Afenifere, Ohanaeze, Middle Belt Forum Set New Year Agenda For Buhari Government
President Buhari
Socio-cultural groups in the country, Afenifere, Ohanaeze and Middle Belt Forum, have stated that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration must tackle insecurity and the ailing economy; otherwise the regime would be telling the world that there are two governments in Nigeria.
The groups lamented that the Boko Haram elements had taken parts of Borno State, for years without any challenge from security personnel.
President Buhari
The groups stated these in separate releases on Sunday, adding that the Buhari government must go beyond “mere rhetorics” and muster political will to end insecurity and immediately restore peace and prosperity across the country.
The MBF National President, Dr Pogu Bitrus, relayed the plight of people of the Middle Belt who had continued to suffer severe and persistent attacks from marauding gangs of murderous herdsmen.
He said this would no longer be tolerated.
“These killings have become the trend in many parts of the Middle Belt region of southern Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Benue, Adamawa, among others. In Damboa Local Government Area of Southern Borno, Boko Haram elements have completely taken over the LGA in the past three years without any challenge from security personnel.
“It is from Damboa LGA that Boko Haram launches attacks on communities, including the recent attack that killed a military general. Allowing the terrorist organisation to mount roadblocks in any part of Nigeria amounts to telling the world that there are two sovereignties in Nigeria.
“In the New Year, we call on President Muhammadu Buhari to send a clear message to the security forces to defeat Boko Haram and throw them out of Damboa LGA. The destruction of our communities and the unprovoked killings of defenceless citizens can no longer be tolerated. When innocent and vulnerable people are left unprotected from the terror of criminals, there can be no option left than self-defence.”
“We do not need a prophet to warn us of the dire consequences of what this massive displacement of our farming population holds for our people. In the face of these severe attacks that have not attracted commensurate responses from the security personnel, we call on security agencies to smoke out these murderous bandits from their holes and bring them to justice. As an umbrella organisation of ethnic nationalities in the Middle Belt Region, we call on President Buhari to swiftly order the security agencies to stop the human carnage ripping across Nigeria, especially in the Middle Belt.”
Also, Ohanaeze through its National Publicity Secretary, Alex Chiedozie Ogbonna, identified poverty and injustice as Nigerians’ major problems, while stressing that if President Buhari supported a president from Igboland, he would have solved the problem of injustice because such a move would amount to justice.
“First, he should ask himself a question on how he wants to be remembered when he leaves office; second, he should do to the South-East what Obasanjo did to the North-West when he said it was their turn to produce the president.
“He should also say it is the turn of the Igbo to produce the president of Nigeria and with it, there will be peace in Nigeria,” he said.
Meanwhile, National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, said the Buhari administration must use this year and the remaining part of 2023 before its tenure expires to right the wrongs that have occurred since it came to power.
Ajayi said, “The administration must step up efforts in two specific areas – security and the economy. Various parts of the country are experiencing unprecedented insecurity. Kidnapping in the manner we have never had it is rampant everywhere. The welfare of Nigerians has gone down so low.
“The president must ensure the security agencies are empowered to secure Nigerians. It should no longer be a matter of ‘we are on top of the situation.’ So far, the issue of security has been mere rhetoric and that is why kidnappers and those claiming territory are having a field day. It is not acceptable and the government must do something about it. The government has to give these people an ultimatum to lay down their weapons, and if they refuse, the government should be able to deal appropriately with them.”
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Saharareporters, New York
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