The North-Central geopolitical zone has announced its exit from the Arewa Consultative Forum, giving the worsening insecurity in northern Nigeria as a reason for its exit.
The leaders of the region also announced the formation of the North Central Peoples Forum, which will serve as a platform to fight insecurity and marginalization.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, the group said in spite of the abundant mineral and human resources in the Zone, the North-Central is endangered with vices such as kidnapping, banditry, and other forms of criminality.
Interestingly, the current Chairman of the ACF is the immediate past Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, is from the North-Central zone.
The interim Chairman of the new North-Central group is the former Minister of State for Health, Chief Gabriel Aduku.
Members of the new group included former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Jerry Useni; a former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu; a former Military Administrator of Kwara State, Col. David Bamigboye (retd.); and former deputy chief of staff to the President, Chief Olusola Akomode.
Also, in the list, included 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.
On his side, Useni said the existence of similar groups in other parts of the country gave birth to group affinity and solidarity among the states in a particular geopolitical zone to canvass things of common interest.
He believed that the group would unite the people of Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Nasarawa, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory in their quest to ensure that peace and stability were established and sustained in the region.
He also said that the forum would pursue rapid industrialization across the nooks and crannies of the zone.
Adding that the group would pursue policies and processes that would ensure that the massive solid mineral and agricultural endowments in the region were adequately harnessed.
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.
“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.”
