With the rising insecurity in the country, civil society organisations (CSOS) have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to return to the country from France and tackle the menace.
According to the CSOS, the president should abandon his current sojourn in France and return to his country to proactively tackle the insecurity ravaging most regions.
When Bola Ahmed Tinubu left the country for France, his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, described the trip as a two-week working visit.
Two weeks have passed, and the president has yet to return to the country.
Since then, Plateau, Benue, Zamfara, Borno and other states have experienced a surge in violent attacks that have raised the level of insecurity in the areas.
However, CSOS has insisted that the president cannot stay in France while his country is on fire. They also say the president’s frequent travel is unproductive and a waste of public funds and that his absence is a considerable concern.
LEADERSHIP reports that since he assumed office in May 2023, President Tinubu’s latest trip is his eighth visit to France, during which he has spent about 65 days in the country.
The CSOs that spoke to LEADERSHIP include Transparency International (TI), the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG).
Their leader, Awwal Musa Rafsanjani, said that the country needs the president to tackle the security challenges now, not a presidential retreat for performance assessment.
“First and foremost, there is no reason for frequent unproductive travels. For him to go out during a security crisis shows there is a challenge,” Rafsanjani said.
According to him, “He (the president) is wasting taxpayers’ money. For him to stay so long despite the insecurity shows a lack of seriousness. If it is for health concerns, it shows the country has failed to fix the health system despite spending a huge amount of money on the presidential clinic,” Rafsanjani said of the president’s visit to France.
He said, “Whatever he is doing, he should return to the country and tackle insecurity.
“The President should address the Plateau, Benue, Zamfara, and Borno killings. He should tackle the Kano emirate tussle, a security concern. The Rivers crisis also needs his attention,” Rafsanjani said.
The CSOS expressed their misgivings that despite the security concerns in the North West, North Central, North East, South-South, and other areas, the security agencies are giving more attention to restraining people exercising their right to free speech.
“The security agencies are just after protesters. Boko Haram has returned in full force. The real bandits are not dealt with; only protesters are quickly attacked.
”The protesters are his fellow citizens; they should not be maltreated or killed. The security agents should know that these people are citizens. So, the president should also return and tackle the crisis in Rivers and Kano,” the CSOs added.
He Will Return After Easter – Presidency
The Presidency has assured Nigerians that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains entirely in charge of the country’s affairs despite his ongoing stay in Europe.
It added that he is expected to return to Nigeria after the Easter holiday.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the special adviser to the president on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, following LEADERSHIP’s inquiry, the State House clarified that the President’s absence is temporary and consistent with the earlier communicated timeframe of approximately two weeks.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains fully engaged in Nigeria’s governance even though he is away in Europe,” the statement read. “His return to Abuja and the resumption of duties at Aso Villa will follow the conclusion of the Easter holiday.”
According to the Presidency, Tinubu left Paris for London over the weekend and constantly communicated with top government officials.
It noted that he continues to issue directives on key national matters, including recent security developments across the country.
The Presidency insisted that the President remains steadfast in his commitment to duty and that the administration’s activities had not been disrupted during his absence.
“We appreciate the public’s concern and assure all Nigerians that governance proceeds without interruption,” Onanuga stated.
Governors Appeal For Peace
The chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, yesterday led a delegation of the Forum to commiserate with the government and people of Plateau over the recent violence in parts of the state and appealed for peace.
While commiserating with the families of the victims, AbdulRazaq also commended the interventions of the security agencies, which prevented further escalations.
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang received the NGF delegation.
The delegation comprised the governors of Borno, Bauchi, Benue, Oyo, and the deputy governor of Nasarawa State.
Speaking during the visit, AbdulRazaq said: “We call on leaders and influencers across all communities and sectors in Plateau to join His Excellency in uniting the people and restoring sustainable peace.
“Leaders, including youth leaders, should come together to speak strongly against violence. We would like to ask that we resolve our differences through dialogue, fair negotiations, mutual respect, and perspective taking.
“Sustainable development can be a mirage in an atmosphere of tension and violence. The Plateau is full of potential, especially in agriculture and tourism. However, these potentialities could be affected negatively if we allow violence or threats of it to define how people see our communities.”
The Forum commended the Plateau State governor for his suave leadership at this critical moment.
“Our visit is to express our solidarity with His Excellency, the government, and the good people of Plateau State. We pray to God Almighty to repose the victims’ souls and restore peace to our communities,” it said.
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