Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT), North Central People’s Forum (NCPF), General Jeremiah Useni has said that there is an urgent need for a development commission to take care of the challenges confronting the north central.
Useni who led a delegation north central leaders to a courtesy visit on the Senator Representing Nasarawa South senatorial district, Umaru Tanko Almakura in his Abuja residence yesterday, said other regions in the country have gotten their commissions and NCPF will not hesitate to have one.
He said, “The north east got a commission, northwest elders forum is now trying hard to see whether they can get north west commission, so north central where we have a lot of resources we cannot sit down and watch so we have to come up with this forum hoping that very soon we will be able to get north central commission from the federal government.”
Useni added that apart from the commission, the forum want to ensure peace within its territory, noting that without peace the region cannot do much.
Al Makura, while responding, commended the leaders for coming up with a programme like this to bring peace and development in the region despite failed attempts in the past, to established similar forums.
He encouraged them to do more in enlightening and explaining to the people who might give the idea a different connotation, stressing that it is high time north central come together and unite for peace and development purposes.
The senator commended the people in the region for their forgiven and peaceful mindset said it have been a worse scenerio if people do not have such
“If not because of our disposition, our mindset as people who are very forgiven, very accommodating I’m sure the problem we would have had in the north central zone would have been more devasting than it does in north east and north west.”
He further thanked the leaders for clearly defining the objectives of the forum, promising to support the effort and eventually be part and persie of its activities.
The former deputy senate president and patron of the forum, Ibrahim Mantu reiterated that there is confusion about the existence of the forum as perceived by some people, saying that ACF remains an umbrella body for all northerners.