through a democratic process. This buy-in- is an imperative that is yet to be pursued in the fight against violent agitations in Nigeria. I must say that as long as the people are not part of the process of finding solutions to the conflicts, a permanent solution will be a mirage.”
“Such document will be the foundation for a new Nigeria anchored on negotiated settlement derived from the legitimacy bestowed by citizen participation and the credibility of the commission” , he said.
He warned that It had become apparent that the foundation of the various agitations in Nigeria today was that the comfort provided at independence by the Willink’s Commissions Report was no longer working and urged an urgent action.
Source: Drumnewsonline
