Kaduna bishops support northern elders’ call for Buhari’s resignation
Some notable Kaduna bishops ranging from the Anglican Bishop of Kaduna Diocese, Timothy Yahaya, to his catholic counterpart, Mathew Manoso Ndagoso, had on Sunday supported the Northern Elders Forum’s call for the resignation of the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, over the atrocious insecurity in the country.
It was gathered that the forum on Tuesday told the president to resign for alleged failure to secure the country.
The demand was announced by the forum via a statement issued by its spokesperson, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed. It was embarrassing that after nearly seven years of governance, the president still has not got solutions to security challenges facing the country.
The presidency had since responded to the northern elders, describing them as failed politicians who are only seeking cheap popularity.
In an obvious solidarity with the elders’ forum, the bishops in a separate Easter information to Nigerians in Kaduna said that the honorable decision for the President was to resign over the insecurity across the federation.
The Anglican Bishop stated that the honorable decision for a leader who could not deliver to the best of his people was to relinquish power.
“I don’t want to discuss issues with the Northern elders because I am not a politician. But the truth about leadership is that there is morality in leadership. If you cannot deliver as a leader in a civilised climate, the right thing and best thing to do is to bow out,” Yahaya said.
The Catholic Bishop of Kaduna Diocese explained that no one would want to disagree with Northern elders’ on their position on the President.
According to Ndagoso, the only reaction the people get from the government each time Nigerians are killed and abducted are empty assurances of security without any necessary follow up by political leaders.
“Given where we are right now in terms of insecurity and the government’s handling of the situation thus far, it is hard for one to disagree with Bulama Bukarti’s assertion that the Buhari government is incompetent, inept and careless and the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) that “his leadership has proved spectacularly incapable of providing security over Nigerians,” he said.
It is the opinion of security experts and the Civil Society Organisations that calling for the resignation of the President will worsen insecurity across the federation. The CSOs and experts, in different interviews with newsmen, declared that the service chiefs should rather be sacked.
A security expert, Timothy Avele, said there was no assurance that insecurity and crime would be stopped if another President took over.
He stated, “Calling for the President to resign at this stage when he has a few months to go is a call for anarchy and can only worsen insecurity more than what we’re having now. What’s even the guarantee that the next President will do better in battling insecurity, especially if the same reactive methods are maintained by security agencies and the military?
Another security expert, Jackson Ojo, attributed the failure of the President to his inability to sack the service chiefs.
He stated, “If you have a security guard in your house and armed robbers keep attacking your house won’t you sack him? Buhari’s refusal to ask the security chiefs despite the continued attack is an indictment on him. In normal climes, he does not need to be told. The reason there is hardship in the country is because of insecurity.”
Kabir Adamu claimed the President would not relinquish despite continued insecurity, saying that the service chiefs must be held to account.
He said, “The government has failed to stop the activities of non-state actors. We also have to consider that over 90 percent of those in the security sector are Northerners. The NEF should call on them to live up to expectations and more importantly, the President should sack those that have failed. President Buhari will not resign, but the least he can do is hold those in charge of our security responsibilities.”
The Convener, Northern Advocacy for Peace, Khalifa Shuaibu, blamed the incompetence of the security agencies for the ceaseless attacks across the country, especially in the North-East and North-West regions.
“Rather than call for the resignation of the President, the service chiefs should go. It is disheartening that the enemies of the citizens are getting emboldened by the day. The bandits are becoming more daring and brazen.
“The service chiefs have not justified the billions of naira put into the security sector. Let the current security chiefs resign or be sacked for the safety of Nigerians.”
The coordinator, Northern Alliance Movement, Yahuza Getso, said, “Where were these elders before now? His resignation a few months to the end of his tenure will not change anything as insecurity has gone bad in this regime. This regime has squandered many funds in the name of insecurity. The President has exhibited incompetence with the ravaging insecurity across the country. Buhari and the service chiefs have failed us.”
