Northern monarchs warn Tinubu, “we never lack solution to our problems. What we lack is implementation”
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Northern traditional rulers, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, have warned Bola Tinubu they can no longer stop their people from revolting against hunger and other forms of hardship across the zone, as elsewhere in the country.
The warning was given by Abubakar on Wednesday at Arewa House in Kaduna during the 6th executive meeting of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council (NTRC).
It came two days after the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, urged Remi Tinubu to tell her husband that Nigerian are suffering because of the badly implemented policies of Tinubu coupled with other policies the President has failed to effect.
“We have several means of communicating to the government on our needs and requests [but] you are the surest way to tell the President the happenings in the country,” Bayero, told Remi on Monday when she visited his palace.
The latest alert from Abubakar will help change the narrative by Tinubu praise singers who have tried to shift blame away from him by distorting facts.
Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Lamido Sanusi said on Sunday it is an injustice to blame the Tinubu administration for these economic woes because he is tackling a failed economy mismanaged in the Muhammadu Buhari years.
Sanusi ignored the history of how Tinubu edged Buhari on throughout his eight years in the Villa, even as Tinubu knew his predecessor was destroying the economy.
Enoch Adeboye, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) General Overseer, has claimed that Nigeria’s problems are spiritual.
Adeboye stressed last Sunday when he visited Kano Governor Uba Sani that the solution to Nigeria’s problems is spiritual and beyond those in authority – a distortion of Biblical truth to absolve Tinubu of full responsibility for the hardship.
The Bible teaches that prayer works, but that prayer must be combined with full obedience of God’s command regarding a particular situation, for man to receive and retain the full blessing of God. That is, prayer for divine intervention must be combined with human action at the physical level.
Tinubu has also accused opposition parties of instigating the hunger protests, pretending that citizens as so stupid they would not realise it when they cannot feed.
In changing the narrative, Abubakar warned that “It is getting to a level that traditional leaders can no longer pacify the people from revolting against government and political leaders that are supposed to find solutions to their lingering socio-economic 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.”
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Task of reaching out to everyone
“So, we have this onerous task of reaching out to everybody, calming them down and assuring 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,” Abubakar added.
“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.
‘This government is a continuation of the former government’
“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 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 are only advisers to the political leaders, that is all we can do. But if we are empowered and as strong as the Governors by the Constitution, by the amount of funds they get from the federal and states revenues, we can also do a lot.
“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 ….
“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 terms and still we are faced with these insecurity issues.
“I have said so many times that we never lack solution to our problems. What we lack is implementation because we meet today, bring out so many beautiful ideas on how to solve our problems, go back to our various places and go to bed, leaving such solutions here in this conference hall. So, how do we implement them?”
