Senator Shehu Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday said Benue leaders instead of paying a visit to the Presidential Villa in Abuja should rather stay in their homes while the President visit Benue State.
The Senator representing Kaduna Central at the Red Chambers said this on Wednesday when he appeared as a guest on Channels Television Breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily.
He said according to the African culture and tradition, the bereaved should be visited and not visiting, adding that there is the need for a special delegation by the Presidency to visit Benue State.
“I believe in our African tradition, when you are bereaved, it is people that visit you, you don’t go visiting people. The Benue elders need to stay at home and the villa should go to Benue and not Benue coming to the villa.
“When we have a crisis is some parts of the country, it is symbolic to see the leadership of the country moving to that very spotlight, giving the people hope, confidence and assurance. My position is that there is still the need for a special delegation if the President cannot make it, to go to Benue and commiserate with the people,” he said.
Explaining why the attention of the President is needed urgently over the herdsmen crisis, the Senator said the issue of the herdsmen attack is a national tragedy which has led to the loss of lives of many.
“We are faced with a serious crisis, a national tragedy and a national emergency, one in which hundreds of lives have been lost in different parts of the country. And it is very clear to us that if this issue is not contained or curtailed it will expand into a national crisis.
“I believe that if there is any person that the attention is very much needed now, it is the President and the political class, particularly those in the ruling establishment. They have the duty to support and advise, to see how we can bring this to an end.”
Sani also condemned those who have painted the crisis as religious and ethnic clash emphasising that it is the duty of the Federal Government to resolve the problem of the attacks.
“I have seen this crisis being looked at from a different perspective. Some are seeing it from the sectional, religious and ethnic perspective and that colour the problem. My position is that the Federal Government has the duty to work with the state government and see that this is resolved,” he said.
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The Senator, who is also the Vice-Chairman Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, condemned those who are ‘in the business of endorsement while the country is on fire,’ criticising governors who ‘abandoned their duty post’ to endorse President Buhari for a second term.
“It is very clear to us that what is in the mind, focus and the priority of the political class is the 2019 general elections and people are dying. My call is that the President should put a stop to this. Governors leaving their duty post, coming to the villa every day endorsing the President while the states are burning.
“So, my position is that the President is the person who should lead the campaign to end this problem.”