Reps summon Buhari over slain Borno farmers
The house of representatives, on Tuesday, resolved to summon President Muhammadu Buhari over the recent killing of more than 40 farmers in Borno state.
The farmers were attacked in Zabarmari community, Jere local government area of Borno, on November 28, 2020, by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect.
The killing has been widely condemned within and outside Nigeria, with the United Nations describing it as the “most violent attack” affecting civilians in 2020.
Earlier on Tuesday, the senate had asked the president to sack the “overstayed” service chiefs.
The decision to summon the president followed a motion by members of the house from Borno, who insisted that Buhari had to address the reps at plenary.
The motion, which was moved by Satomi Ahmad of Jere federal constituency, and nine other lawmakers from Borno state, was focused on addressing insecurity in the country.
The move to summon the president led to a rowdy session on the floor of the house as lawmakers were divided over the motion.
However, after a brief executive session to deliberate on the motion, the house resolved to invite the president.
Ahmadu Jaha, lawmaker representing Damboa/Gwoza/Chibok constituency, thereafter, amended the motion to read: “Invite Mr President to come to the house and explain the security situation in the country.”
The motion for the amendment of the original prayers of the Borno lawmakers was seconded by Munnir Babba Dan-Agundi from Kano state, and it was adopted following a unanimous vote by the house.
The Nigerian federal government should listen to all the politically oriented agitating groups and put their popular demands to a referendum for the particular ethnic nation (the people) the agitators represent. In so doing, the agitating groups will see for themselves whether they win or lose in their demand. Creditable democratic governance is not achieved by force of arms or the will of the person in power. It is rather achieved by determining the response of the people (of same birth, the ethnic nation) the agitating groups represent, via a referendum. Democracy is the government of the people (ethnicity), by the people, and for the people, as done by the Greek ethnic nation where democracy formally originated.