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  • Northern Elders Forum calls for unity, peace in Christmas message

    Northern Elders Forum calls for unity, peace in Christmas message

    The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has invoked teachings from both the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Bible in its Christmas message, urging Nigerians to embrace unity, peace, and mutual understanding.

    The forum extended warm Christmas greetings to Christians in Northern Nigeria and across the country, while also conveying goodwill to all Nigerians as the year draws to a close and a New Year begins.

    In a statement issued on Wednesday, NEF Spokesperson Professor Abubakar Jiddere described Christmas as a season of reflection, renewal of faith, and reaffirmation of the values of love, peace, and sacrifice.

    “It is a moment that calls on individuals and nations alike to pause, look inward, and recommit to the higher ideals that sustain peaceful coexistence,” Jiddere said.

    “As the Holy Bible reminds us, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men’” (Luke 2:14). This timeless message speaks directly to our shared aspiration for harmony and mutual respect in Nigeria.

    “In the same spirit, the Holy Qur’an teaches, “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you” (Qur’an 49:13). 

    “This profound guidance underscores the sanctity of human dignity and affirms that our diversity, religious, ethnic, and cultural, is a divine trust that must be preserved through tolerance and understanding.

    The elders urged Nigerians to use the festive season for sincere national reflection, stressing that the country is at a critical juncture where unity, love, and shared responsibility are essential.

    Jiddere called on citizens, leaders, institutions, and communities to rise above division, reject hate, and recommit to peaceful dialogue and collective progress.

    He said, “As families travel to celebrate the season with loved ones, the Forum places strong emphasis on safety and the preservation of life. We appeal to all road users to exercise caution, patience, and responsibility, and we urge security agencies and community leaders to remain vigilant in safeguarding lives and property throughout the festive period. No celebration is complete if human life is lost or endangered.

    “Looking ahead to the New Year, the Northern Elders Forum expresses hope for a Nigeria guided by wisdom, justice, and compassion. We believe that with sincere leadership and responsible citizenship, our nation can overcome its challenges and move steadily toward peace, stability, and shared prosperity.”

    The forum prayed that Christmas would bring comfort to every home and that the New Year would usher in renewed hope, national healing, and a stronger sense of brotherhood among Nigerians.

  • New northern development initiative secures $10b for mining, agriculture, power

    New northern development initiative secures $10b for mining, agriculture, power

    The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) yesterday announced the establishment of the Northern Nigeria Economic Development Council (NNEDC), a new coordinating body to drive industrialization, attract investment, and harmonize development policies across the northern region.

    The announcement followed the successful conclusion of the Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialization Summit (NNIIS) in Abuja, where participants pledged over $10 billion in new investments across mining, agriculture, and power.

    In a communiqué signed by the Chairman of the NEF Board of Trustees, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, the forum said the NNEDC would serve as the institutional framework for implementing a Northern Nigeria Economic Development Masterplan, focusing on security, policy coherence, and private capital as pillars for the region’s economic transformation.

    The two-day summit, had “Unlocking Strategic Opportunities in Mining, Agriculture, and Power (MAP 2025)” as theme and brought together an extensive coalition of stakeholders, including Federal Government officials, northern governors, the NNDC, private sector leaders, development partners, financiers, academics, and civil society representatives.

    He said: “The summit also featured exhibitions of investment opportunities by the 19 Northern Nigerian States’ Investment Promotion Agencies and Corporate Sponsors and Deal Room/Matchmaking (B2B, B2G) sessions. Major investments across Mining, Agriculture and Power worth over $10 billion were pledged over the next five years,” Prof Abdullahi said.

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    Delegations from Turkey, India, Canada, Bangladesh, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia also attended, expressing readiness to invest billions of dollars in the region’s growth sectors.

    The summit featured strategic showcases, high-level addresses, panel discussions, and masterclasses exploring sectoral strengths, challenges, and investment opportunities in mining, agriculture, and power.

    Declaring the summit open, President Bola Tinubu, represented by Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to reviving Northern Nigeria’s economy through partnership and institutional capital mobilization.

    NEF, in turn, expressed appreciation for the President’s support and pledged to ensure accountability in delivering on this national promise.

    At the event, governors from the North West, North East, and North Central regions signed the Northern Nigeria Economic Development Charter, committing their states to a unified regional economic vision.

    The newly created NNEDC will operate under the joint oversight of NEF and the Northern Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NNGF), coordinating the implementation of the Northern Nigeria Economic Development Masterplan (NNEDM).

