By Emma Ogbuehi
The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has lambasted the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) for its criticisms against the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as myopic and not representing the people of the Northern part of the country.
NEF Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed had in a television appearance, said that Nigerians are regretting electing President Muhammadu Buhari instead of Jonathan in 2015.
However, the BMO in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, dismissed the NEF as lacking the legitimacy and authority to speak for the North. It accused the NEF spokesman of carrying out vendetta against Buhari for not giving him appointment in his government.
“We need to let Nigerians know that the so-called Northern Elders Forum is a group of fewer than five people whose views on important national issues are not supported by the generality of northerners, and do not have any legitimacy. They are merely serving the interests of few disgruntled politicians.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we want to state that Hakeem Baba-Ahmed is on a revenge mission because he was not appointed into the administration of President Buhari. It is also common knowledge that he is running errands for his former boss, Bukola Saraki, under whom, as president of the Senate, he served as the chief of staff.
“We are not surprised that after he fell out of favour with the administration of President Buhari, he has now resorted to making wild allegations against the Buhari administration, and has embarked on using the opposition media, such as Sahara Reporters, to make vitriolic remarks and comments against an administration that has turned things around for good in the country”.
BMO reminded the NEF and its spokesman that in contrast to their position, the Buhari administration has over the last six years rehabilitated a substantial part of the country’s infrastructure. “It has raised the bar in the fight against corruption, as well as become the nightmare of terrorists, bandits and kidnappers.
“Today, many of the bad guys are begging to surrender, and the reason is simple: the security agencies under the direction of President Muhammadu Buhari are taking the war to their hideouts and enclaves.
“We also want to remind the NEF that the country’s economy has rebounded with the various measures already put in place to diversify. Recently the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which was previously infamous for sleaze and waste, declared profit, and this is unprecedented in the history of the corporation.
“In fact, a lot is happening across the country and only a blind organisation like NEF has chosen to be myopic to the positive developments in the country”, the statement added.