*Says new group will fight insecurity
Leaders of the north-central region have announced that the region was quitting the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF). According to them, they are forming a new group to be known as the North-Central Peoples Forum.
They said this was part of their efforts to fight the security challenges facing the region (north-central). They particularly said the rising security threats was posing a danger to their people.
Speaking at the launch of the forum in Abuja, Gen. Jerry Useni, a former minister and senator, who is the chairman of the board of trustees, and Gabriel Aduku, former minister of state for health, said the new group is similar to the socio-political platforms which various regions use to fight for their interest.
According to Useni, “It is in the light of the foregoing that it becomes imperative and pertinent for us as a zone to rise to the challenges and launch our own geopolitical platform from where we can draw the attention of relevant authorities on the need to address various socio-economic, political and securities challenges ravaging our zone.
“Those of you who are present here today should consider yourself as the voice and true representative of your people whom they have known to have at one time or the other represented them fully at various level.
“Therefore, no sacrifice will be too much on our side to give the people of the zone the peace and development they desire from us as their leaders.
“We will support and cooperate fully with the federal government for full and complete implementation of infrastructures, development projects situated in the zone and the involvement of the people of the zone in the national affairs of the country.”
Aduku said the north-central was facing unprecedented challenges on security and development.
The forum’s interim chairman said the leaders of the north-central are worried by the killings in the region, lamenting that “lives within the zone have ceased to be sacred”.
“In the face of all the above great endowments and potentials, which should have made the zone both political, economic and socio-cultural hub of Nigeria, it is unfortunately bedeviled by security and developmental challenges of unprecedented dimensions.
“In terms of insecurity, it is an incontrovertible fact that almost in all states of the zone are people being killed and kidnapped regularly. Lives within the zone have ceased to be sacred.
“The leaders of the forum are no longer interested in the unending theories about the killings, but that they must stop. These have thus made our dear giant an endangered species amongst the comity of the six geopolitical zones of the federation.”
The north-central has for long being a member of the umbrella body of the ACF. However, its plan to pull out is new and may lead to realignment of forces in the north.
