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Middle Belt boycotts Arewa forum
By Sukuji Bakoji
Bureau Chief, Kaduna
Former Head of
State Yakubu Gowon has decried the high level of disunity in the North, saying
the core values of the area which include love, peace, unity, tolerance among
others are no longer common among the people.
Speaking during
an inauguration ceremony of the members of the Board of Trustees and the
National Executive Council of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna on
Tuesday, the former head of state described the occasion as a nostalgic
exercise meant to reunite the over one hundred ethnic nationalities in the
North.
Gowon spoke as
people of the Middle Belt under the auspices of the Middle Belt Forum massively
stayed away from the forum, apparently to pursue separate identity and
political autonomy free from manipulation by the core North.
Before
Tuesday’s meeting the Middle Belt had threatened to opt out from the big
northern forum, citing poor treatment meted to them by the core North.
But Gowon
enjoined the leadership of the ACF not to rest in its oars as regards restoring
the lost glory of the region which he said has been bedeviled by
ethno-religious crisis, bigotry and hatred amongst the people.
He said, “On
previous occasions in which we had gathered to discuss the affairs of the ACF,
I had felt the need to emphasise its value to Nigeria. I believed then, as I do
now, that the core values of the Northern Nigeria were love, peace, unity,
tolerance, accommodation, faith, work and worship. These virtues are more
relevant today not only for the North but for Nigeria as a whole. These values
are very necessary in organisations such as the ACF, if we are to consolidate
our unity, mutual understanding, and achieve the progress and development we
hope for our country as a whole.
“The
existence of an umbrella organisation such as the ACF enables us to come
together and deliberate on the problems that affect all of us and find
solutions to them. It helps to focus our collective determination to combat the
recent upsurge of disillusionment, ignorance, prejudice, bigotry and extremism
in our midst.
“We cannot
spare words in deploring the growing tendency among groups or communities to
promote and whip up resentment and xenophobia against other Nigerians living
and settling with them.”
In his keynote
address, elder statesman Yahaya Gusau carpeted the ACF for not doing much in
uniting the diverse people in the North, describing various consultative
meetings and seminars organised by the forum in the recent times as hollow
campaign.
“In certain
quarters, talking about our failures is seen as the cause of the problems.
Those that talk are considered to have sinister motives; a nuisance…. In
any event, it is while we have been talking that our situation has been
deteriorating, moving from bad to worse”.
Earlier in his
welcome address, the chairman, Board of Trustees of the ACF, Magaji Dambatta,
narrated the spirited efforts by the forum to unite the diverse people in the
North regardless of the existing division.
He said the new
leadership has resolved to enter into dialogue with all segments and interest
groups in a renewed bid to strengthen and consolidate gains made already.
The inauguration
ceremony which was massively boycotted by the Middle Belt was attended by
former Head of State and Presidential candidate of ANPP Muhammadu Buhari and a
few governors.
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