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ACF mulls meeting Afenifere, Ohanaeze over insecurity, national unity

By Seye Olumide
11 July 2021   |   4:11 am
The umbrella body of all socio-cultural and political groups in the north, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), is proposing a meeting with the two major socio-cultural and political groups in the Southwest...

Emmanuel Yawe

The umbrella body of all socio-cultural and political groups in the north, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), is proposing a meeting with the two major socio-cultural and political groups in the Southwest and Southeast, Afenifere and Ohanaeze, to discuss issues bothering on insecurity and unity of the country.
 
Making the disclosure in Abuja at the First Annual GYB Seminar for Nigeria’s Political and Crime Correspondents, organised by Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Publicity Secretary of ACF, Mr. Emmanuel Yawe, said the northern group has deliberately refused to respond to any form of attack from either Ohanaeze or Afenifere in recent times.
 
He said ACF would prefer to meet with the Southern groups to discuss state of insecurity and unity of Nigeria.
 


Yawe, in a paper titled, ‘Taming Insecurity Across Nigeria: Special Focus on the North,’ commended ways Governor Bello has managed the ethnic diversity, insecurity and economic challenges to the benefit and progress of Kogi State since 2015.

The ACF scribe said the state of insecurity in Nigeria was taking dangerous dimensions, which needed to be address holistically.

While he condemned the activities of Boko Haram, saying the nature of Islam the sect is trying to introduce or force on people is strange to real Islam, Yawe faulted the activities of some Christians, saying, their action is devoid of tolerance.
 
He also blamed political leaders for not promoting harmony. “They are not helping our situation,” he said.
 
Meanwhile, the leader of Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, when consulted over the planned ACF meeting, said he was yet to receive any invitation.
 
Bello, while responding to questions on whether he would contest the presidency in 2023 said, “I appreciate God, President Muhammadu Buhari and other stakeholders for giving me the opportunity to be governor of Kogi State today. 
  
“In summary, unity, security and economic prosperity is what we are desirous of today. Nigerians are out there searching for the solution to the nation’s problems and they are asking and urging me to run. So, I will simply say, at an appropriate time, I will give an appropriate answer. And I know surely that if we can achieve so much in Kogi State, we can achieve more for Nigeria, if and when the time comes.”

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