- Says President’s Laxity Raises Fear Of Complicity
- Shettima Assures Of President Tinubu Commitment To Attacks In S’East, Others
For failing to visit victims of gunmen attack in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State where no fewer than 195 people have been killed, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has slammed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over what it described as genocide in Plateau State.
This is even as the main opposition party in the country raised alarm that the president’s laxity raises fears of complicity.
The party also insisted on the International Criminal Court, ICC’s investigation into the massacre.
The PDP berated Tinubu over what it called his inexplicable failure to visit the scene of the Christmas eve genocidal massacre of Nigerians by terrorists in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi communities of Plateau State.
“Our Party asserts that President Tinubu’s failure to show personal empathy and leadership by visiting the troubled people of Plateau State tends to validate disturbing insinuations in the public space of complicity in high places with regard to the attacks,” a statement signed by Debo Ologunagba, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, said.
“The PDP is concerned as Nigerians raise puzzling questions as to what was responsible for the failure of intelligence before and during the coordinated massacre which went on for over 48 hours.
“Of further concern is the fact that Nigerians are also raising issues on these apprehensions by making reference to the statement attributed to former military head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha on the possibility of complicity by officials of a government in unrestrained insurgency or crisis situation such as witnessed in the Plateau State massacre.
“President Tinubu must therefore allay fears and concerns on the above by immediately visiting the affected communities and personally addressing the nation on concrete steps to track down the perpetrators and their sponsors.
“It smacks of grave insensitivity and dereliction of duty for Mr. President as the Commander-in-Chief to remain silent in the face of targeted massacre of his citizens without defence and assistance. The President even failed to play his expected role as ‘Consoler-in-Chief’ by not immediately visiting the troubled areas to demonstrate leadership, empathy and connection with the citizens.
“Instead of sending his aides to issue lame statements and detailing surrogates to visit after much prodding, President Tinubu should have as a matter of duty personally visited the scene of the genocide to give succor to the families of the dead and the wounded as well as reassure that his government is with the people of the affected communities in particular and Plateau State in general.
“Of course, the whole world witnessed the video of President Joe Biden kneeling down before the daughter of George Floyd to offer his condolences on behalf of the United States for the brutal murder of her father. President Tinubu ought to have drawn a lesson from that.
“The apparent lack of empathy and the tokenism of sending proxies to Plateau State is unacceptable and clear manifestation of insensitivity by a President who remains unconcerned and fiddles in the comfort, luxury and pleasure of the Presidential villa while his citizens are mercilessly being brutalized and massacred by terrorists. President Tinubu must wake up from his slumber and be alive to his responsibility as PRESIDENT.
The PDP also reiterated its call for investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the Genocide; an international crime perpetuated on the peaceful, defenseless and innocent people of Plateau State on Christmas Eve.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured that his Principal, President Bola Tinubu’s administration will tackle insecurity in the South-East and other parts of the country headlong.
He gave the assurance on Friday during a visit to the Bende area of Abia State on Friday while noting that the President is worried about the economic devastation inflicted on the region owing to the assaults, promising to restore normalcy.
“He is acutely aware that our commitment to Nigeria’s future remains incomplete as long as we grapple with the sinister operations of economic saboteurs who masquerade as advocates for the Ndi-Igbo,” the Vice President said at the unveiling of the Peace in South East Project (PISE-P) by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu.
“That’s why he’s determined to utilize all available resources to ensure that the peace we’re establishing in this region is not cosmetic, and we can’t guarantee it unless all of us see through the falsehoods and propaganda that have become weapons against our unity.”
Senator Shettima noted that the gory activities of the criminals holding the South-East captive are self-serving and do not in any way represent the interests of Ndi-Igbo and the country.
He said the terror groups that have held the region to ransom are not a creation of the people of the region or Nigerians from other parts of the country.
“The problem we are here to solve as a community, as an Umunna, is a creation of self-serving criminals who do not represent the interests of the Ndi-Igbo and Nigerians. Mr. President knows this better than all of us, and that’s why he has never held any group accountable for the infractions of law-breaking individuals who identify as their members. This, I believe, is the democracy we have all chosen,” he maintained.
The VP believes the criminals disrupting the peace in the South-East are doing so in connivance with “forces exploiting the situation for a dangerous political agenda,” but says attempts to undo the hard work of the nation’s heroes past will fail.
He insisted that the catastrophic situation can’t be reversed unless the government involves the people whom he said are the ears, legs and mouths in the region.
At the event, Shettima also received (on behalf of Tinubu) a title – Enyioma Ndigbo – conferred on the President by the Chairman of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers Eze Linus Mbah.
