Politics
Call For Buhari’s Resignation: Kaduna Bishops Back Northern Elders
Bishop, Diocese of Kaduna, Anglican Communion, Timothy Yahaya and Bishop of Kaduna Catholic Archdiocese, Matthew Manoso Ndagoso have respectively thrown their weights behind Northern Elders recent call for the resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari over raging insecurity in the country.
This was contained in their separate Easter messages to the nation.
However, the presidency had since replied the northern elders, describing them as failed politicians seeking cheap publicity.
Bishop Yahaya said the right thing to do by a leader who cannot deliver is to bow out of office, adding, however, there is hope for Nigeria as a nation.
On his own part, Bishop Ndagoso said it was hard to disagree with Northern elders’ position on the need for Buhari to resign from office over killings in the country.
He noted that the only thing the people got each time scores of Nigerians are killed, maimed and abducted, were empty assurances and reassurances of security by political leaders.
Bishop Yahaya said, “My Easter message is that there is hope for every individual in this country, there is hope for Nigeria as a nation. I know what we are going through, it is a dangerous and perilous time. But I tell you the only tonic of tomorrow is hope.
“I don’t want to join 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 clime, the right thing and best thing to do is to bow out. But what gives me concern seriously is that I am not sure if the President knows that his name is going down in history as thePresident knows that his name is going down in history as the President that is supervising the killing of his people, as a President who is the petroleum Minister, today in Kaduna we don’t have petrol for how many months. As the President who is supervising the nation, ASUU have closed down universities, the future generation is bleak.
“As a President who supervises where you hear billions of naira being budgeted and you don’t see anything verifiable for it. So for me I am not talking as a politician, am talking as a citizen of this nation, I am talking with the voices of the masses, I talk with the reality on the ground.
I don’t know, those of you around Mr. President, all you want to do is to rub his name from the glory of the future. I hope it is not the bestthing you are doing because I don’t know if they are shielding you from information.
“Look at the railway attack, our brothers and sisters are in captivity. And we are not hearing from Mr. President himself. The Spokesman can speak for the President that the citizens of this country are in the hands of terrorists. Mr. President should sit up.
Even if somebody is speaking for him, he is telling lies. In other clime, the President will not sleep, and heads will roll because somebody is responsible for the laxity that led to this train attack.
“For me, Mr. President needs to do an x-ray of his leadership in the past seven years because by next month he will be seven years fully on the saddle.
Has he done very well? How much was Dollar when you took over power? How much was petrol when you took over power? How was insecurity when you took over power? Where was education whenyou took over power? Where was the name of Nigeria when you took over power? Today we hear money being budgeted for a Turn Around Maintenance of refineries, where are the refineries? And how do you want me to believe that corruption is being fought in Nigeria?”.
you took over power? Where was the name of Nigeria when you took over power? Today we hear money being budgeted for a Turn Around Maintenance of refineries, where are the refineries? And how do you want me to believe that corruption is being fought in Nigeria?”.
“Therefore, let’s go to our Prisons and begin to apologise to the prisoners. You cannot set free those who stole patrimony of the people and sent to prison to languish those who stole five thousand naira or one hundred thousand naira in this country. Are you telling me that what is good for the Goose is not good for the Gander? Ate you telling me that it is animal farm that we have as Nigeria?.
“As far I am concerned, I have said it before, Nigeria is at war, soldiers are being killed, citizens are being killed. If you take the statistics of the number of soldiers and police that are being killed you will know that Nigeria is at war. Infrastructures are being attacked and vandalised.
“There should be national emergency to recall ex servicemen and recruit young men to fight insurgents if possible because desperate time needs desperate measure. Begin to train young people in all the 36 States. In a state where we have less 50,000 soldiers we are not ready for this war. Also technology should be deployed. This is war, it is a very serious war. The fact that they were able to attack the airport, the train, I hope the Villa is safe”.
For the Catholic Bishop Ndagoso,” 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 BulamaBukarti’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.
“Our predicament today especially in the northwest region of our country and particularly in Kaduna state is akin to that of the two runaway disciples with high hope prior to 2015 that someone will rescue us from the grip of terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, cattle rustlers, marauding herders and such like.
“All we get are empty assurances and reassurances of security by our political leaders each time scores of Nigerians are killed, maimed and abducted as witnessed recently in the mass killings and abductions in Agunu, Kagoro, KoronTsohuwa area, attacks on Kaduna international airport, the Abuja-Kaduna bound train that led to the killing of eightpeople, injury of scores and the abduction of more than 150, the killings of our gallant soldiers and vigilantes in the notorious BirninGwari axis and most recently the Plateau, Benue and Taraba mass killings have left most Nigerians with little or no trust and confidence in those charged with the constitutional responsibility of securing their lives and property.
