The Arewa community in Delta State has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intensify efforts to rescue Nigeria from worsening economic hardship and insecurity, warning that the country is “going deep down the valley” amid rising suffering among citizens.
Eid al-Adha celebration in Asaba
Speaking in Asaba during this year’s Eid al-Adha celebrations, Deputy Secretary of the Arewa Communities in Delta State and Senior Special Assistant to Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori on Hausa/Fulani Affairs, Mukhtar Usman, lamented the deteriorating living conditions across the country and urged the Federal Government to take urgent measures to prevent what he described as a looming national collapse.
Unbearable economic realities
Usman said the current economic realities had become unbearable for ordinary Nigerians, citing the astronomical rise in the prices of livestock and other essentials ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration. According to him, a ram which sold for about N150,000 last year now costs nearly N500,000, while the price of cows has risen from about N300,000 to over N1 million, making it difficult for many Muslim faithful to fulfil religious obligations associated with the festival.
He stressed that beyond economic reforms, Nigeria’s leaders must embrace sincerity, accountability and the fear of God if the nation is to overcome its numerous challenges, particularly insecurity and persistent killings in different parts of the country.
Call for divine intervention
“The killings in Nigeria will not stop until our leaders surrender themselves to God and seek His forgiveness. God is merciful and He will have mercy on us if we are sincere,” he stated. Usman maintained that Nigerians deserved honest leadership, insisting that political leaders should “tell Nigerians the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth” rather than deceive the people with promises that fail to address their daily struggles.
He argued that prayers alone would not solve the nation’s problems if leaders and citizens continued to engage in wrongdoing and insincerity. “You cannot deceive God. If you are doing evil and expect God to answer your prayers, it will not happen. God looks into the mind of every person. If we do not change, nothing will change for us,” he added.
Unity in prayers
The Arewa leader also appealed to Nigerians across religious and ethnic divides to unite in prayers for the country and its leaders, saying constant condemnation of leaders without constructive support could further worsen the situation. He called on Muslims, Christians and adherents of traditional religions to seek divine intervention for Nigeria, expressing hope that God would guide leaders towards policies capable of restoring peace, economic stability and national unity.
