North facing huge socio-economic challenges, says ACF BoT chair

The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, on Tuesday, lamented that the Northern region was facing enormous socio-economic challenges which needed urgent attention.

Dalhatu, a former Minister of Steel under the late General Sani Abacha, urged northerners to close ranks to tackle the challenges which he failed to mention.

The BoT Chairman spoke at the northern forum, to ratify the appointment of the new leadership of the National Executive Council and National Working Committee held in Kaduna, Tuesday.

He said, “The reason why ACF was established was to confront any problem being faced by the North, unfortunately, the problem continues to multiply over the years.

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“As men of courage, we will do our best to put first the interest of the region in anything we intend to achieve that can also unite us with the rest part of the country so that by the end of our tenure we will have achievements to show for it.”

Earlier in his acceptance speech on the official assumption of office as the new Chairman of ACF, Gabriel Aduku pledged to take the Forum to a higher height based on the laid down principles of the founding father of the ACF.

“One thing is imperative, that is, our collective resolve to sustain the lofty vision of the organisation’s founding fathers which is to continue to pursue ideals of a united, prosperous, and peaceful North and by extension, Nigeria.

“It is the same spirit of furthering the above ideals that the leaders of this revered Forum spotted in us while we were yet pursuing our individual life’s endeavour that made them bring us on board.

“Therefore, we want to assure everyone that our commitment to this course will be total, by the grace of God. We hereby accept the offer to serve in Arewa Consultative Forum in our various capacities,” Aduku said.

Meanwhile, there was a drama on Tuesday at the meeting of the Arewa Consultative Forum when a middle-aged female member of the Forum raised the alarm that there was a Non-Northerner in attendance at the meeting.

However, hardly had the Secretary General of the ACF, Murtala Aliyu announced a short break for the meeting, had the woman collected the microphone, shouting at the top of her voice that if the meeting was no longer for Northerners, she would henceforth cease to attend.

The woman who is believed to be an indigene of Adamawa State said one Sunny, a resident of Yola was in the meeting, claiming to be a Northerner.

As top officials and other members of the ACF were walking out of the meeting hall for the break,  the woman kept on speaking loudly, saying, “If ACF is no longer for Northerners, but also for the people who reside in the North, I think I will stop attending this meeting.

“I know Sunny very well, he is from Delta State, and he only resides in Yola for many years. Does that make him a Northerner,” she said.

As the aggrieved woman continued to speak angrily to whoever cared to listen to her, some other persons standing closer to her, started pleading with her to calm down for another time when she would be able to table her observation officially and politely.

Soon after the meeting hall was a bit empty and the woman was somehow calm, our correspondent approached her for an interview to shed more light on the alarm, but she refused to oblige.

Asked if the said Sunny was right in the meeting, she affirmed in positivity but declined the request to point at him for our correspondent.

“I will not talk to the press for now until I table the issue and is trashed out by the meeting, otherwise I will be accused of running to the press over an issue that has not been discussed by the ACF.

“But  I am not happy that the Sunny I know who only resides in Yola cannot be a member of ACF. He is from Delta State. The ACF was formed by Northerners and for Northerners, not for everybody that resides in the North,” she added.