Northern delegates attending the 19th international convention of the Northern Peoples Frontiers in the United States, called The Zumunta Inc, have attributed the poor security situation in Nigeria to corruption within the government.
They also attributed the insecurity in the country to illiteracy, poverty, unemployment, religious intolerance, ethnic rivalry, suspicion and mistrust.
In a communiqué made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday morning, the northern delegate said that it was impossible to fight insecurity if the issue of corruption at all levels of government and among the citizenry is not tackled.
“Government must confront corruption without any reservations. Government must lead the way by cleaning up its own house, starting from the very top of the leadership.
“The issue of salary/wages and allowances of all political office holders must be drastically slashed to reflect a level playing ground for all stakeholders in the polity. Nigerian politicians are on record as the highest paid public servants on planet Earth,” they added.
The delegates urged that the recommendations of the various committees set up by federal and state governments from the past several years for security issues must be revisited and implemented, stressing that the government must leave no stone unturned to ensure that justice is meted on all parties implicated in any wrongdoing.
They also called for a conference for Nigerians to discuss the way they want to live.
“There have been several calls for a national dialogue/conference on peace, conflict resolution, but has not yet been initiated by the government to enable Nigerians sit and address the problems that confront the nation. Government must initiate such national dialogue as soon as possible,” they also said.
They also urged the federal government to ensure that the infiltration of foreign elements into the Northern region is contained, noting that these elements have been accused of raiding and creating havoc in several communities, spreading terror amongst the diverse groups of the region.
They called on government to deport them immediately and to safeguard the borders more effectively in order to stop such elements from infiltrating the nation easily.