The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has charged President Muhammadu Buhari to protect the nation’s territorial integrity, secure citizens or accept that he is incapable of leading the nation.
NEF while condemning the attack of Fulanis in some parts of the South, said that Northerners living in the Southern part of the country now live in fear.
In a statement signed by its Director, Publicity and Advocacy Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, and NEF said the majority of Nigerians doesn’t want war and as such wants the country to remain as one.
“The Forum restates that the North will not be cowed and stampeded into escorting political ambitions of politicians at the cost of its rights, security and dignity.
“It demands that President Buhari asserts the powers our constitution gives him to protect our territorial integrity and secure citizens, or accept that he is incapable of leading the nation through these unprecedented challenges.
“Attacks on lawful Fulani and other Northerners in the South must stop, and those who have killed them must be brought to book.
“The nation needs to know that Northerners in many parts of the South now live in heightened fear as they are profiled and harassed by elements in host communities who believe that there are no consequences for their actions.
“The forum demands an end to attacks on federal agents and facilities. Governors in the South must be unambiguous in their condemnation and resistance against these dangerous activities,” NEF said.
The Northern Elders said if Nigeria is to survive its current difficulties and build a better nation, President Buhari must improve his levels of competence, awareness that the nation is sliding into disaster and sensitivity to the frustrations of Nigerians.
“Other political leaders who take advantage of the limitations of the President to light fires should know that they will get burnt in them.
“Overwhelming majority of Nigerians do not want war or an end to our union. We just want an end to insecurity, escalating cost of living and the hate and the fear which our leaders are triggering,” the statement noted.
NEF expressed disappointment that some elected officials taken sides with secessionist especially in the Southern part of the country.
“It is now clear that elected people sworn to protect the constitution and protect the unity and integrity of Nigeria have decided to surrender to deeply divisive or outrightly irredentist and secessionist tendencies and movements.
“In the South East, governors are yielding their political turf and mandates to secessionists, criminals and subversives who think they can exterminate federal presence and northerners from the region, and achieve dubious political goals related to 2023, or break away from the country.
“In the South West, elected leaders and pampered ethnic bullies are closing ranks to provide a front that apes the do-what-we-want-or-we-leave-the-country strategy of the marginalized leaders of the South East.
“Governors are building ethnic monsters and hiding behind them to whip up sentiments in a crude attempt to extract concessions no one is in a position to give or guarantee.
“The South-South is squeezed between fear and uncertainty, and its leaders are gambling that they can benefit from further weakening the federal administration and the North if it rides along with the rest of the South”, the statement said.
The Forum restated its support for a programmed transition that will eliminate open grazing and the establishment of productive, safe and sustainable options in managing our huge national asset in animal husbandry.
“This cannot be achieved with threats and harassment, but with commitment and collaboration involving all governments and stakeholders.
“It is in everyone’s interests to support an urgent national initiative that will engineer a safe and productive transition to the end of open grazing.
“In the meantime, the forum must warn those attacking and killing Fulani headers to stop. There are limits to every community’s tolerance, and the forum strongly advises that lines are respected in the manner we treat Nigerians who are vulnerable wherever they live.
“The forum has always supported initiatives that improve the quality of inputs into how Nigerians can address the limitations in the manner the country is operated,” the statement added.
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