    A Joint Implementation and Monitoring Taskforce (JIMT) will oversee transitional actions and publish an operational roadmap within 60 days. The NNEDC will issue quarterly scorecards to track measurable outcomes such as jobs created, energy capacity added, and investments mobilized.

    Also speaking, Prof. D.D. Sheni, Director-General of NEF, said the event marked “a decisive pivot from rhetoric to execution” in Northern Nigeria’s development journey.

    He said: “With security as the bedrock, policy coherence as the framework, and private capital as the engine, Northern Nigeria can transform its endowments into sustainable growth.”

    NEF reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability, and inclusive prosperity as it leads the region into a new era of coordinated economic transformation.

    He added: “Significant deposits across states (e.g., gold, copper, lithium, tantalite, granite). Scope for local processing and mineral-based industrialization; regional supplier ecosystems. Illegal mining, environmental degradation, social conflict risks without strong ESG safeguards. Inadequate data on mineral resources. Need for credible, consistent permitting; royalties clarity; community engagement; dispute resolution; E&S compliance. Need to reform mining and mineral resource development governance.

    “Nigeria’s per-capita electricity consumption is ~120 kWh vs ~1,200 kWh global average; >70% of generated power is consumed in the South, leaving the North with the highest energy poverty (<40% access in many areas).

    “Hydro assets in/serving the region include Shiroro (600 Mw), Kainji (800 Mw), Jebba (540 Mw), Kashimbila (40 Mw), Dadin Kowa (40 Mw), Tiga (10 Mw), yet access and reliability remain low due to transmission and distribution bottlenecks.

    “Noted constraints include vandalism and capacity limitations on Shiroro–Kaduna (Mando) 330 kV Lines 1 & 2, under-utilization due to missing bays on Kaduna–Jos 330 kV Line 2, partial outages on April (Enugu)–Jos 330 kV double circuit, and an early-stage quad-conductor Shiroro–Mando upgrade project. High technical, commercial, and collection losses; energy theft; policy inconsistency; insecurity around network assets.

    Biomass: agricultural residues and livestock waste. Gasification: opportunities in coal/solid-waste-to-syngas for distributed generation.

    “Participants emphasized mobilizing capital-market instruments (infrastructure funds, sukuk/green bonds, project bonds) to finance generation, transmission, distribution, and off-grid/mini-grid solutions.”

    Adopt standardized PPP frameworks and model contracts, with transparent procurement and risk-allocation, to accelerate infrastructure delivery. Institutionalize land administration reforms (digitized cadastre, clear titling, time-bound consent), with Community Benefit Agreements and grievance redress mechanisms.

    Launch a Northern Nigeria Capital Mobilization Programme leveraging DFIs, pension funds, sovereign and diaspora capital; structure blended-finance vehicles and thematic instruments (green/sukuk/infrastructure/project bonds).

    Digitize the regional economy: expand broadband, shared data platforms, digital ID/payment rails, and digital literacy to deepen inclusion and reduce informality.

    Establish a Security–Investment Coordination Taskforce linking security agencies, states, traditional/community institutions, and operators to protect corridors, energy assets, and mining sites. Adopt ESG & transparency standards (e.g., EITI-style disclosures for mining; climate and social safeguards for all major projects).

  • Tax Reform Bills: NEF call for dialogue, inclusive policies

    Tax Reform Bills: NEF call for dialogue, inclusive policies

    • Suspend proposed tax reform bills, forum advises FG

    The Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), yesterday raised concerns over the Federal Government’s proposed Tax Reform Bills, urging immediate suspension of their implementation.

    The forum called for extensive dialogue with stakeholders.

    It criticized the government for failing to engage critical stakeholders and experts before drafting the reforms.

    NEF expressed its position in a statement signed by the Chairman of the Management Board, A.M. Al-Amin Daggash, highlighting the reforms’ potential adverse effects on Northern Nigeria and the nation as a whole.

    Daggash said: “To begin with, contrary to the desperate attempt by the Lagos/Ibadan axis of the media to glibly frame the robust and animating discourse still gaining nationwide currency, on the proposed Tax Reform Bills, by focusing it on the concave and myopic lenses of North-South dichotomy, truth be told.

    “The salient contributions that are coming from a broad section of Nigerians, from all the six geo – political zones, have so far, ably succeeded in deepening, enriching and modifying the proposed Tax Reform Bills, well ahead of so many necessary amendments, to be legislated by the National Assembly.

