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.
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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.
6 Comments
Many people have forgotten that before this Administration came on board there have been all these massive killings. And for it to stop it will take time. What PMB/PYO need is prayers so as to know the strategies to use to stop it.
I sincerely feel for Buhari/Osibanjo. All these cropping up are the resultant effects of years of sowing in ignorance, corruption, immediate gratification and what have you. Now my first question is how much is the whole of Nigerian budget that the largest chunk would be separated for security to tackle Boko Haram, Militia Herdsmen, Bandits, Kidnappers, Ritualists, IPOB, Pipeline Militants etc? Fact remains every hand must be on deck to make this country governable and veritable for all. It can never be fixed by a wave of magic wand from the presidency!
The Northern Elders are the problems of the North. They virtually made their people stupid with the neglect of education and now they are reaping the consequence of their actions.
How’s that the problem of Buhari’s administraion alone.
Let’s be asking our governors some questions too.
Monthly allocations aren’t meant for sharing but for developments
Clearly, the northern elders forum are those that have received dollars from atiku. Buhari didn’t start biko haram, it started during the time of jonathan. As a matter of fact, PMB has helped to reduce biko harem threat in the north. Now, they have the guts to throw shade at him. Pure ingrates!
The issue of out of school children is as old as the North, it didn’t start in 2015, instead of calling a meeting on how to educate northern parents on importance of western education, you attacking Buhari. Also Boko Haram means western education is evil, the children you have not sent to school who you have also misfed with Arabic education are now turning around to use the half knowledge to attack the nation in the name of Boko Haram. You are now blaming government. You better look inward. Lack of education is the mother of banditory, fanatics, unemployment and other vices