FG halts registration, relocation of non-indigenes by state govts Monday, 21 July 2014 23:10 Written by Saxone Akhaine (Kaduna) Mohammed Abubakar (Abuja) Category: Lead Story Hits: 12 Print Email Jonathan• Group seeks residence permit for southerners in Kaduna RISING from its meeting Monday in Abuja, the National Security Council (NSC) directed an immediate halt to the registration and relocation of non-indigenes from their places of residence going on in some states, describing the practices as discriminatory and capable of destabilising the country. Meanwhile, Northern youths, under the auspices of Concerned Arewa Citizens (CAC) yesterday stormed the Kaduna House of Assembly, urging the legislators to enact a bill making it mandatory for the state government to issue residence permit to all southerners seeking to live in Kaduna State. Other issues discussed by the Council presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan and attended by all the heads of security agencies; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd) and Ministers of Interior and Foreign Affairs among others, included update on the abducted female students of the Government Secondary School (GSS), Chibok in Borno State and progress made so far in combating terrorism in the country. Jointly briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar and the Director-General of State Security Services (SSS), Mr. Ita Ekpeyong said the Council frowned at the practices of registering Nigerians by states and also relocating them against their wish, describing the practices as “more potent” than Boko Haram. Ekpeyong particularly made allusion to the reaction of the registration by some groups in Kano State and other parts of the country, noting that, the Council noted these developments by some groups in Kano State and other parts of the country and decided to order an immediate stop to the practice. To underscore the seriousness attached to the issues, Ekpeyong confirmed that a meeting of the National Council of State (NCS) would be held next week to deliberate on the matter. In the interim, he directed all the security agencies in the country, including the police and SSS not to participate in the exercise, warning that any security operative found to be involved would be seriously dealt with. According to him, “Council discussed in details the issue of registration of Nigerians in any part of the country, being subjected to registration, being subjected to relocation, being taken away from one part of the country to the other. We regard this as even more potent than Boko Haram. “Council observed that this practice could disintegrate the country. And we take this very seriously, for people to relocate people, for people to take people from one place to the other, for registration of indigenes no matter where they are. No matter where they are they are free to settle anywhere they like. “Council resolved that the issue of registration of Nigerians anywhere in the country and relocation should stop forthwith. To re-emphasis the importance, the President has attached to this, that is why he asked the IG and I to address the press, this must stop forthwith.” He said security operatives should not be involved with anybody trying to register people and anybody trying to relocate people security operatives must henceforth not be involved and if Police, SSS official is found to be involved such an officer will be severely dealt it. He also warned youth’s groups trying to foment trouble as a result of this development to desist henceforth because government is taking serious notice of it. Government is doing everything possible to stem this from getting out of control. The SSS boss also denied the claims by the former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili that she was arrested enroute London by security agencies, saying the claim was not correct. He said, “She (Ezekwesili) is in London, so how can you arrest somebody who is out of this country? That is not possible, she was never arrested.” On terrorism, he said the fight against Boko Haram is ongoing, saying, “we kept saying that the fight against Boko Haram is like football. You know when the Germans played Argentina, it was only that one goal they scored that everyone is remembering, the other goals that were stopped nobody will remember. There are several things government is doing, there are several attacks government has stopped but nobody remembers those ones because we don’t tell you but several things are going on.” He restated the claims last May by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh that the security agents knew the location of the girls, but however, stated that security agencies were taking their times not to harm them. He added: “We know where they are but we don’t want to endanger their lives, that is the truth. We want to take it gradually and release them at the appropriate time.” The President-General of the Northern Youth group, Mallam Audu Bukarti who made the call for the new law, added that “the proposed bill which should be cited as Kaduna State Registration of Southerners and Allied Matters Law 2014 is aimed at protecting the State from the evils of drug and human trafficking, baby factories, armed robbery and kidnapping among others.” According to him, “the law should come into force on August 1, 2014 and if any person subject to the law enters, resides, engages in any business, trade or profession, accepts employment or admission into any educational institution in the State in contravention of the law, such person has committed an offence under the law and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a period not less than two years without an option of fine on every count of the offences and in addition forfeit every property he/her might have in the case of Section 3(3) and have his admission automatically terminated.” The leader of the Arewa Youth argued that under “Section 3(1) of the Planned bill”, it stated that “No southerner wishing to enter the boundaries of Kaduna State shall be permitted to do so unless he is duly registered with the appropriate authority”. He also added: “Section 3 (4) also states that no southerner shall on his own account or in partnership with any other person, practice a profession or establish or take over any trade or business whatsoever or register or take over a company for any such purpose without the consent of the appropriate authority in the State within 21days of the commencement of the law in the case of persons who are already engaged in any of the foregoing in the state or before commencement in case of persons who may wish to engage in any of the foregoing.” However, the Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Shehu Tahir, who received the youths along with his principal officers, pledged to look into their demands.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 09:36:34 +0000
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