The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has described Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari as a failed state, by all standards of judgement.
This was contained in the statement of the CNG spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman during the Maitama Sule Leadership Lecture Series at the Nasarawa State University with the theme, “Constitution, Constitutionalism and the future of Nigeria” organised by the students wing of the CNG.
The group lamented that by all standards of judgement, Nigeria can today be categorised as a failed state under the current administration, having disintegrated to a point where basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government no longer function properly.
“Nigeria can also be said to have failed as the government appears to be losing the necessary elements of stability which are effectiveness and legitimacy.
“Likewise, the nation has weakened and its standard of living declined, introducing the possibility of total governmental collapse.
“Virtually, all the things that qualify Nigeria to be categorised as a failed state have manifested in the last five years: loss of control of its territory, and of the monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force, and inability to provide public services.
“The Nigerian central government has today become so weak and ineffective that it has an inability to raise support, and has little practical control over much of its seaways, highways and forests, hence there is a non-provision of public services.
“Already, widespread corruption and criminality, the intervention of state and non-state actors, the appearance of refugees and the involuntary movement of populations, have become the order of the day, compounded by a sharp economic decline,” Suleiman said.
Also, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, expressed concern over the deepening distrust in the country among various groups in the country.
He blamed the leadership of the country for creating mistrust among Nigerians.
Na’Abba urged the government to do more to “secure our forests.”
He noted that Nigeria needs a new Constitution as against the amendment of the 1999 Constitution.
Many southerners have also been putting pressure on the government to work towards changing the Constitution done by a military regime.
“Nigerian politics must be deregulated because the nation cannot expand its economy without deregulating politics and this deregulation comes in the form of the control that political parties have been subjected to under the governors in the states,” Na’Abba said.