The convener of the Conference of Leaders and Elders of Northern Nigeria, Dr Yusuf Maitama Sule, has lamented the insurgency in the North and alleged that only an irresponsible Federal Government would allow the killings of students, women and children in the North-east of Nigeria to continue without finding a lasting solution.
Sule said, “In my 60 years in politics, I have not seen what I see in the north in terms of instability, insecurity and living in poverty in the midst of plenty”.
Speaking at the conference organised by the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, in Kano, the chairman of NEF said that the meeting was convened to review what is happening in the North in order to address the problem of insurgency which is gradually turning the region into a war zone.
The elder statesman flayed the unfolding insurgency in the North “as if it was not the same North that lived in peace for centuries and has respect for one another’s religion, culture and tradition”.
Sule berated unnamed politicians, who are going round places telling people that Muslims in the North want to Islamize the northern region or the country, describing the act as a deliberate attempt capable of dividing the country along religious lines.
“NEF should not be seen as the enemy of the federal government simply because of its stance against injustices to the north; it rather should be seen as a peacemaker and partner in progress which wants to see strict adherence to the principles of democracy”, he said.
The Dan Masanin Kano advocated the adoption of the late Sardauna’s philosophy of non-discrimination against any religion or tribe and discouragement of the use of religious identity or region in seeking political favour by political leaders.
The NEF chairman commended the perseverance of the past leaders who have not seen themselves as above criticism and have responded positively.
He advocated religious tolerance among northerners for the good of the region and for the leaders in the region and the country at large to place national interest above personal interest for continuous peace and for both human and infrastructural development.
On the occasion, the representative of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), AVM Mukhtar Muhammad, said that ACF had achieved considerable measure of success in its discussion about the unity of northern Nigeria and in ensuring that the North would speak with one voice, one youth organization and one women organization.
AVM Muhammad, who doubles as the vice chairman of the forum’s Board of Trustees, noted that ACF is concerned about anything that affects the North and the country at large. He said the situation is so dire that no nation can stand what is happening in the North, as people are dying in their hundreds.
The leaders and elders in the northern states will not stand and deny what is happening to be strange. Have they forgotten what happened the very moment Dr. Ebele Goodluck won the presidential election?
Formal military president, General Buhari said he will make Nigeria ungovernable for the president. Was it not immediately after the election that the youths started unrestiveness? And that gave birth to BOKO Haram till date. Its difficult for anyone to commit all the wickedness in the north and succeed without the help of the custodians of the northern land. The Robot they created is hitting back @ them.