President Muhammadu Buhari has been told to stop giving excuses and address insecurity bedeviling the nation, particularly in the Northern region.
The spokesman of Northern Elders Forum (NEF) Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, gave the advise on Friday while featuring on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme.
In the Northern geo-political zones, insecurity ranging from kidnapping, banditry among others have been rife while in the Southern part, the menace of violent herdsmen has been on the rise, a situation that has elicited quit notices from state and non-state actors.
Mr Baba-Ahmed while answering a question said under the president, kidnapping and banditry have become big industry, because, to him, the presidency has no knowledge on how to remedy the situation.
Recently, the incumbent administration blamed retired civil servants as being responsible for acute insecurity across the country.
But the spokesman also said Nigerians are no longer interested in who to be blamed.
“Kidnapping and banditry have become big industries in Nigeria… the presidency has run out of ideas… Nigerians don’t want to hear excuses, we want insecurity addressed,” he said. “This administration does not have a thinking capacity and is living in denial of the problems facing Nigeria.
“It does not appear that the Buhari administration knows the magnitude of problems (insecurity) Nigeria is facing,” he added.
In defense, presidential spokesman Garba Shehu, said critics of his principal are sponsored opposition who want the president to go the wrong way in addressing the situation.
“Some people are sponsored to come and bully, threaten the President, thinking that the President will panic, his hands will shake and the administration will take a wrong step,” Mr Shehu said. “The President condemns the kind of crimes that are being committed in the country… we don’t seem to appreciate the sacrifices of our servicemen to the nation.
“The administration of President Buhari is addressing multiple problems affecting Nigeria including insecurity… it is sad that the opposition is exploiting the situation,” he added.
