Former governor of Sokoto state, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, has unveiled an initiative that is focused on tackling insecurity, rebuilding social cohesion and empowering youth in the Northern region.
Speaking in Kaduna at the official launch of the initiative known as Arewa Cohesion for Peace, Unity and Development Initiative, Bafarawa said the new platform is a non-political movement dedicated to restoring the values, dignity and collective potential of the North through dialogue, justice, and inclusive development.
He stressed that the initiative was birthed from the belief that peace is not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice, equity and dialogue.
Bafarawa said although members of the initiative are free to pursue personal political ambitions, the organisation remains firmly non-partisan and will not transform into a political party.
He noted that the movement will collaborate with any leader or organisation, regardless of political affiliation that is committed to peace, progress and development in Arewa.
Also speaking at the unveiling of the initiative, the Director-General of the Initiative, Dr. Abdullahi Idris, described the effort as a response to “decades of instability, economic hardship, and social fragmentation” and will rebuild trust, and create opportunities.
In his remarks, the chairman of the occasion, retired Gen. Jon Temlong, said the launch marked “an emergence of a movement rooted in hope driven by the collective voice of a region that refuses to be defined by its challenges.”
The event which held at the Arewa House was attended by a political figures, traditional leaders, civil society groups, youth organisations and development stakeholders from the region.