Discord As Insecurity Tears Northern Sociopolitical Group, Arewa Forum Apart

• The north-central has been rendered insignificant

For years on earth, the northern part of Nigeria has had to grapple with devastating insecurity which has led to the deaths of thousands and lost of properties.

The situation has begun to take a toll on the middle class and social entities in the region.

The strident echoes of war appeared to have reached a crescendo on Wednesday when the north-central part of region announced its withdrawal from the regions foremost sociopolitical and cultural group, Arewa Consultative Forum.

To this end, some revered and illustrious leaders of the north-central region have announced the plan to  form a new group known as the North-Central Peoples Forum to advance their interests.

The leaders cited the perennial insecurity in the geopolitical zone and other parts of the North as the reason for their decision.

They said the new group is part of the far-reaching efforts to add the challenges confronting the north-central, particularly the rising security threats in the area.

The group launched the forum in Abuja on Wednesday.

They noted that the organisation will serve as a neutral body with the primary objective of promoting peace and unity in the region.

The forum named Jerry Useni, a former minister and senator, as its chairman of the board of trustees, while Gabriel Aduku, former minister of state for health, was appointed as the interim chairman.

Addressing journalists, Useni said the new group is similar to the socio-political platforms which various regions use to fight for their interest.

“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,” he said.

Also Read: Insecurity: Bandits Killed Over 1,000 Nigerians In Six Months – Amnesty

“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.”

For his part, Aduku said the north-central has been rendered insignificant among the six geopolitical zones because of insecurity.

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 bedevilled by security and developmental challenges of unprecedented dimensions,” he said.

“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.”

Other members of the splinter group include, a former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu; a former Military Administrator of Kwara State, Col. David Bamigboye (retd.); and a former deputy chief of staff to the President, Chief Olusola Akomode, were also listed as members.

The list also included the Publisher of Leadership Newspaper, Sam Nda-Isaiah; a former Nigeria Ambassador to South Africa, Ahmed Ibeto; a media consultant, Alhaji Tajudeen Kareem; a former Deputy Governor of Benue State, Chief Stephen Lawani and Alhaji Alfa Mohammed, among others.

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