The Prof Ango Abdullahi-led Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has risen from its meeting in Zaria with a verdict that President Muhammadu Buhari has failed Nigeria.
It said that Buhari has failed to tackle insecurity and improve the economy.
The forum lamented that the Buhari-led government appeared helpless in finding solutions to insecurity as well as addressing poverty in the country.
Addressing Journalists shortly after the meeting convened by the Chairman of the forum, Prof Ango Abdullahi, yesterday, the forum’s Director, Advocacy and Engagements of NEF, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmad, said poverty, particularly in the North and massive social security have worsened under Buhari’s administration.
In attendance at the meeting were: Abdullahi, former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alamin Daggash (rtd); Secretary of the Coalition of Northern Groups, Abdullahi Usman and Amb Yahaya Kwande; Deputy National Chairman of NEF, Alhaji Bello Kirfi (Wazirin Bauchi), DIG Labaran Wurno, Alhaji Yakubu Shehu and former MD, defunct Bank of the North, Hajiya Amina Yahaya, among others.
Baba-Ahmed stated categorically that NEF had before the 2019 elections, warned Nigerians that Buhari lacked the will, competence and commitment to lead the country into a secure and prosperous future.
While noting that the relationship between insecurity and poverty is fundamental, the Northern Elders said, the current administration does not appear to have any idea on what will provide relief or solution.
Speaking on the 2023 Presidential election, the forum said the North will only support candidate who can find solutions to problems bedevilling the region.
According to Baba-Ahmed: “Northern Elders Forum has refrained from comments on major developments relating to 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 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, Buhari appears either totally isolated or in deep denial over the result of his failures to secure Nigerians.
“With this type of mind set, 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 as 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. 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 take 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 had engaged a broad spectrum of opinion on the stress in relations between the palace of Sarkin Kano and the Government of Kano State. The forum is looking forward to engaging with His Excellency, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje on this matter.
“We commend the maturity and restraint of all parties on this matter, and we join others in prayers that Allah will help us all to find a way out of this issue. We are aware of the outpouring of advise and contributions towards resolving these stresses, and we urge the governor and Sarkin Kano, the two people Allah has entrusted with huge leadership responsibilities today, to find a fair and lasting solution to this seeming problem.
“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”.
Meanwhile, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has declared that no true Muslim would desecrate Islam by killing to satisfy God.
The ACF Secretary-General, Anthony Sani, made the remark, yesterday, in response to President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent remark that 90 per cent of Boko Haram victims are Muslims and not Christians.
In an exclusive chat with newsmen, Sani said Boko Haram was a common enemy of Nigerians and should be dealt with for the good of the country.
He said: “I do not have the exact figures as to how many Nigerians have been killed by the insurgence by religion but it is a known fact that most of Boko Haram sects are not only Muslims but are also people from North-East.
“The same with their victims most of whom are Muslims and from North-East, but I cannot know the exact proportion.”
Sani corroborated Buhari’s claim, stressing that Boko Haram was after what he termed “mundane things like political power.”
The ACF scribe noted that the terrorist group resort to religion is for strategic reasons.
He said: “The sects do not target only Christians but also Muslims whom they consider are not willing to adhere to their version of Islam, even though we all know Boko Haram is not pursuing any jihad but is in search of mundane things like political power.
“Their resort to religion is for strategic reasons and not pity meant to attract the gullible as canon fodders.
“That was why President Barack Obama once made a clear distinction between Islam and Islamic terrorism which desecrates Islam. No true Muslim can desecrate Islam by killing people for God Who does not need anybody to kill for Him.
“I want to believe Boko Haram is a common enemy to all Nigerians who should come together and unleash their synergistic potential against collective challenge for the good of all Nigerians regardless of creed and ethnicity.”