The Northern Traditional Council under the chairmanship of the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar has said that with challenges of insecurity, poverty and rising rate of unemployment in Nigeria and the North in particular, the country is sitting on a keg of gunpowder, ready to explode at any moment soon, if necessary and urgent solutions are not put in place.
The Sultan gave this warning in Kaduna during the sixth executive committee meeting of the Northern Traditional Council, in Kaduna yesterday.
Sultan, who is the chairman of the Council, told the federal government that the traditional rulers, religious leaders as well as state governors have been pacifying the masses and the jobless youths from revolting against political leaders at the helm of affairs.
However, the Sultan added that it was getting to a level that traditional leaders could no longer pacify the people from revolting against government and political leaders that were supposed to find solutions to their lingering socio-economic plights.
He said: "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 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' - because that would be the biggest problem, because we can't quieten these people 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 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 things will be okay, and they should continue to pray and pray and still do something good, because prayer without work will not bring anything."
According to the Sultan, to make matters worse, the level of poverty is rising for most of people, making it difficult for the common man to muster even a good meal a day.
He went on: "I believe that talking about insecurity and the rising level of poverty are two issues that we cannot fold our arms and think everything is okay. I have said it so many times and at so many fora: that things are not okay in Nigeria and, 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 the 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."
"We owe it a duty to the teeming millions of people that believe in the traditional institution, to bring solutions to the various problems facing them. We will not fail in doing that. We will do our best."
The Sultan stressed the need to create jobs for the idle teeming youths, saying: "We are sitting on a keg of gunpowder, having teeming youths, millions of them, without jobs, without food; we are looking for trouble.
"But we believe in Almighty Allah to bring succour to all our problems and we will keep on praying and urging our political leaders, who we believe will do something better."
According to him, the only thing traditional leaders can do is advise political leaders; however, they can do a lot more if they were empowered by the constitution like the governors, and have access to the amount of funds available to them.
"However, we are ready to work with the governors, because we believe in them, we believe in what they are doing and must work with them. And if the governors too want to have peace and stability in their states, they must work with the traditional leaders.
The Sultan noted that the meeting was called because of the rising insecurity in the North in particular.
"We are gathered here again for the sole purpose of looking at the issue troubling our dear Northern states. We also invited the security chiefs, the IGP, Chief of Defence Staff, DG SSS to be with us and interact with us.
"We have had such meetings before with the northern governors so many times at Kashim Ibrahim House. We have entered into a new cycle of leadership, some new governors have come on board, while some are having their second term and still we are faced with these insecurity issues."
The chairman of the Northern Traditional Council lamented that there are solutions to the problems, but that implementing the solutions is what is lacking.
"This is why we invited the leadership Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) to come and interact with us on the outcome of a similar meeting they organised in Abuja. We invited the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) to be part of us and talk to us too, because, as elders, some of them have been in politics and have done a lot for the North and the country. At the end of the meeting, we believe we will come up with various suggestions on how to resolve our numerous problems in the North."
He stressed the importance of education and health provision, in addition to tackling the twin evils of insecurity and poverty that are plaguing the region.
"I believe at the end of this meeting, we should have very good suggestions to our political leaders, to our security chiefs, that when such is implemented, we will have a better North and at the same time have a better Nigeria", the Sultan said.
Stop Asking Us To Be Patient, Catholic Bishop Tells Tinubu
Also yesterday in Kaduna, the Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna, Most Rev. Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, urged President Bola Tinubu to wake up and do the needful before all Nigerians die of hunger.
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Archbishop Ndagoso, who made the call during an interview with newsmen at the celebration of Ash Wednesday at St. Joseph's Catholic Cathedral, Kaduna, said that the government's bad policies were responsible for hardship in the country.
"Nigerians are suffering and all of these sufferings are avoidable. But they impose bad policies. Tinubu policies have compounded the problems," he said.
The archbishop noted that Nigeria has never had it this bad, adding that ineffective leaders are the major problem in the country.
Ndagoso said the government had forcefully imposed fasting on Nigerians even before the Lent began.
"Anyone who cares about Nigeria shouldn't have removed the subsidy. Tinubu should have done it gradually and not like a bomb blast," he said.
Ndagoso further said that Nigerian leaders should take the blame and do something about the challenges facing the country, and not asking Nigerians to be patient.
He, therefore, urged Nigerians, especially Christians, to reach out to the needy, prisoners and the poor during this fasting period in order to put smiles on their faces.
"Help one another, especially the poor among you; you can't love God without showing it to your neighbours. Love one another as Christ loves his church," he advised.
