Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
North Central People’s Forum (NCPF) has stressed that it is only dialogue that would resolve the nation wide protest by the youths that is partially affecting the economy.
Former deputy senate president and patron of the forum, Ibrahim Mantu, General Jeremiah Useni insisted that the both parties must sit down and talk “we should not allow what happened in the Arab countries to happen here because none of the Arab countries are better off after that so we must learn our our lesson from what has happened there, are they better? No they are worst than what has happened before.”
They made this disclosure at the investiture ceremony held in Abuja yesterday, the forum reiterated it core objective to bring development and peace in the region operating under the umbrella of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).
Three former governors of Kwara state, His Excellency, Alh Abdulfatah Ahmed, Sha’aba Lafiagi and Colonel Theophilus Bamigboye, have been instituted as the Patrons of North Central People’s Forum (NCPF).
The forum also inaugurated a former Kwara state, senator, Chief Simon Ajibola as its patron.
They leaders insisted that insecurities is an economic thing ,once most of the youths are engaged there would be less hands available for violence.
“Insecurities is a national thing but it is peculiar to areas where youths are beginning to become uncomfortable with the opportunities that are made available to them,so one way that this can be truly taken out is creating additional opportunities so that the get engaged and use their hands to do better things as against getting engage in violence.
“The problem we have in this countryis that some of the advisers are not doing their job well.”
They added that the forum will aid them to address the worrisome level of decayed infrastructure in the North Central and also provide a wider opportunity for the youths of the zone.
Speaking on behalf of the appointees, His excellency, Alh. Abdulfatah Ahmed commended the north central leaders for coming up with an initiative that will bring peace and development in the region, describing it as the best thing that has ever happened to people in the region.
He said, “We must come up with new ways by which we can relate and put together as a people to take advantage of our numbers and our diversities and translate this into growth and developmental programmes for our people.
“The NCPF is one of the rest things that has ever happened to us. Firstly, we know that we are part of the bigger Arewa Consultative Forum but at the same time we want to take advantage of our synergies and what has that bring us to? It bring us to recognizing the fact that yes, at the federal level, there are programmes that are being taken to different regions like NDDC, north east development commission but these are only going to be tools.
“How do we translate this into economic benefit for our people? 65 percent of our population are youths what opportunities does this come with?
He said the forum it is a picture that the time has come for north central to look at how best it can create room, opportunities and take advantage of God given potentials and make north central zone a better place, pledging that they will give everything to make the forum one of the best that will not only serve as a mirror to others but also create the basis for peace and growth in Nigeria.