ACF warns against divisive statements

From Noah Ebije, Kaduna

Apex Northern socio-political group, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has roundly condemned what it termed, inflammatory  comments by some elder statesmen capable of destabilising and dividing the nation.
They cautioned such persons to employ civility and caution in their action and desist from utterance capable of causing disaffection and disharmony among the various components of Nigeria and desist from actions likely to endanger the nation’s fledgling democracy.
Specifically, ACF said it was not happy with activities of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and other ethnic agitators who are calling for the division of the country 55 years after independence.
This was contained in a communiqué issued after the meeting and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim.
ACF also lauded the effort of the Federal Government in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency, noting that the gallantry of the military and other security agencies was highly encouraging.
While decrying the activities of MASSOB and other ethnic agitators who are in the habit of calling for disintegration of the country, ACF reaffirmed its belief in one Nigeria and stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to move the nation forward.
The communiqué read in part:  “That the effort of the Federal Government in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency through the joint multinational military task force of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, global counter-terrorism support by the international community and the gallantry of our military and other security agencies is most highly commended.”
In this regard, the group saluted the military for repelling the recent attack at Goniri, Yobe State on Tuesday October 6, 2015.
No fewer than 100 terrorists were killed in the opeartion and dangerous  weapons recovered.
It noted that the success being recorded by the military and other security agencies in the North-east must have been as a result of the support and encouragement from the Federal Government and the determination of the field commanders to end the insurgency within the time frame given by President Buhari.
ACF also condemned the rampant kidnapping and ritual killings of innocent people and urged the security agencies to not only track down perpetrators of such crimes, but ensure that they are brought to book.
It noted that the steps taken by the Federal Government to investigate, prosecute perpetrators and repatriate stolen public funds were not only appropriate and timely but would also sanitise the system and revive prudence and discipline in the conduct of public officers.
“The meeting therefore applauded the international cooperation and support the Federal Government is receiving in the effort to recover and repatriate all stolen funds.”
“That to boost economic activities and generate employment opportunities, the meeting appealed to the state governments to directly channel Federal allocations to the Local Government Councils to enable them execute projects that have direct bearing on the welfare and development of the people rather than the use of joint accounts that have in most cases been a conduit pipe for misapplication and abuse of state funds.
“It urged State governments to respect the constitutional autonomy of the local government councils for grassroots development. The meeting also called upon all tiers of government to address the issue of payment of back log of domestic debts especially local contractors bills, workers and pensioners emoluments which will equally revive the economic activities and make it to thrive”.

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