2012-07-11
Xinhua
Nigeria's senate on Wednesday renewed its call for dialogue with the country's militant group as key to a lasting resolution of crises flaring across the country.

Senate president David Mark who spearheaded the call also urged all the parties involved in the bloodletting recorded across the northern part of Nigeria to toe the path of peace, bury their hatchets and give room for the dialogue as soon as possible.

"We should never get tired of preaching. There has to be dialogue because that's the only solution. Any other solution is not going to be lasting," he said.

According to the senate leader, once there is dialogue, people will be able to speak out their minds.

He described the death of Dantong Gyang, a serving senator of the west African country who was killed in last Sunday's attack by the Boko Haram sect as disheartening, saying the deceased was a sacrificial lamb whose death will go in vain if peace does not return to the northern part of the country.

"All those who have small arms and weapons at their disposal should surrender them and allow the security agencies to take charge of security,'' Mark pleaded, saying the Nigerian senate will ensure the late senator was immortalized for his contributions to the development of the country through his activities in the health sector.

Senator Gyang Dantong, representing north central Nigeria's Plateau State, and the majority leader of the State House of Assembly, Gyang Fulani, were killed in the attacks by the Boko Haram sect last Sunday. At least 90 people were killed during the attacks that started since Friday night on villages in Gashik District of Barkinladi local government area of the state.