….Senseless Killings, schoolgirls Abduction: Buhari Must Do More – Professional Bodies
Experts under the aegis of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria, (APBN) on Friday charged President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow his refusal to assent to various bills recently passed by the National Assembly to have negative effects on the nation’s democracy and other critical sectors.
This came has the experts that comprises 30 Professional bodies in the country tasked Buhari to do more in tackling unnecessary killings of innocent citizens in Kogi, Taraba, Benue, Kaduna states by suspected armed herdsmen and urged the federal government to launch full investigations into the circumstances that led to the abduction and subsequent release of Dapchi Schoolgirls.
The President of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria, (APBN), Dr Idris Omede made the calls in Akure, the Ondo state capital during the Presidential Retreat of the Association.
The 2018 Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria APBN retreat has as its theme- “REPOSITIONING APBN: STRATEGIES FOR COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS BY PROFESSIONAL BODIES”.
Declaring open the Retreat, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu represented by his Special Adviser on Public Utilities, Mr Tunji Light-Ariyo, said his administration would continue to partner professionals in the implementation of policies and execution of projects.
Omede noted that since the National Assembly members were duly elected to represent Nigerians, Executive arm should undermine them by rejecting bills they passed, adding that the Presidency should always engage and make its position known to the lawmakers at the introduction of any bill so that public funds and time would not be wasted.
He said frequent vetoing of bills would always create frictions between the two arms of government which by extension would negatively affect political and economic systems of the nation.
Omede said “we call on the Executive arm of Government and Mr President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, in Particular to assent to bills that have scaled through the National Assembly and before him for assent. This will engender healthy working relationship between the Executive and the Legislative arm of government”.
On the security situation in the Country, APBN President who said professionals in Nigeria were worried over senseless killings in parts of the country and unwarranted abduction of schoolgirls in the North East region, called on Buhari to do more in arresting the insecurity nationwide.
He noted, “For whatever it is worth, we call on the government to address these security breaches more holistically and sincerely. While we are glad with return of over 101 of the a month old kidnapped and abducted Dapchi, School girls in Yobe state. The smooth kidnap and return of these school girls by Boko Haram is replete with suspicion”.
“We are pained with the wanton massive loss of lives and properties in about ten states between January 2018 and now, by suspected fulani Herdsmen. The most recent being in March 2018 is in Dekina and Omala LGAs of Kogi East senatorial district, of Kogi state, including the killing of a traditional ruler and his wife, without any arrest. For Nigeria to be in continuous fear of sporadic and unmitigated attack on helpless and peace loving citizens without arrest and bringing the perpetrators of this tragic and heinous crimes to justice, smacks of complacency by the security agencies and government”, Omede said.
He called on Buhari to urgently reconstitute Boards of Regulatory professional Councils particularly in the Health sector including Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, (MDCN), Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, (PCN) and Medical Laboratory Council of Nigeria, (MLCN) amongst others.
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