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Tag: Northern Elders Forum

  • Insecurity: Presidency at war with Northern Elders for scoring Buhari’s government low

    The Buhari Presidency has dismissed its assessment by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), describing the forum as a quasi-organisation that boasts of no credible membership, and its leader, Ango Abdullahi was akin to a General without troops.

    The forum had on Sunday scored the All Progressives Congress led Federal Government low, saying the Buhari -led government appeared helpless in finding solutions to nation’s security challenges as well as poverty in the country.

    The forum addressed journalists at the end of the meeting convened by its chairman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, where it alleged that ”poverty, particularly in the North and massive social security have worsened under Buhari’s administration.”

    Presidential spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, expressed reservations over the NEF verdict on the Buhari administration, saying Abdullahi had again shown his antipathy against the president.

    ”Prof. Ango Abdullahi on Sunday signed a long-winding statement on many issues relating to the North, and purportedly to the country.

    ”The former vice chancellor signed the statement under the banner of Northern Elders Forum (NEF). Hearing that title, you would think the body was a conglomeration of true elders.

    ”But the truth is that NEF is just Ango Abdullahi, and Ango Abdullahi is NEF. It is a quasi-organisation 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 antipathy against President Muhammadu Buhari, and its preference for another candidate. They all got beaten together.

    ”NEF is merely waving a flag that is at half-mast. 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,” he said.

  • 2019: Endorsement of Atiku by Northern Elders’ Forum fake – Junaid Muhammed

    2019: Endorsement of Atiku by Northern Elders’ Forum fake – Junaid Muhammed

    A Second Republic lawmaker and prominent member of the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Dr. Junaid Muhammed, has said the socio-cultural group did not endorse People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

    According to Muhammed, only some members of the group, led by its convener, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, backed Atiku.

    Recall that last week, leaders and elders of some geo-political zones announced their endorsement of the PDP candidate as their preferred choice for the February 16 presidential polls.

    This was sequel to a meeting tagged, “Summit of Nigerian leaders and elders,” held at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, where leaders and elders of a few socio-cultural bodies such as Ohaneze Ndigbo, Pan-Niger Delta, Middle Belt Forum and a faction of Afenifere teamed up with NEF to announce the purported endorsement.

    However, speaking in an interview on Monday, Muhammed said NEF has not officially thrown its weight behind any presidential candidate.

    “There was no time we discussed endorsement of any candidate in NEF. What was announced was a personal decision of Prof. Ango Abdullahi. The whole thing was cooked up; it was faked,” he said.

    Giving an insight into how the endorsement has triggered a crisis in NEF, Muhammed said his group summoned and interviewed PDP presidential aspirants, but could not arrive at a consensus candidate.

    The prominent politician insisted that failure to convince the aspirants to embrace consensus option led to the PDP primary in Port Harcourt, River State.

    “Sometimes last year, the newly appointed convener (as we call our leader) of Northern Elders’ Forum in the person of Prof. Ango Abdullahi, one-time vice chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, called a meeting of NEF. He summoned the meeting at Arewa House in Kaduna. He claimed that there were about 16 to 18 organisations that they have discussed with. And that they have decided to pass a vote of no confidence in the person of President Muhammadu Buhari and APC government.

    “At the meeting, it was a controversial decision because the person, who read the resolution was an aide of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

    “There is no consensus in the North. And lately, Prof Ango decided to combine with other socio-cultural groups such as Ohaneze Ndigbo, Afenifere Revival, Pan-DEF led by Edwin Clark. These are groups agitating for restructuring, state police, security of the country and its various components and so on.

    “There is no consensus in NEF on some of issues because most of us are not members of the PDP. We left them to go and solve their problems in their own party because it was not our own problem. That is why they went for primaries in Port Harcourt, where money was used in the way it has never been used in the politics of Nigeria. And in the end, it was the man with the highest loads of money that emerged as presidential candidate. Whether it was democratic or not was not the issue.

    “As if that was not enough, another meeting of NEF was summoned and Atiku Abubakar was announced as the unanimous candidate or choice of the whole of the North.

    “Throughout the history of Nigeria, nobody – not even Sardauna of Sokoto Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello – has ever been given such an honour. The North used to have Northern People’s Congress, Borno Youth Movement, People’s Redemption Party, Great Nigeria People’s Party and so on. An organisation, which is not political or elected or appointed is now declaring somebody as the unanimous choice of the North and is being presented as the choice of the North.”

    Despite the fact that the former lawmaker in the Second Republic has been critical of President Buhari, he said Atiku is no match for Buhari.

