Respect Human Rights, Balarabe Musa tells Kano govt
Respect Human Rights, Balarabe Musa tells Kano govt
By Godwin Ekosin, Kaduna
Worried by incessant abuse of Fundamental Human Rights in Nigeria, erstwhile Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, has called for more synergy between the Federal Government and States government especially, Kano State, to resolve the conflict of interest in the state as regards the seizures and destruction of some branded products in Kano worth Hundreds of millions and the kidnapping of Fulani Herdsmen in some parts of northern Nigeria.
The National Chairman of SDP, who stated this in Kaduna while fielding questions on the current economic status of Northern States and the country in general from newsmen, noted that though, Islam is against alcoholism, because of its effect on the human person (who abuse it). “If the consumption of alcohol will harm the human person, Islam is more dramatic in it than other religions.
“Even Christians control the consumption of alcohol. But again as Nigerians, the promotion of National Unity and protection of Fundamental Human Rights is supreme’’
“Before now the issue of cattle rustling was alarming and then this act of kidnapping Fulani men is gradually taking over. In some cases, these Fulani herdsmen will have to sell off all their cattle to pay for ransom.
“This is not the change we ask for. The President must protect the lives and properties of the Fulani herdsmen where ever they are because they are also Nigerians and also have their Fundamental Human Rights’’ He added
He further noted that, “government legalized Hisbah and through it, products are siezed and destroyed (without taking into consideration the business owners investment and civil right into view) so there is a conflict of interest from Hisbah and from the protection of fundamental human rights.
“So Hisbah cannot operate without the consent of Kano Government and Kano State also get taxes from the distributors of these products in the State.”
What is needed to be done in order not to infringe on the rights of other Nigerians is, “to put the national unity first. And this national unity can be encouraged by the President, with the support of the Legislature and the States Government. The system has been bastardized because we have a Federal system where the States do anything and sometimes without consideration to national unity.
“Federal Government takes interest in every Nigerian, but the state government takes interest on the state. So the Federal Government should be able to call on the State to respect Fundamental Human right. And the State must respect the Federal Government when it comes to matters of national unity. Because the 1999 constitution recognizes Kano State and the State is part of the Federation. And there must be somebody who can call everybody to order and that is the President. If the system is working even the herdsmen will operate freely without fear of kidnapping,” he argued.
The second republic governor however applauded the ongoing fight against corruption by President Muhammadu Buhari, just as he opined that the quality of education in Northern Nigeria must be comparable with the south.
“As it is now, the North is 40 years behind the South in terms of education and this sense of inequality must be breached to enhance northern and Nigeria’s economy,’’ he submitted.
Posted from GoBroadsheet