Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar-led Northern Traditional Council, has warned that rising poverty, hunger and insecurity in the country will force people to revolt against President Bola Tinubu’s government very soon.
“It is getting to a level that traditional leaders could no longer pacify the people from revolting against government and political leaders that are supposed to find solutions to their lingering socio-economic plight,” Mr Sa’ad said.
“We have reached that level, people are very agitated, people are hungry, they are angry, but they still believe there are people who can talk to them, they believe in some of their Governors, some other traditional rulers and some of their religious leaders, fortunately some of us double as traditional and religious leaders.”
Mr Sa’ad, who doubles as both traditional and religious leader, gave this warning at the 6th executive Northern Traditional Council committee meeting held at Arewa House, Kaduna, on Wednesday.
The cleric added that “Let’s not take it for granted; people are quiet, they are quiet for a reason, because people have been talking to them; we have been talking to them, we have been trying to tell them things will be be okay and they keep on believing. I pray to Almighty Allah that they will not one day wake up and say we no longer believe in you. Because that would be the biggest problem, because we can’t quieten these people as traditional, spiritual leaders and diplomats forever.”
Lamenting rising poverty and insecurity, Mr Sa’ad said “To make matters worse, we are faced with rising level of poverty of most of our people; lack of normal sources of livelihood by the common man to have even a good meal a day.”
He added that “But, I believe talking about insecurity and the rising level of poverty are two issues that we cannot fold our arms and think everything is okay. I have said it so many times and at so many fora that, things are not okay in Nigeria and of course, things are not okay in the North.”
The Sultan’s warning comes amid protests on hunger triggered by hike in food prices. Spiking food prices caused by inflation forced Nigerians to hit the streets in protests in Niger, Kano, Osun and Lagos States last week.
A market survey by Peoples Gazette last Wednesday showed that inflation has shot prices of most food items up since Mr Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
Mr Tinubu, in response to public outcry on the rising cost of food driven by skyrocketing inflation in the country, had directed the ministry of agriculture and food security to release about 42,000 metric tonnes of grain, including maize, millet and garri.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a summary of its assessment of Nigeria’s economy lauded Mr Tinubu’s release of “cereals from the grain reserve, providing subsidised fertiliser to farmers,” amongst others, as measures “to ease the impact of rapidly rising inflation on living conditions.”
