From: David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi

As the November 18 Anambra State gubernatorial election fast approaches, some northerners in the state, under the auspices of Northern Christian Forum, have cried marginalisation in politics and other welfare packages even as most of them had lived in the state for decades.

President of the Forum, Mr. Averson Andrew, made the observation, on Thursday, in Nnewi, when he spoke with some journalists. He said that the Forum, with over 15,000 members, in all the 21 council areas of the state, drawn from the former 19 core northern states and some states in the South South region resident in the state, deserved some level of attention because of its numerical strength and contributions to economic and political growth of the State.

Said he, “The Forum in Anambra is non-violent, non-political. It promotes peace, unity, progress and love in services of God and humanity. It helps all levels of government in ensuring a sustainable and vibrant socio-economic development. It will be a good thing for government to partner with this well aimed non governmental organisation to enable it (government) implement its well-oriented and progressive agenda for the people of the State and the country at large,” he said.

Andrew explained that the Forum was a law-abiding one and had different categories of people contributing in different areas of the State economy and well being of the host State “even as major contributors are being ignored.”

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He complained that the state government recognised their Moslem brothers, without carrying the Christians along in the scheme of things. He made it clear that the Forum was prepared to play a key role in the forth-coming governorship election in the state as part of its resolve to contribute to sustainable development of Anambra State.

“We want to play a key role in this election and we expect candidates to meet us and show us their agenda which we expect will favour every segment of society. We are a force to be reckoned with. In other areas like Lagos State and some northern states, Igbo are made commissioners and are given other appointments in the government. “They are recognised and that is what we expect in Anambra in the spirit of one Nigeria. That is where we are and we have taken it as a duty to promote unity and progress of the country,” he submitted.