By AbdulRaheem Aodu
Publicity Secretary of the newly formed North Central States People’s Forum (NCPF), Mr Audu Sule, has said the Forum was created to push for the establishment of North Central Development Commission, and not to break away from the North.
Addressing journalists in Kaduna in reaction to the widespread speculations that NCPF was pulled out as a fraction of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Sule said the speculation was baseless, adding that North Central midwifed ACF and can’t abandon it.
He said the brains behind the formation of ACF, were mostly people from the North central.
“We are part of the North, we are part of ACF, the founding members of the ACF are from the North Central. The first Chairman of ACF is the Emir of Ilorin, after the Emir, late Sunday Awoniyi took over. We cannot build a house and leave it for other people to live in. We can die for the North and the interest of the North, that is our region and that is where we belong. The pioneer leaders are from North Central.
“That is why we are telling the whole world that, the North Central states and Abuja are fully part of the North and fully part of ACF. The current Chairman of ACF, Chief Audu Ogbeh is equally from the North Central. The immediate past Secretary General, Chief Anthony Sani is from the North Central.
“Our present Chairman of BoT in the North Central People’s Forum was first the Deputy Chairman of ACF and he later became Chairman of the Board of Trustees of ACF, that is General JT Useni (Retd). What informed the formation of the North Central People’s Forum is that, we have a peculiar problem and we have to come together as a people to confront our challenges.
“The challenges border on security, infrastructure and development in general. So, we felt we need to sit down as a people. Remember, most of us in the North Central were under the defunct Benue Province before it was divided into states, that is why we felt we need to have a voice. It is a Forum where we articulate our issues and bring them to the ACF, rather than having individual states bringing their issues separately.
“If you also look at the location of North Central, you will discover it is the engine room of this country; we have the hydro power and we are going to fight for the establishment of North Central Development Commission, because the South South is using the Niger Delta Development Commission to get extra money from the Federal Government for its development.
“We have the solid minerals here too; go to Kogi, go to Kwara, Niger, Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa, we have a lot of solid minerals there. Is it the the tin mining industry in Plateau? Is it the Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mill in Kogi? Is it the hydro power in Minna? What are our people getting out of it? We want to make sure that our people start benefiting from whatever they are blessed with.
“We don’t have oil, but we have what the government can diversify into today and make more money than it is doing in oil. That is why we feel that, we should leave a legacy for coming generations to inherit. Most of our leaders have served this country diligently. We are proud that the democracy we are enjoying today was midwifed by a son of the North Central, General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
“General Ibrahim Babangida was able to move the capital of Nigeria all the way from Lagos to North Central, which is part of the North. Gowon sacrificed to bring Nigeria together as one. All these three people are from North Central and we want to ensure that their labours are not in vain.
“Our people need development and we are going to pursue that with Federal Government, we are going to collaborate with the Federal Government, to ensure cooperation with our Governors irrespective of our political affiliations.
“So, the aim of forming this Forum is to pursue the establishment of North Central Development Commission, so that any money that comes through that commission can do good road from Lokoja to Ilorin, from Abaji to Nasarawa to Keffi and so on.
“But, despite the existence of the North Central People’s Forum, we still belong to ACF, in fact we need ACF more to achieve our goal because, as a mother body, when we bring our issue to ACF and it is amplified, government will know this is the North speaking,” Audu said.
