Northern Elders Tackle Jonathan over Silence The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has decried what it described as the continued silence of President Goodluck Jonathan over the allegation by the Australian hostage negotiator, Dr. Stephen Davis, that former Governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd) are the financiers of the outlawed Boko Haram sect. They called on the president to investigate the duo. The Secretary of the forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi, who spoke while briefing journalists in Bauchi yesterday, said: The claims of Davies are serious enough not to be merely repudiated, therefore Jonathan owes Nigerians the duty to address these grievous allegations. The forum, according to Abdullahi, expects a full scale investigation, and if necessary, prosecute the persons involve in escalating the mayhem caused by the insurgents as the issue must not be swept under the carpet. The silence of the presidency on this matter is likely to be construed as full acceptance of all the disturbing allegations made by Davies with the rapid territorial gains in vast areas of Nigerian soil, and what appears as imminent fall of key cities and towns to the insurgents, he said. Abdullahi lamented that there is no going back in our commitment to reverse these creeping disasters when the military have indicated neglect and abuse their political and professional leadership. The forum urged Jonathan to immediately overhaul the leadership of the military to arrest the barbaric killings of innocent citizens. It also called on the president not to concede any territory currently under the grip of the insurgents. The elders charged Nigerians to support a re-organised and better equipped military to defend the country including far-reaching measures to enable Jonathan win the war in no distant time. The forum noted with dismay the so-called inauguration of Board of Trustees BoT of the forum when the principal actors were players in the Jonathan re-election bid and described them as faceless people behind the so-called Northern emancipation. It also challenged Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be up and doing in ensuring a comprehensive voters’ registration exercise in the country, and pointed out that the recently conducted elections in Osun and Ekiti States, and the Niger States by-election showed its biased position clearly.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 08:14:54 +0000
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