Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has urged the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) to brace up and deal with the security challenges facing the county by halting the drift to anarchy.
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Receiving an 11-member peace delegation of the ACF led by the former Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Ahmed Gusau yesterday, Atiku also noted that the socio-economic challenges, which provided the spark for negative backlash, must be treated with urgent priority.
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According to the former Vice-President, there is no part of Nigeria that does not face security challenges and, therefore, the factors that give rise to them must be tackled well.
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He emphasised that the development of the human capital is key to economic development, noting that nations can achieve development without oil and gas. He cited the Japanese success story as a good example of what human capital can achieve.
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Atiku reminded the ACF leaders that they could not detach themselves from politics entirely because politics is connected to many issues. He, however, noted that the current consultation by the ACF leaders would go a long way in helping it find its bearing.
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Earlier, leader of the delegation, Alhaji Ahmed Gusau, and other members of his team, including General Lawrence Onoja (rtd), emphasised the urgent task of halting the current killings between Muslims and Christians in the North. They regretted the fact that the North could not achieve progress amid death and destruction.
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Also in the delegation were Sardauna Katsina, former IGP Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie (rtd),? Col. Johan Ubah (rtd), Bitrus Gwadah (Esq), Baba Sule Bisalla, J. M. Alabi, Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim, Fati E. Ibrahim, Hajiya Halima Alfa and M. Bukar Zarma.
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