    “Whether Buhari is doing well or not, Atiku is no choice. If you are talking about integrity, Atiku is nowhere compared to Buhari. If you are talking about exposure, Atiku was VP and had a rocky relationship with his boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo. If you have to endorse anybody, you need to explain the reason to the people of the North. But no reason was given.

    “I have been critical of the President, but nobody should use my name to endorse Atiku because Prof. Ango or any other person does not have the right to take the North for a ride.

    “How can anybody announce that a place that consists of a land mass of over 60 per cent of Nigeria has decided to embrace a unanimous candidate? People who issue statements should do so in their own names; not in the name of any organisation,” he said.

  • Northern Elders Forum appoints new leaders; seeks immediate end to killings

    The Northern Elders Forum, NEF, has appointed new leaders and approved a new structure proposed by its special “Think Thank” Committee.

    A statement issued on Thursday by the chairman of the implementation committee of the forum, Mohammed Kirfi, said the new appointments were made at a meeting which held on Wednesday in Abuja.

    The statement said the meeting also deliberated on critical issues concerning the organisation and the nation at large.

    The statement listed those appointed to run the affairs of the organisation to include Ango Abdullahi, who is the new chairman of Board of Trustees and Convener.

    Mr. Abdullahi takes over from Paul Unongo, who was removed last month and Sani Zangon-Daura who was appointed as interim chairman.

    Mr. Zangon-Daura was reappointed the Deputy Chairman (North West), while Paul Tarfa was appointed the Deputy Chairman (North East), and Yahaya Kwande, Deputy Chairman (North Central).

    The meeting also ratified the appointment of the already existing 21 members of the Board of Trustees and also appointed the management board.

    Those appointed are Mohammed Goni, Chairman of the Management Board, and Patrick Adaba, Vice Chairman.

    Yima Sen was appointed the Director General/CEO, while Hakeem Baba Ahmed, Sam Nda Isiah and Bashir Sodangi were appointed as Directors.

    Others are “Sale Maina, Bitrus Dangiwa, S. Bogoro, N. A. Shariff, M. B. Wali, Bello Suleiman, Sani Aminu Dutsinma, Safiya Illiyasu and Halen Jekelle”

    NEF lamented the state of insecurity in the country and strongly condemned the “horrifying carnage and bloodletting” going on in the North and other parts of Nigeria, associated with the Boko Haram insurgency and farmers and herdsmen clashes.

    “NEF wants an immediate and complete end to these unfortunate happenings and will work with government, other community and civil society organizations, traditional rulers, political leaders and the clergy to ensure that peace returns to the North and to Nigeria.

    “In particular, NEF wants to see a total end to killings across the country,” the statement said.

    The forum also said it would like to see the introduction and application of modern livestock management practices in order to protect herdsmen and farmers, their families and communities, and to enhance their quality of life.

     

  • Sani Daura replaces Unongo as Northern Elders Forum chair

    The Northern Elders Forum has appointed Sani Daura as its interim National Chairman after its former leader, Paul Unongo, resigned.

    The forum said it made the appointment after reviewing critical national developments, particularly tension around national security punctuated by killings in many communities in Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Kaduna, Zamfara and other parts of the country.

    Mr. Unongo stirred controversy recently when he accused former vice president Atiku Abubakar of being a patron to the rampaging Fulani herdsmen who had killed many in recent weeks. He had also reportedly threatened to raise an army to confront the armed herdsmen.

    Mr. Abubakar, while denying the allegations, had threatened to sue him (Unongo) for defamation.

    Mr. Unongo took over the elite forum’s leadership from the late elder statesman, Maitama Sule, last year.

    The forum said it reluctantly accepted the offer of its convener, Mr. Unongo, to step aside to allow the emergence of a structured leadership which would prepare the forum to deal with many of the challenges facing the North.

    Mr. Abdullahi said the forum took note of the sterling contributions of Mr. Unongo to the development of the forum along with its late founder, Mr. Sule.

    “The forum has approved that the Deputy Convener, Sani Zangon Daura, CON should assume responsibility for the interim leadership of the forum. Further reorganisation of the forum will be undertaken in the next few days.”

    “The forum while bidding its Mr. Unonogo farewell, demanded that relevant authorities take more decisive steps to restore the security of lives and property of citizens, particularly in the North.”

    The forum also condoled with families and persons that were affected by the spate of attacks on communities.

    The forum through it’s spokesman, Ango Abdullahi, called “on all leaders to observe restraint and responsibility in the manner they exercise their powers to shape opinion and determine the responses of the citizens.”

