ABUJA – The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), has strongly condemned the continued discrediting of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and burning of Nigerian flag by the Nigeriens who have been protesting on the streets of Niger Republic, in solidarity for the military junta in the country.
A statement on Friday issued by Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, CNG Spokesperson, condemned the burning in Niger of the Nigerian national flag and demand the military junta to order it to stop forthwith.
Suleiman, pointed out that the discrediting of President Tinubu, who is the Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, is not “only immoral and illegal, but also abhorrent to Nigeria’s collective sensibilities and ordinary decency and therefore unacceptable.”
The Coalition of Northern Groups demands from the military leaders in Niger to take action against the continued burning of Nigerian flag and warns that “they stand to lose the ample public sympathy freely given to them by the vast majority of Nigerians.”
According to the statement, “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.”
The Coalition of the Northern Groups further reiterated its stand against the use of military action against Niger, while calling for dialogue and use of diplomacy in the resolution of crisis in the country.
“We emphatically repudiate any form of preference for military action against Niger or any other West African or African nation by any regional or international community/institution.
“We 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.
“We call 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.
“We call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to reconsider its stand on the closure of boarders with Niger and the seizure of electricity supply.
“We warn against unnecessary escalation of the situation by the unsolicited intervention of the international community and other dubious foreign interests.
“It is imperative that they understand that bilateral relationships are guided by the principles of sovereignty, promotion of peace and the standards that guide legitimate interference.
“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.”
The CNG further called on the international community and organisations to weigh the impact and consequence of a destabilised West African sub-region, which will certainly threaten the peace and security of the entire Africa.
The Group also warned that any breakdown of law and order will only compound the security and humanitarian situations in the region, especially in Mali, Libya but also 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.”…
