THE JAMA’ATU Nasril Islam on Thursday urged the federal government to urgently intervene over the difficulties Nigerians are passing through.
The call was made by the JNI Secretary-General, Prof. Khalid Aliyu, in a statement issued in Kaduna.
Aliyu said, “The current trying time ordinary Nigerians are experiencing, occasioned by food insecurity, inflation, abject poverty and insecurity is distressing and calls for serious redress.
“The JNI under the leadership of His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, with all sense of responsibility calls on Federal Government to urgently intervene over the difficulties Nigerians are passing through.”
He explained that the call was made over the exhilarating pains citizens were airing in both print and electronic media, inclusive of the social media.
Aliyu said in light of the troubling impact of hoarding and inflation on the availability and affordability of essential goods and services, particularly food items, the JNI was therefore compelled to raise its voice on the matter.
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The JNI Secretary said, “We have been inundated with reports and pleas from ordinary Nigerians, expressing their anguish over the soaring prices of basic necessities.
“We urgently call on the Federal and state governments to intervene before the situation worsens.
“Likewise, all those arrested during the protests should be released and future recurrence be avoided through synergy and prompt interventions. This call has become necessary such that citizens would not be further provoked.”
He said government functionaries were also cautioned to choose their words very well while addressing citizens on the matter.
Aliyu said, “More so, the impending Ramadan fast heightens the urgency of our call, as access to three square meals becomes a luxury for many households. As believers, we understand that food security is synonymous with home security, as enunciated in the Glorious Qur’an.”
He equally implored the business community to resist the temptation of hoarding for selfish gains.
Aliyu said, “Instead, they should make essential commodities more affordable, by lowering prices, so as to serve as an act of charity for them.
“As we approach Ramadan, we urge all levels of government to extend assistance to the less fortunate, as reports of their plight are both alarming and worrying.
“All stakeholders must unite in patriotic fervour to implement measures that mitigate the impact of rising food costs, ensuring Nigeria’s continued path of growth and development is not halted.
‘In this time of challenge, we pray for guidance, protection, good health, and peace for all leaders, and for tranquillity to prevail in Nigeria. “May Allah, the Most High, also provide the quickest relief to all problems bedevilling the Nigerian state. Amin.” (NAN)
