Herdsmen Attacks, A Call To Renegotiate Nigeria’s Union – Tunde Bakare

The convener of Save Nigeria Group, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has asked the Federal Government to take the security of the lives and property of Nigerians very seriously.

He said this on Sunday during a State of the Nation address at the Latter Rain Assembly in Lagos where he is the presiding pastor.

The clergyman condemned the recent killings reportedly carried out by herdsmen in Benue State and other parts of the country, saying they have shown why Nigeria’s union must be renegotiated.

“The highly disturbing is the mayhem being continually unleashed by herdsmen on communities in different states across the country,” said Pastor Bakare who decried that government has failed in the area of security.

“It’s a call to return to the foundation of our geopolitical structure; it’s a call to renegotiate our union. Despite recent setbacks, we are clouded again in the war against Boko Haram (insurgency).

“Nothing indicts the current government greater than its failure in one key performance area that ought to be its strength – security”.

Bakare, who is a former running mate to President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2011 general elections, accused the present administration of failing to deliver on its major campaign promises to Nigerians.

According to him, the war against corruption is inefficient while the population of Nigerians that are unemployed has increased by almost 10 million.

He said:” This administration anchored its policy outlook on three main thrusts – security, job creation through diversification, and anti-corruption; yet, all around us are signs of retrogression.

“The ineffectiveness of the anti-corruption war is seen in the loss of crucial corruption cases. For instance, in April 2017, the Federal Government lost four high-profile corruption cases in 96 hours. Between 2015 and 2017, the number of unemployed Nigerians rose from about six million to almost 16 million people.”

Pastor Bakare also opined that the government’s effort to diversify the economy was not yielding expected results.

He said, “Reports indicate that oil continues to significantly dominate Nigeria’s export revenue, leading to the shortfall in foreign currency in the first half of this administration.”

He, however, said he has a role to play in the nation’s leadership, although not necessarily through an election.