The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has called on the federal government to reconsider its stand on the closure of boarders with Niger and the seizure of electricity supply.
The CNG spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman in a press release warned against unnecessary escalation of the situation by the unsolicited intervention of the international community and other dubious foreign interests.
He condemned the coup leaders in Niger for stubbornly foreclosing every window of opportunity for discussions by rejecting all overtures including the refusal to allow diplomatic emissaries from the United Nations, the African Union and the ECOWAS to initiate negotiations.
“CNG notes also that the military junta in Niger have encouraged or overlooked the offensive manner their citizens have engaged in the public insult to the collective sensibilities of Nigerians and Nigeria as a country, by desecrating the Nigerian national flag.
“We note also the incitement to war by the regimes in Mali and Burkina Faso as well as the direct and indirect inflammation of the situation by certain foreign interests on the West and East that only complicate matters the more.
“CNG notes as well, the contradictory ambiguity between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government’s soothing remarks that prioritized diplomatic negotiations, and dialogue over war, and parts of the ECOWAS communique that tends to suggest an order for the deployment of a standing military force against Niger.”
He said, the CNG demand both the military authorities in Niger and the ECOWAS to open and allow all doors for discussions devoid of any hidden agenda or unnecessary preconditions for genuine dialogue.
He called on the leaders of the coup in Niger Republic to discard their rigid stance and unhelpful show of bravado and embrace all diplomatic overtures in order to reach a peaceful and bloodless resolution of the matter, keeping in mind that threats and conflicts have very little or no utility value.
“Hence, their intervention, exclamations and actions in th affairs of the continent should not be drawn to discountenance the effort of African to protect its citizens and to impose law and order.
“It is important to call the attention of the entire international community/organisations to weigh the impact and consequence of a destabilized West African subregion which will certainly threaten the peace and security of the entire Africa.
“Any breakdown of law and order will only compound the security and humanitarian situations in the region, especially in Mali, Libya etc.
” This will further worsen the continent, disrupt international cohesion, compound the despondent cases of human trafficking, migration and other challenges the continent and the world are now facing.
“The CNG wishes to make a special appeal to political, religious, traditional and cultural leaders across the West African subregion to urgently intervene by impressing the need for a window for serious negotiations to be provided,” he said.