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    “It is necessary to reiterate, that indeed, Nigerians in general and Northerners in particular, are not really against the introduction of any form of good and meaningful reforms by those in positions of authority, at the federal, state or local government levels.

    “Even though, we shall remain very implacable in reaffirming that, our practical experiences teaches us that, going by global best practice, successful reforms are known to be underpinned by strict adherence to certain common cardinal characteristics of the public policy-making process.

    “For convenience of exposition, these similarities include, but, not limited to the under listed basic essentials: Extensive pre-reforms early engagements with experts and critical stakeholders, in order to secure their buy-in

    “Establishing a very well-defined media/ communication strategy, that clearly articulates the full import of the reforms and disseminates public awareness and mass enlightenment on a nationwide scale.

    “Designing a robust, transparent and inclusive implementation mechanism. Pro-actively putting in place a well-sequenced process, in order to ensure that the meticulously planned reforms, really meet the society’s desired and anticipated outcomes.

    “The Northern Elders’ Forum, make bold to say, that, the recently proposed Tax Reform Bills by the Federal Government, were clearly in the breach, with regards to adhering to the above listed common characteristics of reforms and public policy-making process, all over the world and in conformity with the global best practice”.

    NEF added: “The Federal Government should immediately suspend the rush to implement the proposed Tax Reform Bills, so as to more wisely use the medium of dialogue to allay all concerns, collect all quality contributions and critical inputs from cross sections of Nigerian stakeholders, and then finally proceed to accommodate and redesign the sequencing of the implementation strategy.

    “As a consumption tax which drastically reduces the purchasing power of citizens, fuels inflation and hikes in interest rates, no increase in VAT should be imposed, pending the emergence into the national horizon, of clear evidence of the promised economic recovery by the government.

    “The proposed formula contained in the NTAB is not fair to the states where VAT revenue is generated, as the consuming states are denied credit for what has been generated from them. Since VAT is a General Consumption Tax (GCT), the rule of attribution based on the location of consumption should be uniformly applied.

    “Since Section 162(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) grants the RMAFC, the sole authority to determine the formula for equitable revenue sharing among the three tiers of government, no attempt should be made by the ruling authority, to whimsically change this provision, as doing so, is capable of undermining the law of the land and disrespect of democratic principles.

    “The plan to move the exceedingly performing developmental and technological institutions, with a secured means of sustainability, such as, TETFund, NITDA and NASENI, to the uncertain and hazardous future of budgetary allocation should be halted. We strongly recommend that the status quo should be maintained by the government, so as to strengthen and protect these strategic national institutions.

    “That, given our diversity and the importance the government attaches to promoting financial inclusion, the use of contentious terms like “ecclesiastical,” in the original proposed Tax Reform Bills, should be seamlessly replaced with “religious.”

    “That, religious, charitable organizations and family inheritance wealth, should be exempted from paying all forms of taxes, as this is prone to conflicts over citizens’ strict adherence to some religious obligatory laws.”

  • It’s too early to threaten Nigerians with 2027 election, Hayab tells NEF

    It’s too early to threaten Nigerians with 2027 election, Hayab tells NEF

    Former Chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. John Joseph Hayab, has told the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) that it is too early to threaten Nigerians with 2027 election.

    In a statement yesterday, Hayab stated categorically that, “It is sad to read that some members of NEF are saying North will not vote for Tinubu in the next election in 2027.”

    As a stakeholder, he said: “I find this call coming at the wrong time and lacking in good reasoning. The speed at which our naira is improving against dollars shows Tinubu is doing better than our almighty Buhari.”

    He further explained that the speed at which Nigerians got the Kuriga school children from Kaduna  State back is a huge progress in handling insecurity compared to how innocent parents suffered when Bethel Baptist School children and others were kidnapped.

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    He, however, advised that, “NEF should instead seek ways to collaborate with this government to find solutions to insecurity, hunger, improved economy and making our currency add value for the overall progress and development of the country.

    “Threatening the government with no vote in 2027 shows they may not have a good heart for the progress of the country but are only interested in what they will benefit.”

    He challenged bodies  like NEF to use their  groups to support and challenge their leaders or government authorities to make the country great and a better place for all Nigerians.

    “Let us not bring issues that have no basis at this time for the progress of our land. We need elders that will help unite the country, offer useful advice that will help the nation not coming up with provocative statements that will only provoke other regions to start making statements that will further bring division and  confusion in the country,” he further advised.

