FG urged to convoke sovereign national dialogue, decentralise police

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The Anglican Church has called on the Federal Government to without delay convoke a sovereign national dialogue of all ethnic nationalities that will be in a good position to express their views on the myriads of issues threatening the existence of the nation and chat the way forward.

The Church decried the escalation of banditry, kidnapping, herders/farmers clashes and robbery, saying nowhere is safe in the country.

This was contained in a communique issued on Sunday in Abuja by the 1st Session of the 8th Synod of the Diocese of Lafia (Anglican Communion), held St.Peter’s Anglican Church, Akwanga, from Thursday 10th to Sunday 13th June, 202, under the presidency of the Bishop of Lafia, RT. Rev. Godwin Robinson.

The Synod said for the immediate solution, the Federal Government should immediately decentralise police to pave way for state police to stem the issue of insecurity all over the country.

The Synod also called for the restructuring of Nigeria to allow for the emergence of true federalism.

The communique read in part: “The Synod says that we are in perilous times in Nigeria. There is insecurity everywhere, on the roads, in the air, villages, cities are insecure even inside houses, and hamlets there is danger. Nowhere is safe.

“There is an escalation of banditry, kidnapping, herders/ farmers clashes and robbery here and there every day. Added to this, is the mutual distrusts among the ethnic nationalities leading to the emergence of the warlords; Boko Haram, IPOB, Militants almost taking control of the nation.

“The Synod calls on the Federal government and the National and State Assembly to see that the Country is totally restructured for true Federalism to emerge.

“The Synod says every nation faces challenges at one time or the other, therefore, that Nigeria today is having some challenges is not peculiar.

“Difficult times are being experienced by other Countries in different dimensions. There are no permanent fixed challenges. But a nation needs pro-active leadership who knows that yesterday’s solution cannot solve tomorrow’s problems.

“Nigeria today is in dire need of that dynamic leadership to take us out of the present mess.

“That the problem of Nigeria stemmed from our inability to manage our diverse ethnic and religious identity and integrate them into a common national identity so as to sustain the relationship between the centre and the federating units.

“The result of this is, basically regional governance vacuum and by reason of which some state actors are attempting to fill the space leading to instability across the geographical zones and the emergence of BokoHaram terrorists in the North East, the bandits in the North=West, the criminal Herdsmen in the North-Central, regional militia in the South-West, Militants in the South-South and lately secessionist agitators in the South-East.

“The Synod, therefore, says that the Federal government should convoke a sovereign national dialogue of all ethnic nationalities that will be in a good position to express their views which should be thoroughly analyzed to chat the way forward.