Sheik Ahmad Gumi, respected Islamic Cleric, says it is easier to meet with bandits that President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, spokesman of Northern Elders’ Forum, Gumi told stakeholders in the region that he had made fruitless efforts to meet with the president over the rising insecurity.
The cleric has been on a peace mission to stronghold of bandits in a bid to find solution to banditry.
“Today Sheikh Dr Abubakar Gumi told Northern Peoples Summit in Kaduna how he spent months meeting bandits, and many more months on fruitless efforts to meet and advise President Buhari on how to tackle the scourge. He said it is much easier to meet bandits than meet the President,” Baba-Ahmed tweeted.
Baba-Ahmed’s tweet sparked some reactions but the outspoken critic of the current administration justified his post.
Tweeting @ Vincentita1, one Vincent wrote: “Gumi’s position on ending banditry is known already. Must Gumi meet with the President directly before offering his advise?”
To which Baba-Ahmed replied, “How can I argue with someone who knows so much about security matters and how they can or should be handled? All I know is that Gumi was a Colonel in the Army, and may have have stumbled on info and ideas that will only be useful if given directly to the President. What do I know?”
Mustapha Hadi, another Twitter user, said, “Can Dr. Ahmad Gumi Submit his proposal to the defense minister then?”
But Baba-Ahmed responded, “Minister of Defence has no autonomy or independence from President ,C-In-C who takes final decisions on security policy, Sir.”
Tweeting with the account, @achamaja_irene, one Irene asked: “Sir, my own question is, how did “Sheikh Dr” Gumi move from preaching to Fulani herders to negotiating with bandits? Ba ku tambaye shi ba?”
And he responded: “We did. There really is not much difference to the two roles. He was preaching to bandits, not Fulani herders. There is a difference.”
Buhari has rejected Gumi’s recommendation of granting amnesty to bandits for peace to reign