Guardian Bauchi govt alleges plot to destabilise state WEDNESDAY, 26 JUNE 2013 00:00 FROM AZIMAZI MOMOH JIMOH, BRIDGET CHIEDU ONOCHIE AND TERHEMBA DAKA, ABUJA NEWS -NATIONAL N’Assembly decries Baga, Zamfara killings BAUCHI State government has alleged “a plot by agents of destabilisation to cause anarchy and discredit” the Governor Isa Yuguda-led administration. Meanwhile, the Senate has asked the Federal Government to carry out recruitment into the armed forces and all security agencies to check insurgency. The request was fallout of the debate and adoption yesterday of the report of the Joint Committee on Defence and Army, Police Affairs and National Security and Intelligence set up by the Senate to investigate the destruction of lives and property in Baga town in Borno State. Senate President David Mark also urged senators to reject the temptation of exaggerating the death toll in the Baga incident which he said was generating serious negative image for Nigeria. Mark’s remark was in response to arguments among senators on the committee’s findings that 37 persons died as a result of the Baga tragedy instead of the over 200 reported in the media. On its part, the House of Representatives has directed its Committee on National Security and Intelligence to review the situation in Zamfara State which led to the massacre over 60 people in Kizara, Chafe Local Council Area. The committee also invited the National Security Adviser as well as other relevant security agencies as part of the parliament’s effort to put an end to the “disturbing tend” of killings in the state. The resolution came following a motion introduced by Ibrahim Shehu-Gusau (ANPP-Zamfara) which was unanimously adopted without debate by the parliament when put to vote by the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal who presided over the session. A statement by Ishola Michael Adeyemi, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said: “The Bauchi State Government has uncovered a plot by some misguided and anti-progress elements to plunge the state into a crisis, using agents of destruction within and outside the state to cause disharmony and disaffection among the people of the state towards discrediting and destabilising the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led Administration of the Executive Governor, His Excellency, Mallam (Dr.) Isa Yuguda. “It has also been discovered that the brains behind this evil plot against the government and good people of Bauchi State have recruited and engaged malleable newspaper columnists, hack-writers, propaganda merchants and rumour vendors to spread rumour, raise false alarm, and publish deliberate misinformation about the state and the Chief Executive with a view to imposing hate, fear and terror, thereby scaring citizens, residents, visitors and genuine investors from engaging in peaceful, productive and legitimate business in the state. “The government is pleased however to inform the good and peace-loving people of the state that it is adequately on top of the situation, courtesy of our competent and security officers collaborating with patriotic and loyal members of the public. To this end, government is in possession of closely-guarded documents detailing the sponsors, sources, and strategies of the plotters, including their collaborators within the state.” The government said it was still studying the details of the plot and disclosed that its investigations so far had revealed the involvement of ‘three wealthy, highly-placed and influential persons’. It went on: “These three arrowheads of the plot have held clandestine meetings in some capital cities within and outside the country, especially in the high-brow districts of Maitama and Asokoro in Abuja where no less than five meetings have taken place with some top politicians, opposition figures and media persons in attendance. None of the meetings in Abuja lasted less than four hours.” Imploring the media to avoid being used by the plotters to perfect their intention, it added: “Just as we employ this medium to give further assurance that while our doors will continue to be open to the media at all times, we will not hesitate to take appropriate legal and legitimate measures wherever and whenever there are threats to the public image of the government and people of Bauchi State.”
Posted on: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 07:25:21 +0000
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