  • Northern Elders’ Forum didn’t endorse Atiku, says 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 Prof. Ango Abdullahi, backed Atiku.

    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.

    But, in an interview with The Nation yesterday, 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.

  • ACF applauds Buhari over oil drilling in North

    …silent over NEF’s endorsement of Atiku

     

    Barely 24 hours after Professor Ango Abdullahi led Northern Elders Forum (NEF) endorsed PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar for presidency, mouthpiece of Northern Nigeria, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has applauded President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government over the flag-off of oil drilling operations in the North.

    Though, the ACF was silent over the NEF’s endorsement of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, its commendation of Buhari programme 24 hours after, speaks volume.

    The forum in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim Biu described the oil and gas drilling operations in the Spud-In of Kolmani River-11 well in the Gongola Basin in Bauchi State, flagged-off by President Muhammad Buhari, as a welcome development.

    ACF argued that, “the political will mustered by the government to aggressively pursue the oil exploration in the Northern part of the country, clearly dovetails with the regime’s economic recovery and growth plan, which it said can boost economic benefits, particularly in the North and Nigeria in general.

    According to ACF, “The oil and gas drilling operations in the Spud-In of Kolmani River-11 well in the Gongola Basin in Bauchi State, flagged-off by President Muhammad Buhari last week is a welcome development in the sense that it will open new prospects for the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

    “The political will mustered by the Federal Government (FG) to aggressively pursue the oil exploration in the Northern part of the country clearly dovetails with the regime’s economic recovery and growth plan (ERGP) which can boost economic benefits, particularly in the North and Nigeria in general.

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    “Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), therefore, commends the FG and urges her to sustain the oil and gas exploration efforts in the other frontier basins.

    “In this respects, ACF appeals to the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) to courageously and fully ensure that the Presidential directive on the oil exploration campaigns in Chad Basin, Gongola, Anambra, Sokoto, Bida Basins and Benue Trough are carried out to the letter and spirit.

    “ACF also appeals to the FG to also create and provide an enabling environment that will encourage other oil companies to invest and participate in the oil and gas exploration in the North. This is because the oil and gas exploration will in no small measure add value to the nation’s economy,” ACF said.

  • Northern Elders Forum decries FG’s silence over herdsmen, farmers’ clashes

    Northern Elders Forum decries FG’s silence over herdsmen, farmers’ clashes

    •Seeks solution to growing agitation for restructuring

    The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) is not happy with the federal government for its alleged silence on intermittent clashes between herdsmen and farmers in different parts of the country.

    It blamed the federal government for failing to evolve a nationwide transition programme for herdsmen to embrace ranching as a solution to the persistent clashes.

    It therefore wants government to step in immediately and address the problem for peace to reign.

    The group, at an extraordinary session with Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State in Markurdi, also advised government  to accept the socio-economic advocacy from southern Nigeria as a solution to the growing agitation for restructuring.

    The Southern Leaders Forum (SLF) at its last meeting in Lagos last week disagreed with President Muhammadu Buhari’s position on agitations for restructuring insisting that only restructuring will ensure the unity, peace and development of the country.

    Buhari in his last Monday’s national broadcast had said Nigeria’s unity is settled and non-negotiable.

    Emerging from the NEF’s session with Ortom yesterday, its spokesperson, Mr. Mustapha Wali, told reporters that the federal government “has failed in intervening in sorting out these matters nationwide, all you hear are conferences and seminars of academics but the practical applicable and interventionist stage as it is happening now, is what should have been the case.

    “Now that Benue has taken the bull by the horn as they say, we have to put a proposition for capital intensive possibilities for this transitional situations where the herdsmen are taught to ranch and to know that they are bitter times during transition and therefore, the federal government cannot avoid the responsibility of coming in to assist all the states and harmonize all these problems.

    “It is in this respect as the convener (Dr. Paul Unongo) has stated, that we now intend to set-up a special intervention committee for the purposes of intervening in these kinds of situations, the transitional and legal situations to ensure there are no problems that will arise which are fully avoidable”.

    Governor Ortom in an attempt to mobilize support for the open grazing prohibition and ranches establishment bill 2017, urged leaders in the region to speak up and find solution to the raging herdsmen/farmers conflict.

    He said: “Our leaders have chosen to keep quiet and it is something that is to me a keg of gun-powder and we need to arise to our responsibilities as leaders to check this problem, the problem of herdsmen and farmers.

