Governors of 36 states of the federation have declared that they totally opposed to ethnic profiling of crime.
Ekiti State governor and chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Kayode Fayemi disclosed this to State House correspondents after a meeting of the forum on Wednesday night.
According to him, governors are irrevocably committed to the protection of lives and property in their states and are full of sympathy with those who have lost lives and property.
He said the governors forum has gone ahead to provide some financial support to victims of the conflicts experienced in Uyo and Ogun states where their delegation visited over the last week.
Fayemi expressed that;
Nigerian governors also are very clear that crime and criminality should be comprehensively prosecuted wherever they may occur without ethnic, religious or any other coloration.
Governors are totally opposed to ethnic profiling of crime. Knowing what has transpired in other parts of the world, whether we are talking of the way youths were profiles in Germany leading to the world war, or we talking of the way Tutsis were profiled leading to the genocide experienced in Rwanda, we do not believe that crimes are associated with particular ethnic group.
And to that extent, we unreservedly condemn any attempt to profile any ethnic group on account of a particular crime.
He expressed;
Governors are also totally opposed to the proliferation of fake news, and the abuse of social media. Many of us have seen those fake videos that have almost led to reprisals in other parts of the country and we want to explore both our mainstream media organizations as well as individuals to apply restraint in the way and manner issues relating to security of lives and property is reported.
Fayemi further said the meeting also reviewed the challenges of resourcing for military institutions welcoming the appointment of new services chiefs and are supportive of the work they promised to do.
The governors expressed hope that a new security architecture will emerge from these new leadership.
He stated;
On our part, we are prepared to support the dedication of portions of the Excess Crude Account and the Natural Resource Development Fund and the Economic Stabilization Fund to providing the necessary equipment for the military and other security institutions to address immediately the impunity associated with all of the crimes and criminality that we have highlighted in this briefing.
In this wise, we have also expressed our interest in strengthening our judicial system so that they can accelerate access to justice for victims of crime and criminality in the country.
Governor Fayemi said the meeting of the governors reviewed the need to strengthen National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP).
According to him, the traditional approach to grazing is no longer sustainable saying modern approach to livestock management need to be put in place.
He said governors feel strongly that the strengthening of the National Livestock Transformation Plan would be a good place to start this comprehensive revisiting of the livestock management arrangement.
Fayemi noted;
Governors also highlighted in the course of our meeting, the importance of reviewing our forestry management and environmental law because we feel very strongly that our forests have become the den of these criminals and bandits simply because they have not been properly managed across the board.
And to this end, it is the considered view of governors that the forestry management arrangement need to be immoderately reviewed in collaboration with the federal authority.
