A senior lawyer and National Coordinator, Concerned Advocates for Good Governance (CAGG), Barrister Olusegun Bangbose, has said the recent statement by the Northern Elders Forum about the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is obviously an over flogged statement that cannot be faulted.
The lawyer says one cannot but appreciate and applaud the statement, adding that President Buhari has failed Nigerians.
Bangbose said that Professor Ango Abdullahi is indeed a noble Nigerian and an asset not only to the North but the entire nation, adding that it takes courage to stand by the truth.
The Ango Abdullahi-led Northern Elders Forum had declared the administration of President Buhari a total failure.
The group said it had warned Nigerians that Buhari has nothing to offer to them, adding that the President has failed to tackle insecurity and improve the economy.
NEF said the Buhari-led government appeared helpless in finding solutions to the numerous challenges the country is faced with
In a swift reaction, the Presidency had said “NEF is just Ango Abdullahi, and Ango Abdullahi is NEF. It is a quasi-organization that boasts of no credible membership, and its leader is akin to a General without troops.
“Before the 2019 presidential election, the one-man army called NEF had shown its apathy against President Muhammadu Buhari and its preference for another candidate. They all got beaten together.
“Also speaking in defence of Buhari, the presidency further said the NEF is merely waving a flag at half-mast. President Buhari steadily and steadfastly focuses on the task of retooling Nigeria, and discerning Nigerians know the true state of the nation. They don’t need a paper tiger to tell them anything.”
Barrister Bangbose, in a statement made available to newsmen, said NEF’s position “is a classic and should not be faulted by any patriotic Nigerian. The Buhari administration should listen to the Northern Elders and the yearnings of Nigerians.
“It’s a double tragedy, poverty and insecurity, it’s the worst situation a country can experience. It’s obvious from a critical appraisal of this administration that it lacks the capacity to move this nation to her desired haven.
“Any administration that cannot secure the lives and properties of its citizens is a complete failure. President Buhari should stop attacking his critics, rather should look into their grievances and proffer solutions to them.
“Excuses won’t make our nation excel. Buhari should be humble enough to admit that he has failed Nigerians. The entire nation is grieving. Hardly a day passes without the news of the activities of bandits, kidnappers, Boko Haram, armed robbers.
“One cannot but agree with the Northern Elders in rising above tribal sentiments to lend their weight in asserting that this government has failed. No country has ever succeeded in tackling insecurity without first battling poverty. We can’t tackle poverty without fighting corruption. Undoubtedly, Buhari has been overwhelmed.
“He possibly underestimated Nigeria’s challenges. He came not fully aware and prepared to face the challenges. One will urge Buhari to brace up because Nigerians are fast becoming impatient about his lacklustre administration.”
