The Monarchs from the North,headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, expressed to the FG their worry that the suffering, insecurity, impoverishment, and unemployment experienced in Nigeria, especially in the North, has escalated to a point where the people are becoming difficult to keep from revolting.
Addressing participants at the Arewa House in Kaduna yesterday, during the 6th executive Northern Traditional Council Committee meeting, the Sultan conveyed to the government that the traditional rulers, religious leaders, and state governors have been calming the general public, including the unemployed youth, in order to prevent any form of uprising against the political leaders currently in power.
According to him, “It is getting to a level that traditional leaders could no longer pacify the people from revolting against government and political leaders that supposed to find solutions to their lingering socioeconomic plight.
“And let’s not take it for granted; people are quiet, they are quiet for a reason, because people have been talking to them. We have been talking to them, we have been trying to tell them that things will be okay and they keep on believing.
“I pray to Almighty Allah that they will not one day wake up and say we no longer believe in you that would be the biggest problem. We can’t continue to keep these people quiet as traditional, spiritual leaders and diplomats forever.
“We have reached that level, people are very agitated, people are hungry, they are angry, but they still believe there are people who can talk to them. They believe in some of their Governors, some other traditional rulers and some of their religious leaders, fortunately some of us double as traditional and religious leaders.
“So, we have this onerous task of reaching out to everybody, calm them down and assure them that things would be okay. And that they should continue to pray and still do something good because prayer without work will not bring anything good.
“To make matters worse, we are faced with rising level of poverty of most of our people. They lack normal sources of livelihood by the common man to have even a good meal a day.
“But I believe talking about insecurity and the rising level of poverty are two issues that we cannot fold our arms and think everything is fine. I have said it so many times and at so many fora that things are not alright in Nigeria. Of course, things are not okay in the North.
“What are the real issues bringing about poverty and rising cases of insecurity? I don’t think it is the issue of new government. To me, this government is a continuation of the former government. It is the same party. So, what really is the problem? I think that is one of the reasons we are here to talk to ourselves.”
