APC Rep carpets northern caliphate, elite over Boko Haram, religious insurrection

… Says graft thrives because Nigerians make wrong choice of leaders
A member of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ahmed Yerima Misau has taken a swipe at Nigeria’s northern caliphate and those he described as Muslim leaders and elite, for the inability of the federal government to frontally tackle the Boko haram sect and the burgeoning religious insurrection in that part of the country.

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, Yerima who represents Misau/ Dambam federal constituency of Bauchi state, has also absolved President Mohammadu Buhari of blame for the prevailing dwindling economy in the country, arguing that the challenges besetting Nigeria today were self inflicted claiming that it was as a result of the failure of the past government and the peoples’ wrong choices of leadership.

He said the crises in the northern part of the country could be located at the doorstep of “the sons and grand sons of the caliphate, and those of them that parade themselves as the Muslim leaders of this country, political Muslim leaders”, who, according to him have failed to intervene thereby allowing the situation to degenerate.
“Look at the Boko haram menace, the most unfortunate thing is that those people that come from this region of the country, those Nigerians that parade themselves as the sons and grand sons of the caliphate, and those of them that parade themselves as the Muslim leaders of this country, political Muslim leaders are the ones that swindle the public.
“Nigeria is facing serious moral crisis. See the religious crisis that is going on all over the country, especially in the northern part of the country. These are self-inflicted problems.
“The problems were self inflicted in many ways by the political elite, by the political leadership of the previous government and by the people of Nigeria themselves. They helped in inflicting those pains that we are suffering today. They were hailing those people who swindle public treasury just some few months back.

While absolving President Buhari of blame for the country’s dwindling economic fortunes, the lawmaker alleged that the past administration plummeted the economy when the leaders ran the affairs of Nigeria.
“When this country was governed wrongly people had their own personal indulgences, they ran the affairs of government for self-gratifications and all those things were not good. And I believe it’s easy to damage the economy of this country, but it will take you quite a number of years more before you can restore things.

Let’s not blame Buhari for being slow on these. Nigerians must understand that they have a crisis, and that the crisis is beyond even the economy.
Buhari has to take these things steadily and step by step, by analyzing the current trend of the world economy, by analyzing the current situation in the country and by also taking the pulse of the people. Then he’d collapse them together and come up with a strategy, to deal with some of these problems,” he said.

The lawmaker who expressed dismay over the unfolding $2billion arms fund saga involving high profile Nigerians, wondered why persons entrusted with leadership positions to ensure that the responsibility of government was effected as well as safeguard lives and properties, would turn round to swindle the money meant for the purchase of weapons to fight terror in the North East and provide security for the people.

There is insurgency and you are being asked to stamp it out, to arm your national securities apparatus to fight it, then you ended up swindling the money. So, what is the moral thing behind this?
Yerima equally blamed the development on the doorstep of Nigerians whom he said, were “too docile”, a disposition which, according to him, has given room for graft and other forms of misdemeanor to thrive in the country.

Nigerians were hailing those people who swindle public treasury just some few months back. It is not only the people that were involved in this, many other Nigerians are not saints in these abuse of power and authority. It involves everybody because Nigeria shouldn’t have tolerated this right from the word go. And Nigerians knew there was a crisis; Nigerians knew they were making deliberate wrong choices of leadership.

The law maker who penultimate Saturday unfolded a multi-million naira poverty alleviation programme to improve the lives of his constituents in Bauchi state, however called on Nigerians to exercise restraint since the matter was already in court.
“Allow the judiciary to work effectively and efficiently in dealing with the situation. At the same time let it be a deterrent to other Nigerian leaders that may find themselves in positions of power and end up swindling the public, and putting their lives and properties at the edge of destruction like they did now. With the proper steps I am sure Nigerians will come to grip with the realities,” he said.

On his constituency intervention, Yerima promised to set aside N25million every year, as token from his resources in the next four years in the National Assembly to better the lives of his constituents.
“I believe that N25 million is nothing compared to the problems that we have. I am not just giving out money to solve problems, but I am giving out money to help people to help themselves, by identifying their various professions and trades and tackle them as much as possible.

With this little token I will be able to chip in and give out something that might not have an influence on my personal standard of living but would have a stronger influence on their lives. Essentially, that’s what I am doing. And I do believe in the next couple of years I will be able to succeed to influence and improve their own living and at the same time do what I can do as an obligation to my people,” Yerima said.