Some leaders of thought from the North who gathered at Tahir Guest Palace,
Kano, for a two-day Conference of Leaders and Elders of Northern Nigeria
have accused President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for systematically
marginalizing the region for political reasons, while calling on all
stakeholders, groups and daughters and sons from the North to come
together and speak with one voice.
They decried the spate of insecurity and poverty ravaging the region.
Borno Elders Forum at the conference expressed surprise over the continued
silence of the Federal Government, as well as the deliberate
non-implementation of the reports on the insurgency ravaging some parts of
the North, particularly Borno State.
In a goodwill message to the Conference of leaders and elders of Northern
Nigeria, titled: ‘’ State of the North’’ which was convened by an Elder
states man, Alhaji Maitama Sule, in Kano yesterday, Borno Elders raised
alarm of the humanitarian crisis that has rocked Borno State, following
the incessant and continued gruesome killing of innocent people in the
State.
The Borno Elders noted that the current security challenges in the North
East, particularly Borno State calls for a serious concern, not just from
the citizens of the affected states but by the generality of Nigerians.
“The current security challenges that we are battling in the North-East of
Nigeria and articularly, Borno state calls for a serious concern, not just
from the citizens of the affected states, but of Nigeria in general.
“A situation where an entire community is wiped out, places of worship
destroyed without recourse to even women, children and the elderly is not
just condemnable, but barbaric and cannot in anyway be linked to a
particular religion. Sometimes, one will ask ‘are these people really
human?
“As for those of us that are from Borno, we have been seeing hell; our
people are constantly decimated, especially in the last few weeks. Our
towns and villages razed, properties destroyed, schools and places of
worship burnt, even innocent travelers were not spared. This is the
catastrophe that should be condemned by all. In fact, a declaration of a
mourning period throughout the North is even necessary,” Zanna stated.
In his address at the Conference of Elders, titled: ‘’The North: A Past in
the Future’’, Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed lamented that the people of the North
are today without leaders, who will take a stand on the National
conference and convince the nation to respect that position.
Dr Ahmed regretted that the North has leaders, who will move against the
crippling assaults on lives and property of its poor and defenceless
citizens because power is in the hands of people, who as pear too are far
removed from Northern interests.
Among others, Alhaji Maitama Sule, the Dan Masanin Kano, who is the
convener of the conference of Northern leaders said it is held to unite
the North, so as to remove religious and tribal differences to enable the
North speak with one voice.
Maitama Sule, who emphasized that the North is united condemned the use of
religion to divide the North, and called on the Federal Government to
deploy its might to halt the wanton killings in the North East, adding
that both religions preach love, peace and not violence.