‘We Are Losing This Country, Go On Sick Leave’ – Veteran Journalist Tells Buhari

Renowned journalist, Kadaria Ahmed, has admonished President Muhammadu Buhari to take some rest while he allows someone else to address the security threat being faced in the country.

Ahmed said Nigerians have never experienced the level of insecurity they are witnessing now, expressing worry that if nothing serious is done to address the situation, we might lose the country.

Naija News understands that the journalist made the submissions on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, while responding to the government’s reaction to a BBC Africa Eye documentary on the lawlessness in Zamfara State.

Recall that the BBC on last Monday, published a 50-minute documentary titled ‘The Bandit Warlords of Zamfara’, which captured the booming kidnap-for-ransom industry and other terrorist activities.

In the documentary, the BBC interviewed a bandit leader who confessed that they bought more weapons with the N60 million ransom paid by the Federal Government for the release of schoolgirls abducted at the Government Girls Secondary School in Jangebe town in Zamfara State in February 2021.

The government had frowned at the documentary and also condemned the media outlet for airing the bandits as if to say they are Nollywood stars.

Reacting, Ahmed said it became necessary now that Nigerians should tell their politicians that it is time to have a bipartisan approach to insecurity because it’s something that is going to consume us.

“Even now, as it’s consuming us, we are not asking who is PDP or who is APC. And this continuous politicisation of insecurity, for me, portends serious danger to Nigeria.

“So, our politicians need to become a little more aware, and even if it’s behind the scenes, I’m not even sure if we need to be seeing them on TV working things out, no. Please go behind the scenes, sit down, and reach a bipartisan agreement about how you are going to deal with the crises that Nigeria is facing,” Daily Post quoted Ahmed as saying during an interview with Arise TV.

Speaking further on the current situation in the country, Ahmed said: “We have never had it so bad. And if we are not careful, under their watch, we are losing this country. APC, PDP, all of them, so go behind the scenes.

“Even if it is a question of persuading the president. I don’t know. He has not been well. Maybe he can go on sick leave for an extended period and allow somebody else to have a go. Because by his own admission, he said something like ‘no country on its own can defeat terrorism.

“What I am hearing is, ‘I am not too sure there is anything more I can do.’ That is what I hear when I hear that. So, maybe it is time to look at other options”.