NO Femi…Listen to Those Elders! By Kabir Yusuf
AREWA AGENDA – When leaders draw firm lines around what they owe citizens, and in effect, those lines leave citizens exposed perilously in a manner of abuse and threat, then anybody can weigh the leadership deficit in the country.
Throughout yesterday, and as i write this, there was, and has been a lot of comments and reactions to the statement of Northern Elders Forum (NEF) led by Professor Ango Abdullahi.
You see the Buhari administration will come increasingly under criticism from individuals and groups such as NEF because, for the most part, they say what ‘Most Nigerians’ say, which is that it is not doing well enough to secure citizens and improve the economy.
Sometime in February or March this year, Femi Adesina describes the Northern Elders Forum as “Nobodies” and just yesterday, he maintained that NEF is nothing but “A mere irritant and featherweight.”
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Methinks perhaps the worst thing Buhari’s administration will do at this point is to dismiss criticisms from these groups and retreat into a permanent defensive posture because many do not understand that it has done enough or it’s doing its best to address the issue.
Again and Again, Buhari and APC have assured the nation of downgrading Boko Haram, but each time the government has been embarrassed as the insurgents returned to wreak havoc in several places like Gubio, Auno, Goni Usmanti, Monguno and others in Borno State.
It is then instructive for President Muhammadu Buhari to remind Mr Adesina that himself would have been an active member of this elders’ forum if he had not made a second career as a politician seeking to become a president.
“He is about the same age as Professor Ango Abdullahi; he is a northerner; he had retired with a passion for service; he had campaigned against a weak administration and an insurgency that was increasing its reach into our lives; he had no stomach for corruption and poor governance; and he had put much value in working to make leadership account.”
Therefore, these irritating elderly men are reminding President Buhari that he won an election on the back of promises to end the insurgency ; that he knew what was wrong with the military and he could fix it.
Arewa Agenda is a Publication of young writers from Northern Nigeria towards peaceful coexistence and national development through positive narratives.
