Muhammad Sabiu, Author at Tribune Online

Former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, has noted that the future of Nigeria depends on Northern stability and warned that unless the challenges facing the region are tackled, it would affect the other regions with time. He made this known at the unveiling of a new Northern Socio-cultural group, 'Arewa Cohesion Initiative', formed by the former governor and other stakeholders held at Arewa House, Kaduna on Thursday In a keynote address, he delivered, Bafarawa, a former presidential candidate and PDP chieftain who recently resigned from active politics, warned that insecurity, unemployment, economic exclusion, and youth frustration have pushed the region to the brink. "These issues", he noted, "were not isolated as they threaten the overall peace and unity of Nigeria. “The North has been tested by persistent insecurity, economic hardship, and deepening social fragmentation. But let us be clear: the consequences of this crisis are not limited to our region. They ripple across the country. The future of Nigeria is inseparable from the peace and progress of the North.” To this end, he said that the new group was born out of deep reflection and constructive dialogue among leaders and grassroots communities, saying, "We are committed to practical action, not empty rhetoric. He averred that the initiative is ever ready to embrace all ethnic nationalities in the region regardless of any sentiment, saying, "members are free to align with any political party of their choice, emphasising that the Forum will support any member to champion their objectives while in a position of authority. The former governor said the forum’s main aims and objectives are to pursue the collective interest of the entire North and its diverse people. Bafarawa further said that they have an articulated blueprint to actualise their objectives, with deep reflection on the North’s potentials, asserting that whoever is seeking for elective position must be ready to tell us what he has for the region and we will tell him or her what we want. He said they are optimistic that a new Northern Nigeria is underway. The chairman of the occasion, General John Temlong rtd, said the new Initiative represents the collective interest of the North that refuses to be defined by myriad challenges but rather by its capacity to overcome them. He said the initiative embodies timeless values that have always defined the North as a monolithic region. He charged the leadership and membership that they carry the burden and hopes and aspirations of millions of Northerners, while noting that the Forum marks the beginning of a journey that will be remembered as a turning point for a lasting peace and sustainable development. Earlier in his remarks, the director general of the movement, Dr Abdullahi Idris, said Arewa Cohesion is not created out of isolation, but as a result of extensive reflection, dialogue, and robust engagement across communities and divides. He noted that by a simple, yet powerful conviction that the challenges facing the region can only be addressed through genuine collaboration, mutual understanding and a common agenda for Peace, unity and development. Idris asserted that the forum’s formation is a timely and strategic effort seeking to foster dialogue where there is silence, as well as rebuild trust eroded and create opportunities where there are none. ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE