Ignore the Northern Elders Forum, President Buhari urges Nigerians
As Northern Elders, Ohaneze, Niger delta, others serves Red Card on Buhari
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Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians to ignore the communiqué issued by Northern Elders Forum (NEF) that said Buhari had not responded competently to the security challenges facing the country.
The communiqué issued by the leaders of some socio-cultural organizations led by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and some ethnic and sectional groups had accused the Muhammadu Buhari administration of incompetence in handling the security situation in the country.
The Presidency said it “considers a communiqué issued by some ethnic and sectional groups assembled in Abuja recently as the shedding of crocodile tears by selfish leaders, who felt alienated after a transparent and accountable system halted their disproportionate survival on resources of the state.”
Recall that The Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) was at the forefront of support for Buhari, the APC Presidential Candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, in the 2015 general elections.
IN 2015, Professor Ango Abdullahi, CON (Chairman ACF Political Committee and Convener, Northern Elders Foru said the support became necessary due to the “unfair and unjust manner” the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had treated the northern region.
“This forum is agitating for a candidate from the North and no party has fulfilled such condition except the All Progressives Congress (APC),” he said then.
But in a dramatic turn of events, the Northern elders after a marathon meeting held at Arewa House, Kaduna, on Saturday, March 24, 2018, gave RED CARD to President Muhammadu Buhari, as well as other political office holders in the northern region.
The 18 northern groups including the apex socio-cultural group Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), among others stated categorically in a communique issued after the meeting that the current leaders have failed the north woefully.
Again at a one- day Extra Ordinary Summit of leaders and elders of Nigeria convened by the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, Afenifere, Ohaeneze Ndigbo, and Pan Niger Delta Forum, on Wednesday, July 18, 2018, lamented that Nigeria had not been so divided along religious and regional lines as it is presently.
The Comunique particularly flayed what he termed as inexcusable killings and devastating poverty and with government’s wringing hands and apparently incompetent to stern the tide except giving one unrighteous and unacceptable justification after the other.
The regional leaders from the six- geo political zones of the country in their communiqué said the government lacked the capacity to arrest the drift towards a state of anarchy that looms in the country as a result of the security challenges in the country.
But the Presidency urged Nigerians to ignore the unholy alliance by these groups “who are stepping up their assault on the All Progressives Congress administration as it expands its national dominance and moves closer to securing an outright victory in the elections next year”.
“The Presidency notes with dismay that the refrain about President Buhari not doing anything about security in the country had turned into the number one fake news item being peddled in the media.”
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The Presidency in a pres srelease signed by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media and Publicity) made available to Elombah News and dated July 20, 2018, “refers all the purveyors of falsehood to a State House press release published a few days ago and signed by Special Adviser the President, Femi Adesina, which clearly outlined the government’s major achievements and initiatives in tackling security challenges from January to July, 2018.
“The press release which was titled: “Combating Insecurity in the Country: Lest We Forget – Presidency’’ listed out on going security operations: (1) Nigerian Army’s Exercise Ayem Akpatuma covering Benue, Taraba, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Niger States launched in February to tackle cases of kidnappings, herdsmen/farmers’ clashes, among others; (2) Nigerian Air Force establishment of three new Quick Response Wings (QRW) in Taraba, Nasarawa and Benue States respectively, and deployment of Special Forces personnel.
“We advise Nigerians to read Adesina’s statement if they haven’t yet, or re-read it for better understanding of the efforts to ensure peace in the country”, Buhari stated and added:
“It is sad and misleading for anyone to say that President Buhari had not responded to the security challenges in the country.
“No one can honestly say that President Buhari is doing nothing about security. It’s just a fake news item being peddled by selfish politicians with vested interests in keeping Nigerians incensed, and it risks being entrenched as reality if we don’t educate ourselves with the truth.”
However, at the end of the meeting which lasted several hours, the Leaders and Elders of the Northern Elders Forum, Afenifere, Ohaeneze Ndigbo, Pan Niger Delta Forum, in a communiqué insisted on the emergence of “a visionary and dynamic leadership, which will effectively deal with our security and economic challenges, and ensure good governance in the country.”
The communiqué read by Professor Banji Akintoye said: the summit resolved “to insist on the emergence of a visionary and dynamic leadership which will effectively deal with our security and economic challenges, and ensure good governance in the country;
“It is necessary to ensure the removal of marauding killers from the communities they have occupied and return same to their rightful owners who now live in IDP camps.”
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