The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has shared its reservations over President Bola Tinubu’s national address on the ongoing hunger protests.
The group lamented that Tinubu was silent on the security situation in the North-West and other parts of the North.
Speaking via a statement by its Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, on Monday, NEF highlighted the escalating issues of banditry, kidnapping, rape and other criminal activities in the region.
The Forum expressed sadness that Tinubu’s speech failed to address the dire situation or offer reassurance to affected communities.
They stated that they anticipated words of encouragement but were disappointed by the outcome.
“They anticipated words of encouragement and an assurance of concrete steps being taken to alleviate the security challenges faced by these communities.
“The NEF had high hopes for the President’s speech, expecting that he would address the dire humanitarian disaster that criminal activities have brought upon our nation,” the statement read.
The Forum added that it is essential that the magnitude of the challenge is not underestimated, and expressed the belief that dealing with the humanitarian disaster in the North will require a level of political will and administrative competence that goes beyond what is needed to defeat criminal gangs.
It added, “The simultaneous challenges of combating insurgency and banditry, rehabilitating IDPs, and rebuilding lives, communities, and infrastructure must all be top priorities for the government. We expected the President to acknowledge the gravity of the situation and outline concrete plans for addressing these critical issues.”
The group opined that the focus should have been on finding sustainable solutions to the crisis, prioritizing the needs of the affected communities, and ensuring that necessary resources are allocated to support them.
The Northern elders in the same vein pointed out that it is vital that the government demonstrates a strong commitment to addressing the humanitarian disaster and shows that it has the capability to lead the nation through challenging times.
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