Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, on Thursday, took on the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, contending that the nation’s twin challenges of insecurity and poverty cannot be resolved overnight.
He emphasised that relevant stakeholders in governance, economy, security and other critical sectors should be committed to finding ways round the insecurity challenge and socioeconomic obstacles for Nigeria to achieve peace and steady development.
In a statement he personally signed, in reaction to the position of Mr Abubakar on the prevalent hardship and spate of insecurity in some parts of the country, Mr Adeyemo stressed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration should be allowed to work out solutions capable of addressing the situation.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Sa’ad
Recall that Mr Abubakar, who is also the chairman, Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council, had during the sixth executive meeting of the council in Arewa House, Kaduna, on Wednesday, declared that Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gunpowder due to poverty, hardship and ravaging insecurity bedeviling the nation.
However, Mr Adeyemo posited that the Sultan’s position on the current state of the nation was not out of place, but maintained that the blame of bad economy, perennial insecurity problem, food inflation, unemployment and youth restiveness should not be heaped on Tinubu’s administration, which is just about eight months old.
According to the statement, “it is important for our leaders at all levels, be it religious or traditional, to demonstrate commitment to bringing solutions to the table at this crucial point in our history. Our problems as a nation are foundational.
READ ALSO: Fire destroys shops, goods at Osun market
“Nigeria had been in a precarious state in terms of bad governance, poor economy, terrorism, insecurity, irresponsive leadership for decades. I believe that the Federal Government is not unconcerned about the plight of the people and has taken steps to remedy the situation.”
Mr Adeyemo noted that while the nation could not gloss over the incessant attacks by rampaging herdsmen on farmlands, most especially during the immediate past regime of former President Muhammadu Buhari, thus forcing thousands of farmers to abandon farm settlements, it is thoughtful to say that the effect of farmers/herders’ clash, leading to killings, destruction of farms has been devastating on food production and agriculture value chain.
“This worrisome development has been one of the major causes of food insecurity and increase in prices of food items and commodities. We need to allow the incumbent administration to explore all measures being deployed to address inflation, foreign exchange issues, exorbitant foodstuff prices, which will soon yield results.
“The recent decision by the government to deploy troops for the protection of farmers against herders’ attacks, which are negatively affecting harvest and food productivity will further boost the confidence of peasant farmers and agric entrepreneurs to return to farms. Also, the plan to set up the National Commodity Board will checkmate escalating food inflation,” the statement added.