Concerned northerners took to the street in Kaduna on Monday protesting what they described as negative proclamation against the region saying, North is not bleeding, rather it is healing.
The protesters, under the auspices of the Coalition of Northern Activists for Peace, CNAP, declared “As much as they are not unaware that, thousands of lives have been lost to insecurity in the North, they can see frantic efforts of the security agencies in curtailing the activities of bandits, terrorists and cyber propagandas that have been terrorizing most northern parts of the country.”
Convener of CNAP, Prince Zubairu Mukhtar, explained that the rally was organized in appreciation of the efforts of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and the security agencies in addressing the challenges that bedevil northern Nigeria.
According to him, “The North has, over time, been in the spotlight with issues of insecurity, specifically banditry, terrorism and Cyber propaganda. We all know …that the issues at stake require a multi-stakeholder approach, which is necessary considering the dynamics of the issues that have affected the socio-economic well-being of the peaceful and loving people of Kaduna State and indeed Northern Nigeria.
“It is a known fact that the past twelve years have been challenging, especially with the havoc caused by the activities of the Boko Haram insurgent group and other militant organizations in states like Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Bauchi, Plateau and our dear Kaduna State. It is indeed a statement of fact that the actions of these criminal elements brought sorrow, tears and blood in a most barbaric and condemnable manner.
“As concerned stakeholders in northern Nigeria and in Kaduna State, we cannot feign ignorance to the issues affecting our state and the region, which by all indications are politically motivated. This is in cognizance that successive governments attempted to address the issues. However, their best wasn’t good enough, so much so that we feared that Armageddon had come.
“My comrades, Ladies and gentlemen of the press and the good people of Kaduna State, we don’t need a soothsayer to tell us about the heavy economic losses that have risen due to the activities of non-state actors. We also do not need a prophet to say that hundreds of thousands of mothers and children have lost their lives in the carnage.
“At some point, we feared that peace would never return to the North. Our fears were brought about by the inability of those saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and properties that seemed handicapped for ethnic, social and political reasons.
“However, the present administration’s actions towards addressing the issues in Northern Nigeria have been noteworthy despite the array of conspiracies against it. We knew that it was equally a daunting task, for it would not be business as usual. We knew that the promoters of bloodshed in Kaduna and indeed Northern Nigeria would fight back vigorously. And they did, but to no avail, because we have a president who has displayed an unalloyed leadership, commitment to leaving Nigeria better than he met it.
“Today, my comrades, we are all witnesses to the notable efforts of our security agencies in curtailing the activities of bandits, terrorists and cyber propagandas that have been terrorizing most northern parts of the country, including Kaduna State.
Their operational strategies have indeed yielded positives, and we are all witnesses to the heavy casualties suffered by these non-state actors due to the proactive approach developed and employed by the heads of the security agencies in Nigeria,” he said.
While commending what he described as patriotic effort of the security agencies at bringing the security challenges to an end, he urged people passing negative comments on the region and the efforts of the government and its agencies to desist, so as not to dampen their spirit.
“We also encourage other critical stakeholders in northern Nigeria to ( see?) it as a challenge that the peacebuilding process in Northern Nigeria is sustained towards achieving the overall objective of peace and tranquillity.
“The ball is now in our court, and we either choose peace and sustainable development or nothing else. As members of the Coalition of Northern Activists for Peace, we desire peace, and we are solidly in support of the peacebuilding process in Kaduna State and by extension northern Nigeria,” Mukhtar said.
