Northern northern youths under the aegis of Arewa Youth Leaders Forum (AYLF)have urged Nigerians to rally support around the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and not join the cabals who are bent in destroying the country for selfish reasons.
The youths said it made this appeal in the belief that the economic progress Nigerians desire to end the current recession will amount to nothing if we are still plagued with corruption and terrorism.
Addressing journalists on Thursday in Abuja, national president of the group, Alhaji Abubakar Abubakar
said the support Nigerians give to Mr President should be extended to the military to win the war against terrorism. He also called for the same support to be given to the anti-corruption agencies to succeed.
According to him, despite the current challanges, Nigerians need to be able to appreciate that things could have been worse but that thanks to a forward looking leadership we have been saved from a worse outlook as a country.
He said Nigerians need to appreciate the risk our military men put themselves fighting the insurgents to enable us have a safe country.
He commended President Buhari for his towering credentials in the war against terrorism and extremism that has manifested in the release of 21 Chibok Girls and other persons once held hostage by the dreaded Boko Haram terror group.
According to him, the degradation of Boko Haram that ensured it was possible to negotiate the release of the girls has also created the scenario in which the unrepentant components of the group carried out the recent attacks on Nigerians troops and other locations.
He said Most of the now infrequent attacks are on soft targets, which justifies the confidence Nigerians have in the ability of the military leadership to curtail and turn the tide quickly in line with Mr President's directives as Commander-in-Chief.
According to him, tbat the country has not sunken completely on account of this corruption is due largely to the timely intervention of President Buhari
Abubakar also commended the President for his commitment to democracy in the country, saying it is unprecedented that the wife of a sitting President should publicly criticise his administration, yet he did not flinch.
He said , "No doubt, several things are wrong. A lot of things can be better. But notwithstanding our lot is not entirely bad neither is our outlook bleak. Part of what we need is perspective.
He said despite the criticisms that have trailed the President's anti-corruption war, the results have been positive.
According to him, "The clamp down on senior judges alleged to be corrupt is a testament that Mr President will stop at nothing to ensure that corruption does not deny citizens of their rights. A land where justice is for sale cannot be adjudged democratic so Mr President has in essence strengthened democracy.
"We recognize that criticisms trailed this beaming of the anti-corruption searchlight on the judiciary. The array of comments, commendation, condemnation and other positions – whether positive or negative are indicative of a government that allows the greatest dividend of democracy, the freedom to be part of governance through vibrant contributions.
"Even family members, as was the case with Mrs Aisha Buhari's recent BBC interview, are part of the criticism. We salute Mr President for this unrivalled democratic precedence that allows everyone to make intervention in governance.We hail Mr President for his democratic posture and respect for rule of law and all the basic norms of democracy.
"This is bearing in mind that it takes a true Democrat like President Buhari not to flinch when members of his family criticize his activities. This is what many African leaders lack and our president has shown recently that it is exactly what is needed to move any democratic society forward."