Nigerian Women Elders Council at a world press conference in Abuja on Tuesday said the safety of President Muhammadu Buhari can no longer be guaranteed if robbers can break into the fortress of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa to burgle homes of top aides of the President.
The council insisted that convocation of another national conference is necessary to address myriads of problems heightened by security challenges that threatens the unity of the country.
Addressing the press on behalf of the women body, a former Works Commissioner in Anambra State, Chief Mrs Chika Ibeleme categorically stated that ” if houses of highly placed officials in the Presidency can be burgled by robbers, then President Muhammadu Buhari can be kidnapped”.
“That means that nobody is safe again in this country. So, President Buhari need to come out and address the nation to allay our fears”.
The Council said “Nigeria is currently at crossroads and the country’s unity is being questioned by the very happenings across every section. At no time have our fault lines been this visible.
“All geopolitical zones are engulfed in one crisis or the other with lives and property being threatened on a daily basis with insecurity at its peak”.
Rejecting the trend of the nation approaching state of anomy, the council said “if not checked, we as mother’s fear that Nigeria may implode sooner than later. A situation where security agencies seem overwhelmed such that foreigners take advantage of the situation to wreak havoc on the country is unacceptable to Nigerian women”.
They, therefore called on government to convene a National Conference where Nigerians from all walks of life and the different sections can have the opportunity to ventilate their grievances (if any) or express their views on the situation of the country.
The Women Elders Council was of the opinion that the conference will also afford the government the opportunity to bring every section together towards a lasting solution to the myriads of problems confronting the nation.
On why another conference despite past conferences held in the country, the council said it will address peculiar issues not addressed by previous roundtables.
“You may ask “another conference?”. And we say “yes” because there are fresh challenges that have come up in the last six years which the other conferences may not have envisaged and addressed.
“We hereby put the Federal Government in notice that after two months of this call for a National Conference, if nothing is done, Nigerian Women Elders Council will commence a two week fasting and prayers to seek divine intervention and guidance for further action.
“After communing with God Almighty, we will lead Nigeria women on a nationwide peaceful protest.
“Furthermore, if government remains adamant, Nigerian Women Elders Council will lead Nigerians in a sit – at -home action until the Nigerian government and the political class convene a National Conference and agree on workable solutions to the numerous challenges bedeviling the country.
*Nigerian Women Elders Council is tired of watching precious Nigerian lives being wasted on a daily basis as Nigeria as a nation reaches a tipping point and our children are used as pawns in the hands of power seekers. Enough is enough”, the women said.
At the press conference were Chief Mrs Felicia Sani, President of the body and a former Education minister, Prof. Chinwe Obaje,as well as officials of the council across states of the Federation. – Daily Times.
