National Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Chief Audu Ogbeh, has said if they did not save the North from its present precarious situation, the North will be lost totally.
This was contained in a communique after their first inaugural meeting held in Kaduna on Wednesday and signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Yawe.
The statement quoted the chairman to have said “some Nigerians mistake the ACF to be an ethnic, tribal, religious or a political organisation. It is none of these. We have over 300 tribes in the north and we cannot afford to be an ethnic organisation.”
“Our responsibility now is greater than before. We have not faced this challenge
before. Killings day and night. At no time has life been so tough except during the civil war,” the group added.
To this end, the ACF called on the Northern states to take advantage of the N75 billion loan to farmers in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing in Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).
It also warned religious, ethic, traditional, and political leaders in the North from making inflammatory utterances.
“Because of the existing tensions and crises leading to a general sense of insecurity, destruction of property and killings in the North, federal and state governments must take urgent steps to arrest the deteriorating security situation in northern Nigeria which has led to insurgency, terrorism, banditry, ethnic and religious disturbances all over the north.
“The government, particularly state governments of the northern region, should pay adequate attention to agriculture which offers more opportunities for diversification and the development of a more sustainable economy for the north
and the country.
“School enrolments have remained low in the northern region. State governors of the north should take urgent steps to enhance school enrolment and eradicate the rampant incidence of street begging which is very unhealthy for the overall development of the north.
“Unemployment has become a big menace to the northern region. State governors are advised to design employment schemes for our teeming youths who have become frustrated and pose an additional threat to the security of the north and the country.”
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
More Shocks As Unemployment Data Exposes Misery Status Of Nigerians
BEFORE now, economic and finance experts found it difficult to assess the healthy nature of the labour market and how to measure the impact of government policies targeted at creating jobs because of lack of real time labour data. But on Friday, August 14, 2020, the concerns were only slightly eased as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) published second quarter (Q2):2020 labour statistics, the first report since Q3:2018…
MONDAY LINES: Obasanjo’s (D)Art Of Condolence
Ben Guriano of The Washington Post described them in 2018 as ‘taboo enforcers.’ These are trolls seeking to upend truth and subvert facts about the life and times of the dead. ‘Do not speak ill of the dead’ came originally from a Spartan philosopher, then it was latinated by the Romans to read De mortuis nihil nisi bonum – and got spread around the world like Chinese viruses. The black man, as in all cases, contracted the no-no and turned it into a religion, got drunk with it and won’t mind killing for it…
2.4 Million Households To Benefit From FG’s Stimulus Package — Presidential Aide
TO ensure food security for citizens, at least 2.4 million households will benefit from the Federal Government’s post-COVID-19 stimulus package, a presidential aide says. Dr Andrew Kwasari, Senior Special Assistant (SSA), to the President on Agriculture, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja. Kwasari spoke against the backdrop of projects anchored by the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Committee (NESC) to secure the economy against the effects of COVID-19…
SERAP Demands Withdrawal Of Broadcasting Code Seeking To Sanction Contents ‘Insulting’ Leader
THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to “urgently instruct the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to withdraw the apparently illegal broadcasting code and memo threatening to sanction any broadcast that denigrates, disrespects or insults the president, governors…