    “We appeal to all communities to maintain vigilance over their relations with each other, and seek solutions that do not involve conflicts which in the end, leave all of us as losers,” it said.

    The elders assured that they would continue to seek all opportunities and avenues to engage leaders, governments and all stakeholders in the search for peace and security in the North and Nigeria.

    Mr. Abdullahi said the forum re-examined its basic philosophy and record, and has been re-assured that it represents a strategic asset for all northerners, irrespective of location, ethnicity or faith.

    “It is motivated, under the circumstances, to seek to re-assure all communities that it will defend and protect the interests of all northerners and it will not succumb to blackmail and mischief that will reduce it to a platform for only one type of northerner.”

  • Unango resigns as Northern Elders Chairman

    Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Dr Paul Unongo has stepped down. He resigned yesterday at an emergency meeting of the Forum in Abuja.

    It was gathered that Unongo who succeeded the late former Nigeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Maitama Sule, last year as Convener of the elite Northern group, convened the emergency meeting where he informed members of the Forum of his decision to step aside.

    A competent source in the Forum told newsmen that a successor would be appointed in few days time “in line with the drive to move the Forum forward in its determination to support the task of building a strong and virile Nigeria”.

    Explaining why he resigned, the elder statesman said he stepped down on his own volition so as to give way for a new leader who will ensure dutiful implementation of the suggestions he has made as well as help move the forum forward.

    He said he chose to step down because the time was ripe for him to give way for NEF to produce another leader who will implement some of the suggestions he has made. “I opted to step down because of my conviction that the time has come for the NEF to produce the type of leaders that will implement some suggestions we have made. My stepping down will also afford me the opportunity to concentrate fully on other things that will further move the country forward”, Unongo said.

    He said the forum accepted his decision to step aside and even gave him the choice of selecting a successor. “But I gave them the freedom to choose whoever they want and I will give the person my full support”, he however noted.

    Confirming the development in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, NEF said it accepted Unongo’s resignation reluctantly, even as it approved that the deputy Convener, Alhaji Sani Zangon Daura, should hold forth in the interim until a new Convener is appointed. Abdullahi stated: “The Forum reluctantly accepted the offer of its Convener to step aside to allow the emergence of a structured leadership which should prepare the Forum to deal with many of the challenges facing the North.

    “It took note of the sterling contributions of Wantaregh Paul Unongo to the foundation and development of the Northern Elders Forum along with its late predecessor and confident, Danmasanin Kano Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule.

    “The Forum has been assured by Wantaregh Paul Unongo of his life-time commitment to the goals and projects of the Forum, and is grateful for the fatherly and statemanly status which he will continue to place at the service of the Forum.

    “The Forum has approved that the Deputy Convener, Alhaji Sani Zangon Daura, CON should assume responsibility for the interim leadership of the Forum. Further reorganization of the Forum will be undertaken in the next few days”.

    The statement further disclosed that at the meeting, NEF also reviewed some critical national developments, particularly the tensions about national security challenges generated by killings in many communities, in Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Kaduna, Zamfara and other parts of the country.

    According to Abdullahi, the Forum while commiserating with families and communities that lost members and assets, called on the federal and state governments as well as security agencies to take more decisive steps to restore the security of lives and property of citizens.

    He continued: “The Forum calls on all leaders to exercise the highest levels of restraint and responsibility in the manner they exercise their powers to shape opinion and determine the responses of the citizens. “It appeals to all communities to maintain vigilance over their relations with each other, and seek solutions that do not involve endemic conflicts that leave all of us as losers.

    “The Forum will continue to seek all opportunities and avenues to engage leaders, governments and all stakeholders in the search for peace and security in the North and Nigeria.

    “The Forum re-examined its basic philosophy and record, and has been re-assured that it represents a strategic asset for all Northerners, irrespective of location, ethnicity or faith.

    “It is motivated, under the circumstances, to seek to re-assure all communities that it will defend and protect the interests of all Northerners and it will not succumb to blackmail and mischief that will reduce it as a platform for only one type of Northerner”. Unongo’s appointment as NEF chairman was announced last year July during a visit by members of the forum to the residence of the late Maitama Sule at Dawaki Road, GRA in Kano.

    In his acceptance speech, Unongo had said, “One evidence of our commitment as one Northern entity and to sustain the legacy left behind by Danmasanin is the decision of my colleagues in the Forum to trust me with its leadership.

    “This clearly shows that our commitment to reinforcing the idea of one North, one people as left behind by Danmasanin was not just a slogan but the expression of the reality that while we may speak different languages and worship God in different ways, history, destiny and the realities of our existence have combined to make us one entity as northerners who must swim or sink together”.