Northern forum urges Tinubu to reshuffle cabinet, sack service chiefs

 

Northern forum urges Tinubu to reshuffle cabinet, sack service chiefs

 

The Northern Ethnic National Forum (NENF), a coalition of leaders from the 19 northern states, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently reshuffle his cabinet, overhaul Nigeria’s security leadership, and deepen reforms, warning that the nation faces a “multi-dimensional crisis” that requires decisive action.
Speaking after what it described as “exhaustive consultations,” the Forum’s convener, Dr. Dominic Alancha, said the current pace of governance is insufficient to address the challenges confronting Nigerians, particularly in the North.

“While we acknowledge the boldness of the administration’s initial steps, the escalating crisis facing the nation demands immediate, decisive, and transformative action,” Alancha said in the statement.

The Forum criticized what it called the “glaring underperformance” of several ministers, arguing that their lack of competence and political weight undermines Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.

“A ministerial appointment is not merely a reward for loyalty; it is a critical assignment to drive the President’s vision,” Alancha stated.

“Many current ministers have demonstrated a profound inability to translate policy into tangible results, connect with the grassroots, or build the political goodwill necessary to solidify the administration’s standing.”

The Forum urged Tinubu to “immediately initiate a comprehensive dissolution and reshuffle of the Federal Executive Council,” replacing underperformers with individuals of “proven integrity, exceptional capability, and significant political influence.”

“Nigeria needs a cabinet of doers, thinkers, and political strategists, not a cabinet of spectators,” the group declared.

On insecurity, the Forum painted a grim picture of life in the region, saying bandits, terrorists, and kidnappers operate with near impunity.

“Daily, our communities are ravaged… farmers are unable to access their fields, and our highways have become death traps,” Alancha lamented. “Our livelihoods have been taken away from us. This is unacceptable.”

The group accused Service Chiefs of failing to deliver despite “enormous resources allocated with innocent taxpayers’ money.”

“Their tenure has been marked by an alarming increase in audacious attacks and a palpable sense of despair among our people,” it said.

The Forum demanded the immediate dismissal of all Service Chiefs, the appointment of new military leaders with “a clear mandate and a timeline for delivering measurable results,” and the declaration of a state of emergency on security in the entire North.

Despite its criticisms, the Forum commended Tinubu for his economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and efforts to harmonize foreign exchange rates.

“We recognize that these decisions, though painful, are aimed at establishing a foundation for sustainable long-term growth,” the statement noted.

However, it warned that Nigerians were still facing severe hardship and urged the President to “move beyond the initial reforms and embark on a phase of deep consolidation.”

That, it said, must include faster rollout of palliatives, greater investment in agriculture and manufacturing, and improvements in power supply, transport, and infrastructure.

The Forum also called on Tinubu to visibly identify with the suffering of ordinary citizens.

“The Nigerian people are suffering… The people feel a profound disconnect between their daily realities and the assurances from your Abuja office,” Alancha said.

“This requires more than speeches; it demands demonstrable austerity from government — a clear show that leadership is also feeling the pinch.”

NENF stressed that its intervention was patriotic rather than political.

“Our call today is born out of patriotism, not malice; out of a desire for success, not failure,” the group stated. “We supported the President’s ambition and we desire to support him again in 2027, but that support is contingent on effective, empathetic, and decisive governance.”

It concluded with a stark warning: “The time for action is now. The survival and prosperity of our nation, particularly the beleaguered North, hang in the balance.”