The pan Northern Social political organization, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) may have suffered a further depletion as some leaders of the North Central geopolitical zone have pulled out of the group to form the North Central Peoples Forum which they said will help fight against insecurity and marginalization in the zone.
Some prominent leaders of the zone who came together to form the Forum include former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Senator Jerry Useni, Former Minister of State for Health, Gabriel Aduku who is the interim Chairman of the forum and former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu.
Others include former Military Administrator of Kwara State, Col. David Bamigboye (rtd), former Deputy Chief of staff to the President, Chief Olusola Akomode, Publisher of Leadership Newspaper Sam Nda-Isaiah, former Nigeria Ambassador to South Africa who is also a former Deputy Governor of Niger state, Ahmed Musa Ibeto, a media consultant, Alhaji Tajudeen Kareem, former Deputy Governor of Benue state, Chief Stephen Lawani and Alhaji Alfa Mohammed among others
Addressing the gathering, Senator Useni who is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Forum said the existence of similar groups in other parts of the country has given rise to group affinity and solidarity among the States in a particular geo-political zone to canvass things of common interest.
Useni said he was confident that the Forum would unite the people of Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in their quest to ensure that peace and stability is established and sustained within the zone.
He also said that the Forum will pursue rapid industrialization across all nooks and crannies of the zone as well as pursue policies and processes that would ensure that the massive solid mineral and agricultural endowments were adequately harnessed.
He appealed to residents of the zone, irrespective of political affiliation, to bury their individual, political, religious and ethnic differences and unite other for the development and progress of the people in the zone.
Interim Chairman of the Forum and former Minister of State for Health, Arc. Gabriel Aduku said that the zone which is made up of a population of over 25 million people spread across 71 tribes has suffered serious neglect with insecurity now the order of the day.
Aduku said “the socio-cultural, political and economic diversities of the Zone simulate it as a microcosm of the macrocosm known as Nigeria. It’s extremely rich human and mineral resources make this Zone a unique divine arrangement for immense prosperity, development and leadership within the Nigeria Federation
“It has come to ensure the effective aggregation, promotion and actualization of dormant and latent interests and potentials of the zone. It has come to give momentum and expression to voices of giants of the zone that have become silent, weak and inaudible