The Northern Elders Forum, NEF,
has lambasted the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, stressing that
the current insecurity in the North showcases leadership failure and
irresponsibility of governance.
Speaking to newsmen after the
forum’s meeting in Zaria, the NEF Chairman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi called on
President Muhammadu Buhari to demonstrate higher level of concern and
sensitivity to the plight of traumatised citizens, especially in Zamfara,
Katsina, Kaduna, Benue, Niger, Plateau and Taraba States.
Apart from the Presidency, the
NEF also slammed other tiers of government for failing to address and arrest
the abject poverty and under-development in the country.
It said Nigeria has the resources
and ideas but lacks the political will to tackle the problems.
According to Abdullahi, “There is
serious irresponsibility of governance in the country, especially in the North;
the leadership is not doing enough to meet up the challenges of poverty and
under-development.
“We also demand a decisive,
comprehensive and fundamental government actions against poverty,
underdevelopment and insecurity affecting North as well as show leadership and
compassion which are reciprocal expectation of the Nigerian people.”
NEF said recent report of an
international organisation revealed that 90 per cent of the over 13.5 million
children out-of-school in the country were from the North.
It added, “The children will be
adult in the next 10 years; no education, no vocational training, what do you
expect then? Insecurity situation.”
Abdullahi expressed sadness that
instead of development, northern states were living under horrendous Boko Haram
threats, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, marauding youth gangs, herders
and farmers clashes.
“It has become imperative for the
forum to call President Muhammadu Buhari to respond to threats faced by
northern Nigerians following incessant killings in some states,” he observed.
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