Ibrahim Hassan – Kaduna
Northern Elders Forum (NEF) under the leadership of Professor Ango
Abdullahi has said that President Muhammadu Buhari has failed as far as
tackling insecurity in Nigeria is concerned.
Addressing journalists shortly after their meeting on national issues in
Zaria, the Director, Advocacy and Engagements, of NEF, Dr Hakeem
Baba-Ahmad noted that the administration of President Buhari appeared
helpless in finding solutions to insecurity as well as poverty in the
country.
Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/02/insecurity-buhari-has-failed-the-nation-%e2%80%95-northern-elders/
Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/02/insecurity-buhari-has-failed-the-nation-%e2%80%95-northern-elders/
Ibrahim
Hassan – Kaduna
Northern Elders Forum (NEF) under the leadership of Professor
Ango Abdullahi has said that President Muhammadu Buhari has failed as far as
tackling insecurity in Nigeria is concerned.
Addressing journalists shortly
after their meeting on national issues in Zaria, the Director, Advocacy and
Engagements, of NEF, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmad noted that the administration of
President Buhari appeared helpless in finding solutions to insecurity as well
as poverty in the country.
The meeting was, however, convened
by the chairman of the NEF, Professor Ango Abdullahi. According to NEF, “With
this type of mindset, it is difficult to see how President Buhari can accept
the challenge to radically improve his handling of our security situation”.
On
2023 elections, the Forum said the region will only support a candidate who can
find solutions to problems bedevilling zone.
“Northern Elders Forum has refrained
from comments on major developments relating to the management of national
security and governance because it is convinced that these are times which
require the highest levels of responsibility and circumspection in the manner
elders and leaders in the nation contribute to the search for solutions to the
multiple problems which face the nation. It has become necessary and
appropriate, however, to make public, the position of the Forum on important
matters that affect the manner Nigerians live, and the future we must address.
“The Forum regrets that by any standard of judgement, the leadership of
President Muhammadu Buhari has failed the nation in the vital area of improving
its security.
Poverty, particularly in the North, and massive social security
have worsened under this administration. “The relationship between insecurity
and poverty is fundamental, but the administration does not appear to have any
idea on what will provide relief or solution. It gives the Forum no pleasure to
say that it had warned Nigerians that President Buhari lacked the will, the
competence and commitment to lead it into a secure and prosperous future before
the 2019 elections.
“It is shocking that in spite of unprecedented consensus
among Nigerians that the administration requires a new resolve, approach and
leadership in the fight against the nation’s multiple security challenges,
President Buhari appears either totally isolated or in deep denial over the
result of his failures to secure Nigerians,” NEF also included that “With this
type of mindset, it is difficult to see how President Buhari can accept the
challenge to radically improve his handling of our security situation.
Nonetheless,
we believe that Nigerians must continue to raise our voices and
organize through all legitimate means to demand that the administration
addresses major failings in his perception of our situation and his response to
our demands for our rights to security. “The Forum demands a thorough overhaul
of the leadership of our security and public safety agencies, and the injection
of higher levels of competence, integrity and accountability in the manner our
troops and the police and security agencies deal with security challenges.
We
appeal to our religious leaders and fellow citizens not to fall into the trap
of insurgents to set us up against each other. “We condemn the tactic of
targeting Christians and publicising their executions by an insurgency seeking
to exploit our different faiths. We also condemn the murder of thousands of
Muslims and Christians in communities which the insurgency has made permanent
targets in the last decade. These are times when we must unite and resist a
common enemy as well us demand that our leaders protect us all as Nigerians.
“In principle, the Forum supports
the idea of improving the policing capacities of the nation. It is important to
emphasise, however, that all initiatives to improve public safety must find
accommodation within our laws, and must not be designed to threaten or harass
particular groups or interests,” NEF said. Speaking further, the northern
elders’ body also stated that “We recommend the adoption of a more vigorous and
inclusive process which will result in the creation of acceptable frameworks
and higher levels of confidence among all communities with respect to policing
strategies.
This Forum extends its hand at any group or interest willing to
discuss this important matter and will utilize its entire assets to collaborate
with other groups to achieve an understanding on the way forward. We advise all
governments to exercise higher levels of restraint and responsibility in the
manner they respond to the challenges of improving our security and safety.
“In
this regard, the Forum notes that the comments of the Chairman, Board of
Trustees of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), in response to the opinions
of His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar do not conform with
the culture of respect and reverence for leaders which Northerners are noted
for.
“The Forum demands that the Chairman of BOT of Coalition of Northern
Groups should apologise to His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto without
reservations. The Forum notes that His Eminence has many avenues for relating
with the Coalition, and urges him to continue with his close relations with the
Coalition and utilize his position to extract the maximum benefits which could
accrue to the Northern community in his relations with the Coalition. “In
moments of tension and stress, Nigerians tend to find easy solutions or
scapegoats. This Forum is concerned that the apparent resurgence of certain
types of conflicts such as ethnic and farmers/herders clashes will have
multiplier effects and cause damaging setbacks to the successes made in
improving community relations. We appeal to governments and communities to
commit further to living together in peace and earning a living within the
ample resources we are blessed with.
“With due respect to the rights of
the Lagos State Government to make decisions that improve the environment and
public safety, we are constrained to draw attention to the impact of its policy
on banning Okada and Keke in parts of the State on the poor and operators, many
of them from the North, who earn honest living through this trade. We urge
restraint in the responses of those who are immediately affected by this
policy, while we urge Northern State Governments to mobilize and support the
people who will be compelled to relocate back to the North with other sources
of legitimate living.
“The Forum has observed that
political manoeuvres around the 2023 elections are targeting the North as a
region available for exploitation. We want to make it clear that people of the
North will be very careful in committing to persons seeking their support on
the basis of their region or wealth.
“The North knows its interests and will
stand together to elect only persons who meet the standards and interests of
the people of the North. No politician should assume that they are entitled to
our support unless they show a clear understanding and a commitment to deal
with our problems and meet our aspirations,” they stated.
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