Pally Iriase, chairman, Ad-hoc Committee investigating incessant killings and other security concerns has unveiled plans to meet with Security Chiefs and Foreign Partners as part of efforts geared toward finding lasting solution to the insecurity challenges facing the country.
Iriase who disclosed this at a press briefing held in Abuja, assured that the Committee will embark on intelligence gathering during the consultation with relevant stakeholders.
“Indeed the House is aware of a number of efforts and approaches by other organs and agencies of government to tackle the problem. But these efforts, while still ongoing, are being impacted by strait-laced narratives, political innuendos and ethno-religious distrust.
“In fact, some of these strait-laced narratives have tended to ascribe all the killings to a singe cause, thus jettisoning the need to rigorously interrogate the happenings with an open, unbiased and non-partisan mind.
“The committee of seven honourable members, is bi-partisan, multi-ethnic and multi-religious in composition and we are enjoined to approach this important national assignment with an open mind and to adopt an intelligence gathering focus,” he explained
In the discharge of its mandate, the Committee is expected to visit a number of carefully selected areas that were attacked severally, interact with the victims, survivors and other critical stakeholders as well as hold a public hearing.
Also at the Tuesday plenary, members of the House were divided along regional lines, during the heated debate on a motion on need to educate and encourage herdsmen on the benefits of ranching instead of cattle colonies proposed by Federal Government.
Passing the motion, the House urged Federal Government to work out modalities for the establishment of cattle settlement on a lasting solution to the herdsmen farmers clash.
The House also urged Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to liaise with State Ministries of Agriculture to speedily ensure strict compliance.
In his lead debate, Mohammed Onawo observed that the incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers have presented a serious security challenges in the country, adding that most of the clashes stem from the practice of herdsmen roaming across the length and breadth of the country in search of grazing pastures for their cattle and as a result, trespassing into and damaging crops in farms.
The debate however led to agitations among most lawmakers from the North who called for free cattle grazing.
While ruling on the motion, Speaker Yakubu Dogara mandated relevant Committee to seek effective legislative approach in resolving the matter and report back for further legislative action.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
