Northern groups under the auspices of the Arewa Youths Coalition for Peace and Political Development and Northern Elders Progressive Group have condemned terrorism allegations levelled against the Nigerian government by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, military leader of Niger Republic.
The military leader spoke in Hausa language recently in a viral video where he accused the Nigerian government of forming an unholy alliance with France to establish a terrorist base in northern Nigeria.
In a communiqué signed by Hon Yusuf Abubakar, Alhaji Yasir Ramadan Kano, and Engr Mustafa Aliyu Dutsin-Ma, representing the Arewa Youths Coalition for Peace and Political Development, and Northern Elders Progressive Group they condemned the Nigerien leader.
In the text of the communique issued after a joint 8th meeting in Kaduna, the groups strongly rejected Niger Republic leader’s allegations against Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, calling it “irresponsible, lacking decorum and unpresidential”.
They called on the leader of Niger Republic to tender immediate apology to Nigeria and stop creating tension between the two countries which have a long history of harmonious brotherhood.
The groups also criticised some clerics for abandoning their moral character and exemplary wisdom, instead becoming entertainers who spread misinformation and create unnecessary tension.
The communique reads in part, “The leadership of the Northern groups above commended the Federal Government’s efforts under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu towards sustaining the fight against insecurity challenges bedevilling some parts of the northern region.
“To us, it is time for our political leaders, elites and those in authority who are of the northern extraction to come together and bring lasting solutions to the numerous challenges facing the region.
“Unarguably, the development has retarded our collective progress, unity, cohesion and development; because unity, peace and development of our dear North must be non-negotiable and sacrosanct to ensure cohesion and political understanding amongst all Nigerians.
“There must be a way to bring all our political leaders together, united and committed to the development in the best possible way. Together, we should set aside political, religious and ethnic differences in matters affecting our region and country.
“It is very painful that some of our clerics have discarded the moral character of the teaching, abandon exemplary wisdom of preaching the truth, by becoming more like entertainers in discussing matters affecting political unity, security and survival of the country without recourse to reality.
“We want to appeal to our revered clerics to stop creating unnecessary tension as a result of their unguarded utterances. They should rather allow professionals to speak on issues they know little or nothing about just because they have the platform.
“We have keenly observed that the majority of them are becoming tools of propaganda and mischief, using vulgar language in their Sunday and Friday sermons.
“We also reject, in totality, the recent allegations made by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, Military Head of Niger Republic, against Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of conniving with France to destabilize his country.
“We see such unguarded utterances as irresponsible, lacking decorum and unpresidential. These are baseless allegations capable of overheating the polity in our country.
“Our stance on this saga is total support and endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, especially with his positive approach to political unity, security and restoration of peace in our troubled zone, i.e North.
“We call on the President of the Niger Republic to tender an immediate apology to Nigeria and stop creating the tension of disunity between the two-brotherly nations that have a common historical understanding, unity and regard for each other decades ago”.
The groups urged Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser and President Tinubu, to bring an end to bandit kingpin Bello Turji’s reign of terror in Sokoto, Zamfara, and Katsina states.
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