Northern elders reiterate total support for Buhari, APC-government
*Knock stakeholders over long silence on Fulani atrocities
Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja
Northern elders have reiterated their firm support to President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, APC-led federal administration in the country.
They elders also appealed to Nigerians to be patient and believe in the Buhari government, saying the president was taking steps to addressing the current challenges especially insecurity confronting Nigeria.
The elders under the umbrella of Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development, in a statement berated stakeholders in the region over their long silence in the face of unbearable criminal acts by herdsmen across the country thereby denting the image of the region.
The statement signed by the group’s national coordinator, Engr. Zana Goni however commended renowned Islamic Scholar and preacher, Sheik Abubakar Gumi for taking bold steps aimed at ending the menace through consultation with the perpetrators.
They back clamour by the Igbos to be included in the country’s security management, asking kinsmen to support the move as according to them, such could give the South East a sense of belonging thus deflating the tension arising from the activities of some elements in the region.
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They particularly appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to consider the issue as that of national importance by immediately reviewing recent appointments of service chiefs to right the perceived wrong.
” We are deeply concerned about the wanton and brazen criminal activities of some of our Fulani kinsmen and the shameful loud conspiracy of silence by some of our notable northern elders and stakeholders that should have risen up to speak against the evil acts.
“These despicable acts by some of our kinsmen masquerading as herdsmen is highly condemnable and we must begin to speak out against them now if we must be taken seriously in Nigeria.
“The activities of some of these criminal herders started like a joke and because we kept quiet which showed that we were rather supporting them, they heightened their actions which have regrettably gotten us in this present situation,” they said.
The elders noted with regret that, “In every part of the country now, Fulanis have been tagged as the people behind Kidnappings, armed robbery and other violent crimes.”
They said, “While we must acknowledge that they may be some local collaborators, Fulanis remain the masterminds and arrowheads in most criminal activities going on across the country today”, “this is highly unacceptable and must be stopped now.”
On what they perceived as injustice to the South East region following recent appointments of security heads by President Muhammadu Buhari, the group appealed to the president to review the appointments to accommodate the Igbos.
“We also wish to draw the attention of the our Northern elders to the continual injustice being done to the Igbo nation over the just concluded appointments of service chiefs in the country where no Igbo man from South East was appointed in a two straight appointments of service chiefs.
“These appointments to us, remain insensitive and remain unfair until Mr President exercises his discretion by reviewing it to include at least an Igbo officer from South East.”
