The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has supported the Federal Government decision ruling out negotiations with bandits, terrorists and other criminal elements in the country.
Dr Leonard Nzenwa, National Chairman, IPAC, said this when he spoke at a news conference on Friday in Abuja.
Nzenwa expressed worry over the activities of non-state actors masquerading under different names and unleashing mayhem on Nigerians in the forms of kidnapping, maiming and killing,
“The most pathetic, soul-wrenching was that these merchants of death have intensified efforts to destroy the Nigerian education system.
“Killing our education system by kidnapping and holding hostage our young daughters and boys who are innocent and have not wronged them in any way.
“To descend this low to blackmail the people and the nation must not be allowed to continue.
“The Nigerian people and government of Federal Republic of Nigeria must rise up to stop this brigandage by forces resolved to destroy the country,”he said.
Nzenwa said after reviewing the situation in the country over some months, IPAC supported the call by the National Assembly urging President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on national security.
He also urged the president to undertake complete overhaul of the nation’s security architecture.
Nzenwa expressed concern on the level of intelligece gathering and its usage by security agencies.
“We commend Buhari for changing the Service Chiefs few weeks back, but this change will only be meaningful to Nigerians if it yields positive results whereby this band of terrorists and troublemakers are crushed and utterly decapitated.
“A great nation like Nigeria cannot be destroyed by these anarchists. Mr President must act decisively now to rein these outlaws,”he said.
Nzenwa called on government to increase budgetary allocation to security , while urging government to address youth unemployment.
“IPAC calls on government to review and enhance compensation and welfare package of the armed forces personnel, boost intelligence gathering and its usage.
“Government should expressly and unequivocally support, endorse, fund and scale up community policing in the country.
“IPAC calls on government to address herders/ farmers/ ethnic clashes frontally.
“We also call on government to forbid/warn and prosecute individuals inflaming the polity with their speeches (hate or otherwise),” he said.(NAN)
