By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) -All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday inaugurated a seven-member reconciliation committee to reconcile the aggrieved party members in the confluence state.
While inaugurating the committee at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja today, the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun said the Party’s leadership wanted peace and settlement in Kogi State chapter of the Party.
According to Oyegun, “The situation in Kogi is unique. And we want to give every possible opportunity for a settlement. What triggered the events in Kogi was very tragic in their nature. So for us as a Party, we are bending over backwards to say, yes we understand your feelings; we understand what you have been through; we understand the work that you have put in to get the APC elected; we understand also that God who disposes of power, brought somebody at the last minute to be the beneficiary of all the work and labour that everybody obviously has put in.
The seven-member committee is chaired by Gen. Idris Garba. Other members are: Chief Don Etiebet; Rt. Hon. Patricia Etteh; Grp. Capt. Rufai Garba; Alh. Umar Lawan Kareto; Grp. Capt. Joe Orji and the Party’s Deputy National Secretary, Hon. Victor Giadom (Secretary).
Oyegun informed that the party in bending over backward have assembled this very top-level team so that those on ground in Kogi will see that we mean everything we say when we say we want peace in Kogi State. So your responsibility is a very great one.
“Fortunately, we had a fact-finding committee that has done a lot of the basic work and submitted a report which will be made available to the reconciliation committee, he said.
Stressing that the principal parties in the warring groups in Kogi are known and their grievances are also known. So the issue now is really to call just the principal groups and say look, this has to stop, how do we go about it?
Oyegun added that the governor of course will be there to say his piece and give you all the assistance necessary to make your task successful.
“We want peace in Kogi State. Events there have been very very unusual. But like I said, given the emotive nature of the event that led to it, we have decided to stretch the opportunities for reaching peace.”
The APC National Chairman thanked members of the reconciliation committee for agreeing to serve the Party. He tasked the committee to ensure that peace is restored in Kogi State chapter of the Party.
In his remarks, the APC Kogi State reconciliation committee chairman, Gen. Idris Garba thanked the Party for selecting the committee members for the assignment.
He expressed the resolve of the committee to bring peace and settlement to the Party’s Kogi State Chapter.
He said: “There is no doubt that it is an onerous task but he pledged the commitment of his member and promised they will bring their experiences to bear on the issue.
Idris assured his committee will be able to resolve the issue as directed by our great party.