because they were in firm conviction that the insurgency occasioned by the activities of the sect and other related security challenges posed a threat to the 2015 elections and the survival of the nation.
Mr. Solomon Dalung, ex-Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly who spoke on behalf of the Alhaji Sule Maitama-led body said, “In the light of our firm conviction that the insurgency and related security challenges pose threats to the 2015 elections and the survival of our nation, we strongly advise President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to bring an end to the insurgency in all its manifestations and produce the Chibok girls before the end of October, 2014.”
He said failure of the president to produce the Chibok girls and tackled other security challenges in the land, amount to the forfeiture of his rights to ask for another mandate to lead Nigeria beyond 2015. According to him, circumstances under which the people of Gwoza in Borno state live as if there is no government was unacceptable, noting that “fellow citizens in and around Gwoza in Borno state in particular live and die will not be tolerated by any people who have a government and a leader sworn to defend them.”
He said the trend must be reversed immediately, pointing out “in the event that President Jonathan fails to do this, Nigerians will be left with the only conclusion that he has forfeited his right to ask for our mandate beyond 2015.” Besides, the former Speaker also said that the lack of the strong will by the presidency to fight and coupled with the deep-seated corruption as well as incompetence in government had allowed the insurgency in the north to continued unabated.
They added that, “The Northern Elders Forum calls on the President to immediately set up a Judicial Panel to investigate the recent killing of over 30 members of the Islamic Movement in Zaria. The internal investigations by the military in an event in which soldiers are involved will not meet the minimum standards of fairness and acceptability. The Forum reminds the nation that it was the murder of Muhammad Yusuf by the Nigeria Police in 2009 that formed the major point of escalation in the activities of the group(s) known today under the generic term of Boko Haram. We also call for a thorough investigation into the attempted assassination of General Muhammadu Buhari and Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, and the publication of the outcome of these investigations.
“The Forum notes that the state of security and economic challenges of the North are deteriorating, in spite of its wealth of leaders and elders who should use their God-given privileges, power and influence to affect a reversal of these dangerous trends. It is no secret that the vast majority of Northerners lament their marginalization, insecurity and poverty, and blame it in large part on the inability of unwillingness of its past and present leaders to utilize all access to power which they enjoy, to bring us redress and relief. General Yakubu Gowon, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, General Muhammadu Buhari, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, General Abdussalami Abubakar, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Architect Namadi Sambo, General T.Y Danjuma and all retired Chief Justices of Nigeria from the North represent grossly under-utilized assets of the North.
“The N.E.F joins millions of Northerners in appealing to these leaders to raise their levels of involvement in the fortunes of our region in every endeavour or fora they are involved. In these difficult days when every hand must be on deck, if these leaders cannot visibly help to transform the fortunes of the North in the next few months, they will leave northerners with the damaging impression that they have abandoned the region and the people to its seemingly irreversible decline and ultimate destruction.
“The Forum took stock of the performance of northerners at the National Conference, and commends the commitment of the vast majority of the delegates to the core interests of the north and the unity and survival of our nation on principles of equity and mutual respect. The N.E.F appeals to all leaders from other parts of the country to discourage tendencies, which suggest that some parts of our federation are dispensable and undeserving of respect.
“The Forum has noted with relief the cessation of plans to single out northerners in many parts of the country for treatments which humiliate them and deprive them of their rights to live and work in any part of Nigeria. While commending the maturity and foresight of northern leaders, which informed the restraints against retaliatory and other negative measures, the Forum appeals to young persons from the north to resist the temptation to operate by the very low standards of responsibility set by others. These young northerners should be reminded that their legacy includes the heroic efforts of their forebears to build and sustain this nation to its present state, and they did this in the face of massive provocations and threats. The Forum places on record its appreciation for the prompt response of President Goodluck Jonathan to appeals for decisive action against profiling and other threatening actions against northerners in some states in the southern parts of the country.
“The Forum invites attention of Nigerians to the critical role which the 2015 elections will play in the future of our nation. We call on all leaders and political parties to demonstrate the highest levels of commitment to the rule of law and the demands of the electoral process. At all cost, the 2015 elections must be free and fair. This means that any threat, which may provide a cover for militarising the electoral process, must be eliminated before the elections. Every part of Nigeria must participate in these elections, and no citizen should be deprived of his right to vote under any excuse.
“The Forum is concerned that political developments in some states which involve removals, threats or attempts to remove elected persons are being informed by partisan interests seeking advantages towards 2015. These are dangerous antics, which will deepen violence and other acts of desperation by politicians. The Forum urges the convening of a genuine summit of political leaders and parties to create or reinforce consensus around the imperatives of security of the electoral process, and ensuring that 2015 elections are spared from widespread disputes."
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