The Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, has called on the Federal Government to take an urgent action to liberate the North from the lingering insecurity bedeviling the region.
The group made the call during a courtesy visit to Bashir Tofa, a former presidential candidate, on Sunday in Kano State.
The group’s National Coordinator, Balarabe Rufa’i, lamented that the Northern region was in a sorry condition.
He said: “Assigned to lead some delegation to visit the northwestern region of the country, the CNG’s State Executive/Interest Groups Harmonisation and Security Assessment Meeting disclosed that the group had seen a pathetic condition of people in the area.
“Our delegation toured to the seven states in the northwest, including Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa and Kano, during the assessment tour.
“The delegation had seen and heard about how insecurity had destroyed many parts of the region, causing abject poverty and hunger in the affected areas.”
Mr Rufa’i lamented the restiveness and near imprisonment the criminals had subjected the region, saying: “Some people from the states we visited told us that before 9am and after 5pm, bandits unleash their illicit acts of kidnapping on travellers.
“The bandits would be seen moving freely on their motorbikes waiting for the time to launch operations.
“What we saw and heard about the security situation in this part of the region is pathetic and heart-wrenching.
“Most of us could not sleep after our return as a result of the sorry condition of the North we saw,” Mr Rufa’i said.
In his remarks, Mr Tofa advised the group not to sell themselves to any political party or politicians in the country, if they want to succeed in their struggles.
He also advised the members of the group to venture into politics in order to change the current trends in Nigerian politics.
“You must change the current pattern of politics completely in Nigeria to bring desired change. All that system of using money to win elections should be discarded.
“You should also use credibility rather than money in selecting leaders in this country,” Mr Tofa said.
He advocated full participation of youth in governance, saying “even if a the president is old, let his cabinet be filled up with the youth of not less than 45 years because the future is theirs.
“Those old people, who don’t care about tomorrow should not be allowed to lead this country because they would be a snag to your future,” he said.
Mr Tofa also commended the CNG for the security assessment meeting and charting the way forward on the security situation in the northern region.
