Northern Leaders Accuse Jonathan of Marginalization, Lament Insecurity

Some leaders of thought from the North who gathered at Tahir Guest Palace,

Kano, for a two-day Conference of Leaders and Elders of Northern Nigeria

have accused President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for systematically

marginalizing the region for political reasons, while calling on all

stakeholders, groups and daughters and sons from the North to come

together and speak with one voice.
They decried the spate of insecurity and poverty ravaging the region.

Borno Elders Forum at the conference expressed surprise over the continued

silence of the Federal Government, as well as the deliberate

non-implementation of the reports on the insurgency ravaging some parts of

the North, particularly Borno State.
In a goodwill message to the Conference of leaders and elders of Northern

Nigeria, titled: '' State of the North'' which was convened by an Elder

states man, Alhaji Maitama Sule, in Kano yesterday, Borno Elders raised

alarm of the humanitarian crisis that has rocked Borno State, following

the incessant and continued gruesome killing of innocent people in the

State.
The Borno Elders noted that the current security challenges in the North

East, particularly Borno State calls for a serious concern, not just from

the citizens of the affected states but by the generality of Nigerians.

“The current security challenges that we are battling in the North-East of

Nigeria and articularly, Borno state calls for a serious concern, not just

from the citizens of the affected states, but of Nigeria in general.

“A situation where an entire community is wiped out, places of worship

destroyed without recourse to even women, children and the elderly is not

just condemnable, but barbaric and cannot in anyway be linked to a

particular religion. Sometimes, one will ask 'are these people really

human?
“As for those of us that are from Borno, we have been seeing hell; our

people are constantly decimated, especially in the last few weeks. Our

towns and villages razed, properties destroyed, schools and places of

worship burnt, even innocent travelers were not spared. This is the

catastrophe that should be condemned by all. In fact, a declaration of a

mourning period throughout the North is even necessary,” Zanna stated.

 
In his address at the Conference of Elders, titled: ''The North: A Past in

the Future'', Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed lamented that the people of the North

are today without leaders, who will take a stand on the National

conference and convince the nation to respect that position.

Dr Ahmed regretted that the North has leaders, who will move against the

crippling assaults on lives and property of its poor and defenceless

citizens because power is in the hands of people, who as pear too are far

removed from Northern interests.
Among others, Alhaji Maitama Sule, the Dan Masanin Kano, who is the

convener of the conference of Northern leaders said it is held to unite

the North, so as to remove religious and tribal differences to enable the

North speak with one voice.
Maitama Sule, who emphasized that the North is united condemned the use of

religion to divide the North, and called on the Federal Government to

deploy its might to halt the wanton killings in the North East, adding

that both religions preach love, peace and not violence.