    “Benue State in particular, was under siege since 2012, 13 local governments were completely displaced out of 23 local government, including my own local government.

    “While serving as minister, my ancestral home was attacked and destroyed and that day alone, 53 of my people were murdered in cold blood, my farm was razed and destroyed.”

  • Northern elders to Osinbajo: Be wary of mischief makers

    Northern elders to Osinbajo: Be wary of mischief makers

    The Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) on Thursday in Kano urged Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to be wary of mischievous elements plotting to overheat the polity by taking advantage of President Muhammadu Buhari’s absence to achieve dubious political goals.

    NEF, in a communiqué issued at the end of its two-day emergency meeting in Kano, also warned those seeking undeserved political advantage to desist from such moves.

    The Forum said the North is conscious of its obligations and rights and will not hesitate to discharge and defend them without reservations.

    The communiqué signed by NEF Deputy Leader, Chief Wantaregh Paul Unongo and its Spokesman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, said the group is  aware that attempts are being made to exploit the absence of President Buhari to achieve dubious political goals.

    It, however, advised Osinbajo to “exercise responsibilities as he did in the past with commitment, sensitivity and respect for the constitution.”

    “We urge him to ignore mischief makers which seek to pitch him against the President or the Nigerian people whose mandates they both exercise.”

    “The task of governing the nation will continue uninterrupted until the return of President Buhari. We therefore appeal to all persons with responsibility to cooperate fully to sustain a united, focused and committed administration.

    “While commending the sterling contributions of Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, in providing the necessary leadership to stabilize the polity, we appeal to the executive and legislative arms of government to work together to pass the 2017 budget without further delay,” the Forum stated.

    NEF aligned itself with the ongoing campaign against corruption in the country, saying “we also expect that the war against corruption will not suffer a setback and current investigations and activities will not be stalled due to the absence of President Buhari.”

     

  • Northern elders fault Jonathan’s comment about statesmen

    …Say, Sitting leaders are worse than pick-pocket‎s

    The Amb. Maitama Sule led Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) on Thursday hit back at President Goodluck Jonathan for describing some elder statesmen as touts.

    Addressing the press at his Zaria based farm, the spokesman of NEF, Prof. Ango Abdullahi said, even some sitting leaders are worse than pick-pockets in a motor park, adding that President Jonathan shouldn’t have made such abusive statement on nation’s statesmen who fought for the unity of the country.

    Prof. Abdullahi ,who is also a member of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), also tongue-lashed the Tanko Yakasai led Northern Elders Council (NEC), saying the group lacks principle and they are not speaking for the generality of Nigerians.

    The former Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Vice Chancellor, said NEF is more focused and committed to the political well-being of Northerners and Nigerians in general.

    He said, “President Jonathan should know that in a motor park, there are touts and there are pick-pockets, so if some past leaders are touts, some sitting leaders are pick-pockets and thieves. So, you have to make your pick from that.

    “This is a country that is complaining about corruption and the President himself has said that stealing is a small corruption. So, for him to even come around and refer to some people as touts, he should remember that some ‎of them sitting there are pick-pockets.”

     

  • Group to northern elders: Chibok girls won’t stop Jonathan

    A socio-political group, De Servants, on Wednesday dared northern elders insisting that President Goodluck Jonathan would declare for a reelection with or without the abducted Chibok girls.

    Northern Elders Forum (NEF) recently gave the President till October to either produce the girls or forget his re-election ambition.

    But De Servants carpeted NEF for the ultimatum after a meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, attended by its members across the six geopolitical zones.

    The group asked NEF to help President Jonathan and the country to bring back the girls instead of apportioning blames.

    De Servants endorsed President Jonathan for second term and expressed optimism that the President would soon declare his 2015 ambition.

    The Leader of the group, Mr. Kime Engozu, said it was the responsibility of all Nigerians to fight insecurity in the country.

    He asked the northern elders to imitate the spirits of patriotism displayed by their Niger Delta counterparts when the region was ravaged by militancy.

    He recalled that the Niger Delta elders moved into the creeks to resolve the problem and restore the peace in the region.

    He said the group would invite the northern elders to work with the Federal Government for the release of the Chibok girls and restore peace in the country.

    “Let all of us work as nation builders and not nation destroyers,” Kime said.

    He said their endorsement of Jonathan for second term was to enable him to consolidate on his achievements so far.