The worsening economic crisis in Nigeria has led Northern leaders to urge the Federal Government to take prompt actions to prevent an imminent revolution in the country.
Led by the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the group under the umbrella of Northern Traditional Council urged FG to promptly address concerns bordering on insecurity, poverty, and unemployment among others in the country.
According to the Sultan who spoke at the Arewa House in Kaduna on Wednesday, monarchs, along with other prominent figures such as religious leaders and state governors, have made extensive efforts to pacify the masses who are already weary of the hardships, and are on the verge of expressing their discontent through potential revolt against the government.
“It is getting to a level that traditional leaders could no longer pacify the people from revolting against government and political leaders that supposed to find solutions to their lingering socio-economic plight.
“And let’s not take it for granted; people are quiet, they are quiet for a reason, because people have been talking to them.; we have been talking to them, we have been trying to tell them things will be be okay and they keep on believing.
“I pray to Almighty Allah that they will not one day wake up and say we no longer believe in you. Because that would be the biggest problem, because we can’t quieten these people as traditional, spiritual leaders and diplomats forever,” he said.
The Sultan said the situation has reached a critical point where the populace is highly upset and hungry, yet they maintain faith in certain figures, including Governors, traditional leaders, and religious figures, some of whom also serve in dual roles as both traditional and religious leaders.
The Monarch added that the 6th executive Northern Traditional Council committee meeting was for the sole purpose of looking at the issues troubling Nothern states, with a view to finding solutions to them.
“We are gathered here again for the sole purpose of looking at the issue troubling our dear Northern States. We also invited the security chiefs, the IGP, Chief of Defence Staff, DG SSS to be with us and interact with us because of our concern for the rising insecurity in the North in particular.”
“We have had such meetings before with the Northern Governors, so many times at Kashim Ibrahim House. We have entered into a new cycle of leadership, some new Governors have come on board, while some are having their second term and still we are faced with these insecurity issues.”
“I have said so many times, that we never lack solution to our problems, what we lack is implementation, because we meet today, we bring out so many beautiful ideas on how to solve our problems, we go back to our various places and go to bed, leaving such solutions here in this conference hall. So, how do we implement them?”
“This is why we invited the leadership of Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) to come and interact with us on the outcome of similar meeting they organized in Abuja. We invited the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) to be part of us and talk to us too, because as elders, some of whom have been in politics, who have done a lot for the North and the country.
“At the end of the meeting, we believe we will come up with various suggestions on how to resolve our numerous problems in the North,” he said.
News Central reports that Nigeria continues to grapple with economic difficulties. A few days ago, some residents of Minna, the capital of Niger state took to the streets to protest the worsening cost of living in the country.
Protesters blocked the roads, chanting that they had had enough of the hardship.
