Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), on Wednesday, told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that his economic policies were insensitive to the precarious existential conditions of the north, lamenting that they had worsened the plight of the people.
ACF made its position known in a communique issued at the end of a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Wednesday in Kaduna.
In the communique signed by its spokesperson, Tukur Muhammad-Baba, the organisation advised Tinubu to review his economic reforms and give them a human face, insisting that the north’s interests are best served by northerners.
While interrogating the country’s leadership recruitment process, which it dismissed as flawed, the forum said basing politics on personalities, as against issues, was the bane of governance in Nigeria.
It expressed displeasure over the continuing impoverishment of the masses due to the Tinubu administration’s policies.
The meeting stated that northerners remained at great disadvantage, being already relatively worse off economically, compared to other parts of Nigeria.
ACF said, “Livelihoods are currently dependent on micro activities. The region faces acute and chronic food insecurity; its youths lack education and skills training. Daunting as these may be, they can be reversed. The time to think big is now.
“Notwithstanding the parlous state of Arewa’s glaring challenging economic conditions, the policies of the current federal government have continued to make matters much worse, with little indications of needed sensitivity to the precarious existential conditions of Arewa people.
“Succinctly stated, economic reforms, while, indeed, desirable, should not impoverish the same people that they are meant to serve;
the people may not be alive to reap the putative benefits.”
The forum called on Tinubu “to review, reassess, re-evaluate and re-order the direction of his economic policies with a view to giving it the needed human face”.
It also called on governors of the northern states to adopt a strong and coordinated approach to policy planning and implementation in the areas of security, education, skills acquisition, agricultural production, and health.
The forum urged the federal government to be receptive to criticism and suggestions, “not only in line with the principles of democracy but also because they improve, not retard, the policy process for the ultimately benefit of the people”.
The communique called on the northern elite in all spheres of life to take it upon itself to counter negative narratives about the region, and also imbibe the spirit of community service, individually and collectively.
In an apparent hint on its 2027 presidential preferences, ACF said, “The interests of the north will be best served by northerners.”
The group lamented the food crisis in the country, and said despite the Tinubu government’s “short and long term measures, including imports, where needs be, but the ultimate solution is to achieve food self-sufficiency”.
ACF stated, “People should take responsibility about our fast growing population. Public policy and the law should be adopted to achieve a balance.”
It stated, “Poor electricity supply will continue to hamper efforts to ameliorate poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment in the region. These have to be addressed with utmost urgency.”
ACF addressed the leadership recruitment process, saying, “Leadership selection appears flawed, which allows so many people without competence and/or experience to rise to positions of power and authority.
“This has to be addressed. There is also a tendency to base politics on personalities, not issues, and this has compounded the sorry state of affairs. Arewa must ask how this came to be and what can be done to redress the situation.”
John Shiklam
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