The Behemoth Northern social political association, Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF has been hit with balkanization as another group North Central Peoples Forum, NCPF has now been formed by prominent politicians and leaders from mainly the North Central geo-political zone, who are not happy with the spate of insecurity ravaging the region.
The ACF has recently elected Audu Ogbeh, a former Minister of Agriculture and former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP from North Central as its chairman. Ogbeh is from Benue state.
But the NCPF which boasts of some prominent leaders from the zone including 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 said at a meeting on Wednesday, that the zone must rise up to defend its interests.
The group said it has now joined Afenifere, a Yoruba social political group, Ohaneze from the south east and others agitating for the common goal of their people.
According to Jeremiah Oseni the chairman Board of Trustees of NCPF, the new group will seek to harness the human and natural resources of the Zone for the good of its people, apart from ensuring that peace and stability is established and sustained within the zone.
Oseni a former Minister of the FCT said “the Forum is also aimed at ensuring cooperation and support the good policies and administration of the six governors of the zone irrespective of our political, religious and ethnic differences; support and cooperate fully with the Federal Government for full and complete implementation of infrastructures, development projects situated in the zone and involvement of the people of the zone in the National affairs of the country and promote, defend and strengthen North Central unity and interest of its people in the context of one indivisible Nigeria and to contribute in safeguarding her territorial integrity
“Consequently, every zone now have 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 South-South People’s Assembly and the South-South Elder’s Forum were formed to champion the common cause of the South-South people and draw Federal Government attention to the perceived problems facing the people of their zone
“It is in similar vein that the South-West Zone of Nigeria established the Afenifere Group, a Yoruba socio-political organization that is constantly being used to draw Federal Government attention to their common challenges. The South-East people of Nigeria have the Ohanaeze Indigbo as their own socio-political platform for mobilizing their people to actualize political and economic objectives that may attract positive development to their zone
“Recently, the people of North-East floated a body called the North- East Elder’s Forum for the attainment of similar objectives who succeeded in getting the North-East Commission approved by the Federal Government. It is in the light of the foregoing that it becomes imperative and pertinent for us as a zone to rise to the challenges and launch our own geo-political 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.”
The Interim Chairman of the Forum and former Minister of State for Health, Gabriel Aduku said the zone which has more than 25 million people has suffered untold hardship due to lack of good representation.
According to him, the zone has been used and dumped by selfish politicians: “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
“Its immense human resource capital has undoubtedly announced the citizens of the zone for excellence and impact. Sadly, however, in-spite of its enormous solid, liquid minerals and natural endowments, commercial fishing, farming and agro-allied activities, as well as the massive intellectual human resources, the Zone has become a sleeping giant, good enough only for political exploitation and exploration by its “patrons” and vote seekers.
Aduku disclosed that his group has set out to liberate the people of the area and harness the enormous mineral resources for the development of the zone.
He said “Within this giant, painfully lie its great potentials, including several dormant projects, factories, industries and untapped natural and human resources; within this, also lie sleeping great voices and docile interests and aspirations. This irony of the absurd should not be allowed to thrive any longer. The North Central Peoples’ Forum has chosen to rise to the occasion and the challenges
“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
“The Zone hosts strategic industries, such as the Ajaokuta steel plant, the Iron Ore Processing Plant at Itakpe, the Obajana and Benue Cement facilities, the Bacita Sugar Processing Plant and Jebba Paper Mill and several others, all of which have become challenged.
“Apart from being a solid mineral belt, with a network or inland ports at Baro, Lokoja, Ajaokuta and Idah, the Rivers Niger and Benue have also put the Zone at a strategic These rivers have been neglected, abused, ignored and serving independent Nigeria as it did for the Royal Niger Company (RNC) of Pre-independent Nigeria.
“Unfortunately and painfully, budgetary arrangements for dredging these rivers in order to make them fulfill their expected, commercial and developmental strategic roles have met frustrations and failures.”
Those that also attended the meeting include former Col. David Bamigboye (rtd), a former Military Administrator (MILAD) of Kwara state, former Deputy Chief of staff to the President, Chief Olusola Akomode, Publisher of Leadership Newspaper Sam Nda-Isaiah, Chief Stephen Lawani among others
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