Reps to create additional committee on conflict resolution

The House of Representatives on Thursday resolved to create a new committee on conflict detention, engagement, and resolution.

The House resolution followed a motion sponsored by deputy speaker, Honourable Sulaimon Lasun Yussuff, entitled “Amendment of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives, Pursuant to Order Nineteen, Rule 7 to create a new Standing Committee.”

The committee’s function he said includes: “There shall be a Committee to be known as Committee on Conflict Detection, Engagement and Resolution, consisting of not more than 15 members constituted at the commencement of the life of the House.

“The Committee’s jurisdiction shall cover, “engaging warring parties in conflict situations to achieve amicable settlement; alerting Security Agencies on the likelihood of a conflict arising in any community in Nigeria; liaising with relevant Committees of the House on Conflict Management; oversight of all matters relating to Peace and Conflict Resolution; oversight of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution; annual budget estimates.”

According to the deputy speaker, ” the spate of violence and other security challenges in Nigeria, ranging from kidnapping to armed robbery and deadly attacks by suspected herdsmen”

He noted that “apart from the economic losses, there are other consequences of these crises ranging from people, losing their homes, children missing out education as well as continuously contributing to ever increasing the number of refugees in IDP camps with its own attendant challenges.

He added that the Nigerian Security Agencies have not been proactive enough to curtail or address the challenges
He further stated that “the incessant ethnoreligious, communal, boundary and other crisis bedeviling our country suggesting that the country stands to gain up to $1.0 billion annually in total macroeconomic progress in a scenario of peace between farmers and pastoralists in Benue, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Plateau States alone.”

The grave economic losses associated with the Niger-Delta crisis as well as the psychopathic killings by cultist in Lagos, Edo, Kogi and other parts of the country, including the on-going kidnappings in the country.

Speaking further, he said no country can attain meaningful development when it is constantly faced with crisis and conflicts which discourage investments. Previous resolutions of the House on the matter have not been complied with by the relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of Government.

Though there were arguments from some members of the proposed committee it was later passed when the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara put it to a voice vote.