“To say the least, the seeming incompetence and the lack of political will to face the ever increasing insecurity head-on has left most Nigerians in a state of quandary to the extent that some members of the national assembly and other well respected individual Nigerians are publicly calling on the citizens to bear arms in order to defend themselves. Do we need any further signs of a failed state? Your guess is as good as mine”.
The Tide source reports that Prof. Akinoso was elected alongside 38 other executive members of the party at the congress held on Saturday.
Other executive members are Dr Abiola Olaonipekun, who emerged as Secretary, Alhaja Latifah Latifu, Women Leader and Mr A. Adeleke, elected as Youth Leader.
It was learnt that the congress, which took place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke Ado in Ibadan, was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police, other security agencies and prominent members of the party.
The election was supervised by electoral committee members, among whom were Prince Diran Odeyemi, who served as Chairman, Hon. Awoniyi Tolulope, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi, Queen Stepheine Oyechere, Alhaji Yusuf Abidakun, Mr Olumide Aguda and Dr Phillips Adeniyi, who served as Secretary.
Prof. Akinoso, in his inaugural address, urged members of the party to set aside intra-party differences.
He advised them to concentrate their resources on the promotion of the party, saying, “The primary responsibilities of party executive members are to coordinate party activities, ensure harmony among members, and ensure party victory during general elections.
“Our immediate assignments are to key into INEC released 2027 general election time-tables. As directed by the National Caretaker Committee of PDP, our party e-membership registration starts next week. We must be fully involved and do a membership drive.
“A political party is only relevant and benefits its members if it wins the election. This is our goal. We should set aside intra-party differences; concentrate our resources towards the promotion of the party. We will make necessary consultations and dialogue to actualise this”.
President Tinubu disclosed this during an interfaith breaking of fast with senior journalists and media executives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Saturday.
He also disclosed that his administration had opened up on the principles of true federalism to the extent that local governments now get direct allocation from the Federal Government.
“There’s no morning that I ever leave my house without going through the newspapers. It’s an addiction. I read all of you.
“It might not be in full detail, but headline, the one that would hit me and the ones that won’t.
“At the beginning of this administration, I was just a little bit stubborn, looking at opportunities to correct things and make life more easier for the downtrodden.
“We’ve opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money, but how they use it is in your hands. So, don’t bombard me alone,” President Tinubu said.
The ruling party said the ADC had turned criticism of the APC-led administration into its operating manifesto instead of presenting concrete solutions to Nigeria’s economic challenges.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, the party dismissed the ADC’s interpretation of a report presented at a policy dialogue organised by Agora Policy which suggested that the country’s poverty rate had risen from 49 per cent to 63 per cent.
Mr Morka said the opposition party’s reaction to the report as a “damning verdict” on the government’s economic policies reflected either ignorance of economic realities or deliberate political mischief.
“The African Democratic Congress’ attempt to spin a recent report presented at the Agora Policy dialogue indicating a rise of poverty rate of 63 per cent from 49 per cent as a damning verdict on this administration’s economic policies speaks either to its shocking ignorance of economic policy or its wilful blindness to the justification for, and transformative impacts of, ongoing economic reforms,” he said.
The APC spokesman noted that the report itself recognised the necessity of reforms aimed at correcting long-standing structural distortions in the economy.
According to him, the ADC had failed to present any credible alternative policy direction for Nigerians.
“Clearly, the ADC does not recognise itself as a political party. The ADC has not articulated a single alternative policy position or prescription of benefit to Nigerians. Condemning the APC and its policies has become its operating manifesto,” Mr Morka said.
He explained that major economic decisions taken by President Bola Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of multiple foreign exchange windows, were necessary steps to rescue the country’s economy from collapse.
Mr Morka said the subsidy regime had for years placed a heavy burden on public finances, consuming trillions of naira annually while encouraging corruption, fuel smuggling and inefficiencies in the system.
He added that the reforms had helped redirect national resources to key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education and social development.
The APC spokesman acknowledged that economic reforms often come with short-term hardship but stressed that the measures were essential to build a stronger and more resilient economy.
“Economic reform is never cost-free anywhere in the world. The transient hardship experienced by Nigerians was an inevitable cost of reforms meant to build and guarantee a better future for all Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Morka maintained that the country’s economic outlook was already improving, citing recent growth figures and stronger external reserves.
“Our economy has rebounded and is expanding steadily. The country’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.4 per cent last year and is projected to expand by 5.5 per cent this fiscal year, with foreign reserves now exceeding $50 billion,” he stated.
He also pointed to government initiatives designed to cushion the effects of economic adjustments on citizens, including cash transfer programmes, student loan schemes and the rollout of compressed natural gas (CNG) initiatives to reduce transportation costs.
Mr Morka reaffirmed that the APC-led administration would remain focused on rebuilding the economy and expanding social investments to support vulnerable Nigerians.