The Presidential Support Committee has urged the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) to tread with caution in making pronouncements on the state of the nation, saying the forum’s recent damning verdict on the Buhari administration was unbecoming of the venerable and revered elders of the land they are supposed to be.
NEF under the leadership of Professor Ango Abdullahi had on Sunday declared that President Muhammadu Buhari has not only failed Nigerians as far as tackling insecurity in Nigeria is concerned, but also appeared helpless in finding solutions to insecurity as well as poverty in the country.
But in a statement by its director of communication and strategic planning, Mallam Gidado Ibrahim, the PSC regretted that the forum of Northern elders which is supposed to join hands with President Buhari in nation building has chosen to become the malignant force trying to demean the efforts of the current administration.
Ibrahim said, “It was with rude shock that we at PSC received news of recent attack on President Muhammadu Buhari by the Northern Elders Forum. Ordinarily, we would have expected that NEF which boast of being a conglomerate of elders would rally support for Mr. President at this critical period in our nation’s history, but the elders seem not to be venerable or behaving elderly at all.
“After explaining that the relationship between insecurity and poverty is fundamental, NEF went on to accuse the Buhari administration of not having any idea of what will provide relief or solution. This position is a complete mockery because the group of elders was here when the Buhari government utilized the repatriated Abacha loots on poverty alleviation.
“Or have they forgotten the TraderMoni, graduate empowerment scheme? Perhaps, they have been expecting the administration or President Buhari to drop or open the nation’s treasury for looting like past PDP administrations before they can acknowledge the good things he is doing”.
Accordingly, the PSC urged Nigerians to ignore the outburst of the forum, stressing that President Buhari has proven beyond doubt that he was capable of wriggling the out of the economic, social and political morass it was hitherto enmeshed in.
Ibrahim continued: “NEF is yet to tell us what their real intentions are? Until then, Nigerians should disregard this biased assessment of the Buhari government. The forum’s demand for a thorough overhaul of the leadership of our security and public safety agencies shows they are out of touch with the real situation on ground.
“The time is gone when Nigerians are manipulated to hate or instigated to rise against their government. President Buhari has demonstrated the capacity to transform Nigeria and all that is needed is the support of all and sundry”.
