The Federal Government is to implement the decision of a white Paper seeking the stoppage of discrimination between settlers and indigenes in all parts of the country.
This decision is part of the recommendations of the committee set up by the Federal Government to look into the causes of the crisis in the North East part of the country and make recommendations.
The White Paper committee, headed by the Minster for Interior, Abba Moro, is of the opinion that the issue constituted a greater part of the problems that led to the crisis in the North East.
Briefing newsmen today on the issue after the Federal Executive Council meeting, Moro and the Minister for Information, Labaran Maku, said that the Council approved most of the recommendations of the committee.
The White Paper, which came out of the committee’s recommendations, is to be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice for implementation.
Maku said at the briefing: “Today, what we discussed is the report of the Presidential Panel on the continued crisis and violence in the North East of Nigeria.
“A committee was set up by the Federal Government, which looked at the crisis in the North East and submitted the report in September last year.
“The Federal Government also set up a White Paper committee, which was chaired by the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, to look into the recommendations of the panel and to come up with the government recommendation on the report of the panel.
“Today the report was extensively discussed in council, particularly the White Paper, which spells out government’s views on the recommendation that was made by the White Paper committee.
“Mr. President attaches strong importance to the need for peace not only in the North East but indeed in other parts of the federation.
“Suffice it to say at this point that government has discussed all, the recommendations of the Gaitemeri report and we have come up with government positions on those recommendations on the White Paper.
“The report is extensive. It covers the remote causes of the crisis in the North East and other parts of the North. It also covers various levels of responsibilities from community to local government to state and to federal government in tackling the menace of violence and terror in the North East and other parts of the federation.
“The report also covers the responsibilities and operations of security agencies in bringing this about as well as the political aspects of the report, which we believe must be addressed paripasu with the security measures that the Federal Government has taken to bring this crisis under control and eventually bring it to an end.
“We’ve discussed, we have taken decisions on them but we cannot go into details because it is a White Paper.
“And so the decision of the Federal Executive Council will have to go to the Ministry of Justice where the final paper will be gazetted and issued centrally and when the gazetted White Paper comes out, we will be able to unveil the details to members of the public.
“But suffice it to say at this stage that government is doing everything that is necessary to ensure that we defeat this violence, we bring about peace and security not only in the Northern state but in the entire federation.”
In his contribution, Moro said: “In the immediate, I think it is only proper to let you know that government accepted most of the recommendations of the committee that are intended essentially to bring about peace and address some of the issues raised by the members of the sect that have been perpetrating violence in parts of Nigeria.
“Government in consideration of the White Paper also realises that some of the issues raised cuts across Nigeria and so the measures that will be applied in these areas of the North East zone will certainly also apply to other parts of the country.
“For instance, on the issue of indigeneship and settlership, the recommendation of the committee was to the effect that government should emulate the situation in Sokoto State where there is no discrimination in terms of education and employment.
“And so these are issues that affect the lives of Nigerians, issues and recommendation of creation of employment opportunities were raised and government has accepted to encourage state government and local government to collaborate with the Federal Government on that across the country.
“So, it is our hope that by the time these issues are documented and presented and addressed, the very basic issues that create agitation in Nigeria, that we would have peace, then economic and political developments can take place.”