Military accused of running detention camps

Khalifa Hassan Yusuf, a delegate at the ongoing national conference yesterday accused the federal government and most especially the military deployed to the north east of operating secret detention camps in Yobe state.
The delegate also picked holes in the inaugural speech of President Goodluck Jonathan, arguing that it failed to address issues of insecurity or the over one year state of emergency in three states of the North east region.

Yusuf said: “The North east is on fire. The president could not mention it. He did not say anything about the state of emergency in the zone. I cannot therefore say I am endorsing the president’s speech.”
He lamented the killings in the area as well as the destruction of properties. He said the United States of America attaches a lot of importance to the lives of its citizens to the extent that the loss of a single life attracts the timely attention of President Barak Obama.

“In Yobe state, we have the Guantanamo (Bay) which we see on television and read in the newspapers. If you ask a small boy in Damaturu, he will show you the Guantanamo. A lot of people have been killed and properties destroyed.
“In the USA, if one person is killed, (President) Obama will talk about it. We have been under a state of emergency for over one year now, and he (Jonathan) has not done anything”, he said.

Senator Jack Tilley Gyado from Benue state revisited the crisis in his state. He said Nigeria is fighting a civil war. Senator Gyado added that his people are swimming in an ocean of blood. He warned that government must rise up and salvage the problem.
He said: “Nigeria is in a state of civil war as I speak. My people are swimming in an ocean of blood. They are being killed in their ancestral homes. This is the same thing that is happening in Plateau state.

“President Goodluck Jonathan should tackle this problem before it gets out of hand. Before we know it, everybody would have shot him/herself in the foot. Nigeria is an ecological disaster waiting to happen.”
Abdullahi Ali Kano, a North-West delegate, said insecurity has crippled the economy of the north. He advocated for the establishment of state police. He said it remains the only way to end the tormenting insurgency in the country.
Kano also warned that the welfare of military officers and other personnel fighting insurgency in the north should be taken seriously. He said with poor remuneration and welfare, the security personnel are bound to have low morale, which in turn will affect their performance.

Senator Daisy Danjuma, a federal government delegate from the South south said Nigeria is multi-religious. She said the insecurity in the country has hindered economic development and prosperity. He urged the government to double its efforts to nip the problem in the bud.

John Dara, a North central delegate from Kwara state urged President Goodluck Jonathan to set up an advisory committee that will be saddled with the responsibility of implementing the outcome of the conference.
King Alfred Diette Spiff who was once accused of instructing his security aide to use a broken bottle to shave the head of a journalist when he was in the army, advocated the reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and to be replaced with compulsory one year military service where Nigerians who attain the age of 18 years will be subjected to for training.

Sola Ebiseni, a delegate from Ondo state ‘energised’ the hall when he gave his oratorical remarks. The former local government chairman warned of a looming anarchy, unless delegates are able to come up with ways to save the country from the precipice.
Ebiseni lambasted activists who are quick at running to television stations and organising rallies aimed at discrediting the government. He said since the same activists are at the conference, they must proffer solutions to the problems of the country. “Delegates must save the country from a looming anarchy,” he warned.