By IBRAHIM HASSANWUYO

The Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory(Northern CAN), has said that without mincing words,the current state of the Nation has plunged the vast majority of the people into hunger, poverty, frustration and despondency.

This was contained in a statement issued on Monday ,entitled’DEMOCRACY DAY, INSECURITY AND THE LOOMING FOOD CRISIS’,signed by Rev. Jechonia Albert ,the Public Relations Officer (PRO).

According to the statement, due to the prevailing economic and security challenges facing Nigerians, celebrating June 12 as Democracy Day makes no meaning to the Nigerian populace hence not worthy of Celebration.

The statement reads in parts:

“June 12, declared as Democracy Day by the current administration marked with mixed feelings across the country.

In Lagos, Abuja and some Southern states, Nigerians trooped to the streets to protest against the unfortunate state of affairs in the country.”

“Amid increasing insecurity, bad economy and undemocratic tendencies among the leaders, is there anything really worth celebrating? Certainly none!

We are particularly concerned about the security situation which appeared to have overwhelmed the government.

The security situation in the country today has worsened with bandits, kidnappers and Boko Haram insurgents unleashing mayhem on Nigerians, killing innocent people and sacking communities.

Thousands of Nigerians, especially, in rural communities have been rendered homeless by bandits. “

“On a daily basis across the country, communities are being raided people are being killed or abducted by rampaging bandits and other criminal elements.

The security situation has crippled the economy as traveling on the highways across the country has become a nightmare to Nigerians.

The rains are here but farmers cannot go to the farms for fear of being killed or abducted by bandits.”

“The implication of this, is that a looming food crisis stares us in the face and unless steps are taken to provide a secured environment for farmers to return to the farms, we may be in for more trouble with a hungry and frustrated population.

Furthermore, Northern CAN is also concerned about the frequent attacks on schools and the abductions of students and pupils by bandits, especially, in states like Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Niger.

We fear that these attacks, if not checked, many parents will be discourage parents and children would be force to abstain from school, given the recent cases in Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina and Niger states, where parents of abducted school children paid hundreds of millions of naira to bandits for the release of their children.”

“We fear that if nothing is done to stop the attacks and abductions in schools, many parents may not send their children to school again.

This will bring about serious set back to the quest by the north to bridge the wide educational gap between it and the southern states of Nigeria.

We join other Nigerians to once again, call on the federal government for the umpteenth, time to urgently address the security situation once and for all to liberate Nigerians from criminal gangs and their reign of terror.”

“We appreciate the efforts by the security agencies despite the challenges they also face in protecting Nigerians.

Many of them have lost their lives while others were injured in the line of duty, partly as a result of lack of equipment to confront the criminals.

President Muhammadu Buhari, has repeatedly promised to address the security situation. He reiterated this during his broadcast on Democracy on Day, promising to protect Nigerians.

We urged the President to go beyond rhetorics and match his words with action this time around in order to inspire confidence among Nigerians.

On democracy, Northern CAN holds that there is nothing to celebrate in view of the excruciating pain and hardship Nigerians are facing.”

“Democracy is about recognising and guaranteeing the fundamental human rights of the citizens. It is about allowing the will of the people to take preeminence in matters of public concern.

The larger majority of Nigerians cannot breathe because of certain undemocratic tendencies of our leaders.

Against this backdrop and the prevailing economic and security challenges, celebrating June 12 as Democracy Day makes no meaning to the Nigerian populace hence not worthy of Celebration.” (Vanguard)

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