Farmers/herders clash: No ethnic group should lord over others — Gbajabiamila

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila on Wednesday, said that no particular ethnic group in the country should claim superiority or lord over others.

The Speaker also claimed that there was no political party in the country that should act or be considered as an alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

He stated this while speaking with State House correspondents after meeting behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Speaker said his discussion with the President was on the state of the nation and that it was a fruitful and interesting discussion.

Commenting on the appointment of new Service Chiefs, he said, “The appointment of new service chiefs is what everybody has been clamoring for, the house, senate, the public, and the president took his time and he studied the situation very well and did it at the right time that he thought he should do it and we are in support of what he has done.”

On the expected support from the National Assembly to the service chiefs, he assured that everything that will be needed to ensure that the country was safe would be provided.

He said,” The National Assembly will not in any way put hurdles before the service chiefs. We will provide a working environment suitable for them to enable them to discharge their responsibilities very efficiently.”

On the herders/natives unhealthy relationship in the southwest and the South East, the House of Representatives Speaker said, “Everybody just has to come to the table and discuss and come to an amicable resolution which I’m sure we will.

“I don’t think any ethnic group should lord it over any ethnic group, the southwest should not lord it over the north, the north should not lord it over the south. We should respect each other’s trade, geographical space, history, culture and more importantly the issue of crime, murder all those things should be completely jettisoned.

“But more importantly, we all have to sit at the table and discuss this matter and look for the way forward. I think everybody is willing to do that.

“From the National Assembly, solutions will come from talking. I believe that now that we are about to start work on Tuesday, I know these issues will come up and adequate and proper legislation that will address the issue frontally and in the best interest of the country, and all nations that make up the nation such legislation will be put in place.”

Speaking on the ongoing revalidation of APC membership, the Speaker said,” Everybody should come out and register. You know registration is the beginning of an election process, election is not a one-day event it has started already.

“I will encourage all party members, those who are not even party members who have not registered before, those who have attained the age of 18, those who have seen the good works of Mr president and this party to come in and join the fold and register.

“So that come 2023, you know politics is about numbers, they can pick whoever they want to elect to represent them as a party flag bearer.

“Don’t forget registration serves a dual purpose, one is for primary and the second one is for election

You have to take ownership of the party and that is what we are asking people to do.”

Fielding question on why Nigerians should support the APC, he asked,

“Show me an alternative with cogent reasons why then we can talk, for now, I have not seen any alternative. APC has done a lot and I want us to be very objective.

But unfortunately, in life that is just how it is, if you have done 100 things and one thing probably you met on the ground is not quite right yet, it has the tendency of muddling the waters and discrediting the 100 good things you have done. That is the situation we have found ourselves but we will continue to educate the public on the things we have done.

“The APC never really enjoyed propagating itself, we thought our work will speak for us. But for me, I have since learnt you need to propagate yourself. Because, often when I sit down with some of the biggest critics of the government and I say the party did this, this and this, they are in shock.

“I think it’s time we begin to market some of the achievements of the party and not allow one or two little…well, they may be fundamental, I quite agree but not let those things overshadow what we have done.”