ASUU Chairman Urges FG To Tackles Root Causes Of Kidnapping

The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, has called on the Federal Government to focus its attention on tackling the root causes of kidnapping in order to find a lasting solution to the incessant case of kidnapping in the country.

Ogunyemi made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, in Ota, Ogun.

He spoke against the backdrop of the Senate’s proposed plan to sentence anyone to 15 years imprisonment that gives money to kidnappers.

NAN reports that the senate, had on Wednesday, considered a bill that seeks to prohibit the payment and receipt of ransom for the release of any person kidnapped, imprisoned, or wrongfully confined.

The Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Bill,2021, scaled the second reading during was sponsored by Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi.

According to him, the Federal Government would not be able to end the myriad of kidnapping activities, until the nation addresses the root causes of kidnapping.

‘The government should focus its attention on how to get to the root of the problems and tackle it from the root.

“Blaming the kidnappers victims was not the best way of approaching insecurity.

“The nation needs to dig deepen into the causes of insecurity and proffer lasting solutions to the problem.” he said.

The ASUU chairman said that could not wipe out the traces of criminality and crimes where we have feelings of injustices, mass poverty, cross unemployment, and under unemployment.

He noted that any family of kidnapper victims would be under pressure, especially when their children or spouses were kidnapped.

Ogunyemi added that government should not blame such people since they were trying to help and rescue their lives from kidnappers.

The ASUU chairman said the Nigerians do not support the situation where monies were given to kidnappers to further attack society.

He stressed the need for the Federal Government to perform its primary responsibility to safeguard the security and welfare of the citizens.

Ogunyemi said that citizens would not be reassured when until the government does or perform the responsibilities of securing lives and property.

(NAN)