Arewa youths blast presidency for attacking Northern elders, Afenifere, others

Alhaji Yerima Shettima

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, has berated the presidency for attacking the coalition of Nigerian socio-political groups.

The Presidency had in a strongly worded statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Shehu Garba, condemned the gathering of prominent elders that passed a vote of no confidence on the President Muhammadu Buhari government for its failure to end the incessant killing of innocent Nigerians by suspected Fulani herdsmen in various parts of the country.

The coalition of Northern Elders’ Forum, NEF, Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Pan Niger Delta Forum had during the week, passed a vote of no-confidence on Buhari, over what they described as the President’s inability to find a lasting solution to the country’s problems.

In a statement entitled “This Insensitive Presidency”, which was issued on Saturday and signed by its National President, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, AYCF said, “Our attention has been drawn to the intemperate and highly immature response by the Presidency to the historic summit of the Northern Elders Forum, Afenifere, Ohanaeze and PANDEF on the spate of killings in Nigeria under the incompetent government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“It is sad that instead of facing the honest assessment of the killing fields Nigeria has become under this government by elders and leaders who have nothing at stake but the best interest of Nigeria, the Presidency resorted to crude attacks and motor park insults.

“To say that elders who have no material needs in their very old years are shedding ‘crocodile tears’ because a government that has been rated the most corrupt in this history has blocked their access to public funds is laughable as a ridiculous claim but sad because it reflects how petty and shallow the minds of those in charge of our affairs are.

“The response has confirmed the take of the leaders that Nigeria needs a dynamic and visionary leadership to take over from the current incompetent,insensitive and visionless bunch running the country to the edge of the precipice.

“We understand that the coming together of patriots from every corner of Nigeria to take a common stand against the misgovernance called government in our country has robbed this presidency of its desperate card of divide- and-rule of playing sections of the country against themselves.

“It is now clear that this government represents no section of Nigeria except the cabal of evil doers .

This achievement of oneness that is now driving the administration to extreme desperation is a good reason for the very senior citizens across Nigeria to ignore the vituperation of a sinking administration.

“The Northern and Southern Elders and Leaders deserve commendation for voluntarily brainstorming on the way out of the current stagnation has regrettably changed the true face of governance in today’s Nigeria.”