Prominent leaders from the North-Central geopolitical zone have exited from the Arewa Consultative Forum, forming a new organisation to focus on the interest of the zone.
They attributed their exit to the worsening insecurity in the northern region among other issues.
The new organisation, the North Central Peoples Forum (NCPF), is also coming barely two months after the North East Elders Forum (NEEF) was established.
Announcing the formation of the Forum, its promoters said it would serve as a platform to fight insecurity and marginalisation.
Founding members of the organisation include; former Minister of State for Health, Gabriel Aduku, who is the interim chairman; former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Jerry Useni; former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu; former Military Administrator of Kwara State, Col. David Bamigboye (rtd.); and a former deputy chief of staff to the President, Chief Olusola Akomode.
Others are; 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.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, the group lamented that in spite of the abundant mineral and human resources in the zone, the North-Central was plagued by various forms of criminalities like kidnapping, banditry and others.
Gen. Useni, who is the chairman of the NCPF Board of Trustees, informed journalists that the existence of similar groups in other parts of the country like Ohaneze Ndigbo, Afenifere, South South Peoples Assembly and the South South Elders Forum had encouraged the formation of the NCPF.
He said he was confident that the forum would unite the people of Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory in their quest to ensure that peace and stability was established and sustained within the zone.
He said, “The forum is also aimed at ensuring cooperation and support for the good policies and administration of the six governors of the zone, irrespective of our political, religious and ethnic differences.
“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.
“We will promote, defend and strengthen North Central unity and the interest of its people in the context of one indivisible Nigeria and to contribute to the safeguarding of her territorial integrity.
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“Consequently, every zone now has a common socio-political platform where they meet to discuss their strength and weakness with the view to propounding and promoting progress and development of the zone.
“It is therefore in this context that the Southsouth Peoples Assembly, the Southsouth Elders Forum, Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo were formed to champion the common cause of their people and draw Federal Government’s attention to the perceived problems facing their zones.
“Recently, the people of Northeast floated a body called the Northeast Elders Forum for the attainment of similar objectives. They succeeded in getting the Northeast Commission approved by the Federal Government. It is in 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.”
Aduku said the zone which has a population of over 25 million people has suffered neglect for too long.
He assured that the new forum would “ensure the effective aggregation, promotion and actualisation of dormant and latent interests and potential of the zone.”
