From Dan Amasingha, Minna

A former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in Niger State, and chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, Jonathan Vatsa, yesterday appealed to President Mohammadu Buhari to change his body language in order to reduce the growing tension in the country.

Vatsa Lapai made the appeal shortly after visiting the orphanage homes and Internally Displaced People’s (IDPs) Camps in Minna as part of activities to mark his 60th birthday.

He explained that the President’s body language, the high level of injustice and marginalization in the system are responsible for the current tension in the country, especially in south east and south west.

“We all know why we are having the current tension across the country but nobody wants to say the truth. Mr. President should change his body language because there is anger over certain actions and pronouncements”.

According to him, the current agitations from the south east and the south west for secession are reactions to what he described as “high level of injustice and marginalization in the system”.

“Those spearheading the campaign for secession have no pedigree or capacity to speak for their regions but they are commanding follower ship because the people are feeling cheated, marginalized and unsafe in their own country”.

Vatsa, who is the Coordinator public affairs to Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state believed that APC manifestos is so rich and excellent enough to take the country to the next level but expressed regret that individual ambitions is overriding the party’s agenda.

“We are now so concerned about Grazing routes and RUGA, and very lately construction of rail line to neighboring country, Niger whereby employment generating projects like the Baro ports and the Baro rail line have become abandoned projects.

“Is it because Mr. President has no cousins and uncles from Niger state that is why the Baro Port and the rail line projects are being abandoned, and nothing is being done to revive the rail line from Ilorin-Minna-Kaduna-Kano.

“Before we talk about grazing routes, let the government first of all recover all the ranches across the northern Nigeria that have being sold to politicians in the country. We need those ranches back as a starting point instead of causing confusion over Grazing routes,” Vatsa said.

Speaking on the growing level of insecurity in the country, occasioned by the activities of armed bandits especially in the north, Vatsa said, “honestly it is a bad advertisement for the APC government which I am part of, I don’t know what we will tell Nigerians in 2023.

“In addition to the growing Insecurity, there is serious hunger in the land, which is also fueling the insecurity. The government should be concern about this so that the situation will not get to a point of no return,” Vatsa added.