Parlous security situation: Northern Elders call for Pres. Buhari’s head

Unimpressed with President Muhammadu Buhari’s perceived inability to combat increasing scale of insecurity in the country, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has asked the president to step down from office.

“Under this administration, life has lost its value, and more and more citizens are coming under the influence of criminals.

“We do not see any evidence of willingness on the part of Buhari to honour his oath to provide security over Nigerians.

“In civilized nations, leaders who fail so spectacularly to provide security will do the honourable thing and resign,”the elders said in a statement.

The statement was signed by the Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Alhaji Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a copy of which was obtained by Persecondnews.

They said the leadership of the government had demonstrated what they called lack of political will to fight Boko Haram and other threats such as banditry, rustling and kidnapping.

Fazed by the massacre of more than 43 farmers in Zabarmari, Borno state by Boko Haram insurgents, the elders said Buhari had failed to listen to well-meaning Nigerians, the elected representatives of the people – the National Assembly, past presidents and socio-cultural organizations from across the country about the prevailing parlous security situation.

They said it was regretted that the November 28, 2020 killings had been greeted by “most insensitive response” by the spokesman of President Buhari, Garba Shehu, describing as a lame excuse that the murdered “farmers did not seek permission or clearance from the military’’ to go to their farms.

The Northern Elders said: “These killings and the reality they expose will make relocation of citizens and resumption of economic activities a lot more difficult to achieve even for leadership that attaches priority to them, and this administration does not.

“Elsewhere in many parts of the North, many farming communities have not been allowed by bandits and kidnappers to plant crops.”
They, however,  warned that the massacre of the farmers would lead to famine in the country as they would be afraid to return to farm.

“There is imminent famine in the country in the face of limited production of food in the region.’’