A
group of leaders in the North rose from a meeting in Kaduna on Friday
and passed a vote of no confidence in President Goodluck Jonathan’s
administration for its failure to effectively tackle the prevailing
security challenges in the country.
The
group said the Federal Government had failed to protect its citizens,
adding that it would form a formidable force to ensure that the
presidency returned to the North in 2015.
In
a communiqué, which was read out to journalists at the end of the
meeting by a leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Dr. Usman Bugaje,
the Northern leaders blamed the current security crisis in the region
on the government’s inability to provide basic social services and to
guarantee freedom and rights of the citizens.
The statement said the activities of the violent Islamic sect known as Boko Haram, as
well as other security challenges, had impacted negatively on the
socio-economic, political and religious life of the people of the
region.
“Economic
growth and development, commerce and trade in formal and informal
sectors of the Northern states are being stifled with multiplier effects
on the larger national and African sub-regional economies,” it said.
Regarding
the 2015 presidential election, the Northern leaders said they had
resolved to bring individuals and groups working in different directions
under one umbrella in readiness for the 2015 presidential race.
“All
the disparate groups working in different directions, but all with the
aim of promoting northern interests within a greater Nigeria under one
platform,” they said, pledging to create a strong and united platform
that would address the current security crisis and the politics of the
North.
The
communiqué read in part, “The weakening nature and perhaps the failure
of the Nigerian State to protect lives and property as well as its
inability to provide basic social services and guarantee freedom and
rights of citizens cumulatively accounts for the current state of siege
in which the North now find itself.
“The
systematic erosion of cherished values of honesty, tolerance and
integrity that were once the hallmark of public service in the North
have resulted in bad governance, disregard for the rule of law and
general decadence.
“Social
indicators and statistics for all human development perspectives show
the dismal crises in education, health, water and sanitation services
thereby placing the region far below its counterparts in the country
“The
general conduct of the Joint Task Force and how the fundamental rights
of the citizens of the North are being violated in clear breach of the
rules of engagement. It is expected that the JTF will strictly abide by
the professional terms of engagement in the interest of peace.”
A
former Head of State, Gen. Abdulasalami Abubakar (retd.), former
Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano
State and Senator Adamu Aliero were in attendance at the meeting.
Punch Nigeria
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