The Arewa Youths Coalition for Peace and Political Development and Northern Elders Progressive Group, on Thursday, condemned terrorism allegations levelled against the Nigerian government by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, Military Head of Niger Republic.
The Military man who spoke in the Hausa language in a viral video recently accused the Nigerian government of fostering an unholy alliance with France to establish a terrorist base in northern Nigeria, a development that has unsettled a lot of Nigerians.
Reading a text of Communique issued after their joint 8th meeting at a hotel in Kaduna on Thursday, the groups strongly rejected Niger Republic President’w allegation against Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, calling it “irresponsible, lacking decorum and unpresidential”.
They, therefore, called on the President of Niger Republic to tender an immediate apology to Nigeria and stop creating tension between the two countries which have a long time history of harmonious brotherhood.
The groups also criticized some clerics for abandoning their moral character and exemplary wisdom, instead becoming entertainers who spread misinformation and create unnecessary tension.
The communique read in part: “The leadership of the Northern groups above commended the efforts of the Federal government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu towards sustaining the fight against insecurity challenges bedevilling some parts of the northern region.
“To us, it is time for our political leaders, elites and those in authority who are of the northern extraction to come together and bring lasting solutions to the numerous challenges facing the region.
“Unarguably, the development has retarded our collective progress, unity, cohesion and development; because unity, peace and development of our dear North must be non-negotiable and sacrosanct to ensure cohesion and political understanding amongst all Nigerians.
“There must be a way to bring all our political leaders together, united and committed to the development in the best possible way. Together, we should set aside political, religious and ethnic differences in matters affecting our region and country.
“It is very painful that some of our clerics have discarded the moral character of the teaching, abandon exemplary wisdom of preaching the truth, by becoming more like entertainers in discussing matters affecting political unity, security and survival of the country without recourse to reality.
“We have keenly observed that the majority of them are becoming tools of propaganda and mischief, using vulgar language in their Sunday and Friday sermons.
“We also reject, in totality, the recent allegations made by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, Military Head of Niger Republic, against Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of conniving with France to destabilize his country.
“Our stance on this saga is total support and endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, especially with his positive approach to political unity, security and restoration of peace in our troubled zone, i.e North.
“We call on the President of the Niger Republic to tender an immediate apology to Nigeria and stop creating the tension of disunity between the two-brotherly nations that have a common historical understanding, unity and regard for each other decades ago”.
The groups urged Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser to President Tinubu, to bring an end to bandit kingpin Bello Turji’s reign of terror in Sokoto, Zamfara, and Katsina states.
The communiqué was jointly signed by Hon Yusuf Abubakar, Alhaji Yasir Ramadan Kano, and Engr Mustafa Aliyu Dutsin-Ma, representing the Arewa Youths Coalition for Peace and Political Development, and Northern Elders Progressive Group.