Sen. Suleiman Adokwe (PDP/Nasarawa South) has called for urgent measures to end the incessant farmers/herdsmen clashes to avoid dire consequences “especially acute food crisis”.
“The farmers/herdsmen clashes have continued for too long; if this continues, food shortage is imminent,” Adokwe said on Wednesday, when he visited victims of Nasarawa and Benue violence taking refuge in Awe.
Adokwe, Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and Culture, who took the relief items to the palace of the Emir of Awe, called for effective collaboration toward halting the clashes.
He said that such collaboration would also help stakeholders to address other concerns like poverty, hunger, unemployment and other lingering issues believed to be remotely responsible for the violence.
“The collaboration will also boost individual and collective living standards and improve revenue,” he said.
The senator condemned attacks on innocent Nigerians, especially rural dwellers, by gunmen, describing the hostilities as “unwarranted and uncalled for”.
He pointed out that no society could thrive if crises-ridden, and urged the warring groups to embrace dialogue and strive toward mutual understanding and respect.
“Peace is priceless; it is a necessary requirement for the development of any society,” he observed.
Adokwe assured the monarch of his continued support to his efforts toward a stable Nasarawa State, and urged him to reach out to other stakeholders so as to involve everyone in the peace building process.
He advised the Internally Displaced Persons to remain patient, law abiding and resist the temptation to take the law into their hands.
In his response, Alhaji Abubakar Umar, the Emir of Awe, commended the lawmaker for the gesture, and urged him to liaise with the government to beef up security in the area. (NAN)
