From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development (CONEPD) has decried the havoc wrecked by Boko Haram in the northern part of the country even as it said it would take over 100 years to recover from the scourge of kidnappings, killings, banditry and associated psychological trauma ravaging the North East zone.
National Coordinator of the group, Zana Goni, in a statement, yesterday, said the northern part of the country was still under Boko Haram siege and that insecurity had grounded the educational, economic and socio-political activities in the region.
The group appealed to President Mohammadu Buhari to sack the service chiefs and appoint new sets of security leaders to redeem the zone from the pains inflicted by bandits and their sponsors.
“We wish to confirm that the entire north is still under siege from Boko Haram, banditry, kidnaping and other forms of criminality. This ugly security situation we noticed, has been underreported. We are concerned over this poor media coverage by the media.
“From what is on ground, it would take the North East more than 100 years to recover even if the war stops today. As we write this to present our plight to the public, there is no school opened to academic activities in the region, except perhaps in Maiduguri metropolis of Borno State. Farmers can’t go to farms anymore, especially in the North East, we fear of severe famine if the situation is not immediately addressed. Mr President, we in the north are the backbone of your party, and if nothing is done soonest to address the issue of insecurity on our land, we will have no choice than to begin to mobilise against APC come 2023.”