Members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to consider dialogue with the dreaded Islamist sect- Boko Haram and other outlawed groups causing violence in the country as the best option.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion titled “Urgent need for the Federal Government to open avenues for dialogue as a means of addressing security challenges in the country,” which was moved by Muhammed Bashir Galadanchi

Galadanchi, while moving the motion, expressed concern that the present approach of the government of “military action, random arrests and imprisonments obviously had limited effectiveness and escalated trends of insecurity, indicating that they are only short-term solutions”.

He added that, “if this approach is not reversed and more long-term solutions deployed, these incessant incidents will pose serious threats to our security, democracy, rights and freedom of our innocent citizens and ultimately destabilise the nation’s fragile stability and unity”.

He therefore called on Jonathan to “embrace dialogue to resolve the present insecurity bedevilling the nation”, while “initiating programmes that will promote rule of law, strengthen civil institutions and address the underlying factors of fuel insecurity and violent extremism”.

The reps also commiserated with the Emir of Kano and the families of those who died during the recent violent attack on the state.

Popular gospel singer and ex the member of the defunct gospel group, KUSH, (Kinetically Ushering Salvation into Hearts and Homes), Lara George has finally opened up on why the group members parted ways in 2004.

According to the Ijoba Orun crooner, “It just happened. We grew apart and it I think it happened for the better’

Lara disclosed this during a breakfast show on Channels Television over the weekend.

It would be recalled that KUSH, which was signed to DKG Music, a label operated in Nigeria and the US, comprised Lara George, Emem Ema, TY Bello and Dapo Torimiro. Two of the group’s major hit singles then include, ‘Angels By My Side’ and ‘Let’s Live Together’.

The group then won the hearts of many music lovers and they were on the verge of moving unto higher heights when the sad news broke out that they were all going solo.

Each member of the group is now doing well in their different solo careers.

Lara has released two albums among which are popular singles such “Ijoba Orun”, “Ise Oluwa” and “Halleluyah” while TY Bello has also released Greenland and Future albums.

The Executive Director, African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, David Ugolor, has criticized President Goodluck Jonathan for his silence over the murder of Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, the late Private Secretary to Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole.

The Benin-based advocate in an interview with Premium Times, said Jonathan was yet to demand the report of the high-powered panel he ordered the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to institute after the murder incident.

Oyerinde, a former assistant General Secretary of the Nigerian Labour Congress was killed at his residence on May 4, 2012.

The ANEEJ boss said the president’s stand on the matter was one of the reasons the people do not trust him as a leader. “If he wants to be taken seriously by Nigerians, he should call for the report of investigation into the killing of Olaitan Oyerinde.”

Ugolor who was arrested by the police on July 21 after they claimed he sponsored the killing, said he was kept in prison custody with “hardened criminals” for 41 days, till the court freed him after declaring his arrest and detention illegal. He was awarded N5 million compensation, which the police have since appealed.

He noted that the police boss seven months down the line, has refused to make the panel’s findings public, defying the president’s directive who wanted the report submitted three weeks after the inauguration of the investigating team.

“Since my release from detention, I have sent several pleas to the President for his intervention. The police tried to frame me up, but they failed.”

“It is clear the IGP had lied. Since I was granted bail, I have been pleading with the President for intervention. The IGP cannot be a judge in his own case. We sent petitions to the National Assembly, which was read on the floor.

Ugolor added that “When I was granted bail by the court after 41 days in prison, the IGP of police disobeyed the court order. That shows that there was a superior power behind the IGP. He could not have acted on his own. Oshiomhole has cried to the President without any concrete response.

“I challenge the IGP to publish the police the report. If the report indicts the IG, I hope he would be courageous enough to resign honourably? I want to appeal to Mr. President. It is not David Ugolor or Olaitan Oyerinde that is on trial, but Nigeria.”

“What kind of transformation are we talking about that would make an IGP to tell the people lie over the killing of a citizen? President Jonathan ordered the IGP to institute a high powered investigation into the killing and report back within three weeks. Till today has he asked the IGP about the report?” the human rights activist lamented.

“If the president cannot order the IGP to reconcile its report with that of the State Security Service, SSS, what transformation are we talking about? When you have a president who is busy setting up different committees and the reports are not coming out, he is cultivating the perception of no trust around him. Jonathan has the responsibility to behave in a way that Nigerians would take him serious,” he said.