Lemu panel report:Crave for change caused post-election violence
Written by Mohammed S. Shehu Tuesday, 11 October 2011 05:04
Lemu headed a 22-member panel which conducted investigations in the states affected by election violence, including Kaduna, Adamawa and Akwa Ibom.
In a speech at the report presentation yesterday, Lemu said the desire for change as result of frustration of people regarding the failure of successive regimes to solve the nation’s problems was one of the major causes of the post-election violence.
“The second major cause of the recent electoral violence was the existing widespread desire for change as a result of frustration and disappointment of many members of the general public regarding the inability of the successive past regimes to solve the problems of electricity power failure nationwide, deplorable state of federal government roads throughout the nation, bribery and corruption which have virtually been legitimized in all affairs of our nation,” he said.
The committee exonerated retired General Muhammadu Buhari of accusations of inciting the violence, adding that the CPC presidential candidate was also a victim because his property was destroyed during the crisis.
Lemu said, “Provocative utterances by many individuals and the widespread charge by prominent politicians including the CPC presidential candidates to the electorate ‘to guard their votes’ appeared to have been misconstrued by many voters to include recourse to violence which they did.
“However, a long interactive session was held been the CPC presidential candidate and five-member delegation of the panel, led by the chairman, in the office of the CPC presidential candidate in Kaduna on 14th September 2011. It was discovered that he himself was a victim of the violence and of the destruction of his property the photographs of which were given to the said delegation.”
Lemu said the controversial PDP zoning arrangement and desperation by politicians to win election at all cost were among the factors that changed the nature of the presidential election into an ethno-religious contest particularly in the North.
Speaking after receiving the report, Jonathan expressed the desire of the Federal Government to implement the report but noted that he was “more interested in the preventive aspect of the recommendation than the punishment aspect. Yes, people who commit offences must face the laws of the land but how do we prevent subsequent occurrence is the key thing that is dear to me.”
Lemu earlier said the failure by successive regimes to implement reports of previous investigation committees “facilitated the wide spread sense of impunity in the culprits and perpetrators of crimes and violence in the Nigerian society.’
He said the panel recommended that the president should order security agencies to fish out culprits of violence for prosecution and also revisit reports of investigations of previous incidents of violence.
“People indicted by the committees and commissions concerned should be prosecuted. These recommendations are based on what the panel observed from many victims of those previous disturbances who are nursing reprisals and have only been waiting for the slightest excuse to move into action which some of them did during the 2011 election violence and civil disturbances.
“Similarly, general insecurity of life and property in people’s houses and on the high ways and kidnappings are fuel to the fire of public frustration and disappointment.
“The next major cause of violence and disturbances is the manner in which political office holders have lucratised their respective positions at the expense of the whole nation. The panel discovered that the remunerations and allowances of the members of the legislature, in particular, are considered by stakeholders who addressed us or wrote to us about the issue to be outrageous.
“It has turned politics in Nigeria to a do-or-die affair for which many politicians of all parties are seriously establishing private armies to execute. In that respect, easy access to drugs, serious general poverty at the grassroots level and youth unemployment, in particular, are providing many foot soldiers ready for recruitment at a cheap rate,” he said.
Lemu said the panel avoided going beyond its jurisdiction to indict any individual or group of individuals because it was not a Judicial Commission of Inquiry.
He, however, presented the cases together with the supporting DVDs and relevant documents in a manner that security agencies could follow up to reveal more facts about the cases concerned and take appropriate actions.
He said the panel could not ascertain the accuracy of the claims or the remaining figure of the dead and other victims not accounted for but recommended the engagement of professional architects, quantity surveyors and estate valuers to help unearth the right figures of casualties and destruction.
It recommended an interim token of compensation to be given to the identified victims.
It called on the Federal Government to follow the example of Adamawa state which has made law to deduct for loss of life or damage to property from the fund allocation of the Local Government Area where communal violence may occur.
The Lemu panel was set up Jonathan on May11 to unearth the causes and of the post-election violence and recommend solutions.
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