A Northern group under the aiges of Northern Elders for Peace and Development have cried out over the worrisome security situation in the region.
The group in a statement by their national coordinator,Engr. Zana Goni, also declared their support to the president not to negotiate or pay ransom to bandits and other criminal elements terrorising the people.
“We write to decry the rising state of insecurity in the North East in particular and Northern Nigeria at large and the deliberateattempts by some very highly placed government officials to use some unpatriotic online media to be down playing the true situation on ground. This is unpatriotic and unacceptable to us.
“We wish to draw the attention of these unpatriotic elements to the fact that engaging in this unwholesome act and at the same time expecting different result is impossible,”
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“As a people trusted with security by Mr President, they should be patriotic to tellhim thetrue situation of security in the North East in particular and Northern Nigeria as a whole at all time, rather than desperately trying to cover up the situation to the detriment of human lives and property,”they said.
”We observed that the insecurity in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states is getting worse by the day. As a matter of fact, it has degenerated in last one month to a point of very serious concern.”
“We are sure that this has been so because Mr President is not getting the right briefings from those entrusted with the situation.
“It is regretable thatmany people are being killed on daily basis in the region just as tens of soldiers are being killed unreported especially in the North East.
“The ugly security development has made farmers not to go to farm anymore. We feel Mr President should know this,”
The elders charged:”Those trusted with security and welfare of our people must be sincere in briefing Mr President so that he can give them the needed support and logistics to crush the worrisome situation once and for all.”
“We are worried hence the need to speak out especially given that the affected area is our home base. We live here with our children and our parents.
” It’s so disheartening to see our old parents who should resting in their old age running helter skelter everyday for safety while some people sit in the comfort of their air conditioned cars and officesmaking money from our misfortunes. This is highly unacceptable and we will not be silent in calling a spade a spade.The world must know that our people are suffering,”the statement added.
The elders also accused media of peddling false narrative of security issues in the country.
“We wish to advise those unpatriotic online media who are embellishingthe situation is the North East and some parts of Northern Nigeria for personal gains that they have just one country.
” If we allow terrorists take North from us,we will all bear the consequence,as the adversaries, having done with the North, will spread their tentacles beyond.This is why we must see beyond personal gainsin our national assignment”, the group said, advising that:”National unity should be our watchword.”
They expressed their unwavering love for president Muhammadu Buhari.
” We wish to reiterate that we love Mr President and everything about his policies. We are more than ever convinced that he has good plans for Nigeria and should not allow some unpatriotic and self-serving public servants ruin his goodwill.
“He should be reminded that any public servant who does not do his work effectively should be shown the way out immediately,”
The elders “appeal to all the Northern governors to adopt Mr President’s position on no negotiation and amnesty for the bandits.”
“We advise that they should use the money for the supposed amnesty programme,ransom and negotiations to acquire state-of-the art technology with a view to ending insecurity on our land once and for all,”
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