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Senate President David Mark, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Tambuwal and Kaduna State Governor, Ramalan Yero, have berated governors of northern states and other personalities over the poor attendance witnessed at the 56th anniversary lecture of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) held in Kaduna yesterday.

The trio in their separate remarks, lamented why personalities from the North would shun such an important Northern function where issues affecting the region would be discussed and solutions sought, and called for an attitudinal change if the North must truly move forward.

The Senate president in a goodwill message delivered by Senator Abdul Ningi, attributed the persistence of challenges in the Northern region to the seeming reluctance in finding solutions to the situation even by Northerners.
He noted that it was a disservice to the late Premier of Northern Nigeria and Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello for the governors from the region to send representatives to the occasion or not even attend at all.
“ACF is in a difficult time. The attendance and representation is too poor but if it were a political gathering, it would be full to capacity. If Sardauna were to be alive today, these governors and leaders will not send representatives to this event. Something is terribly wrong with the North and there are many questions than answers.
“Where are the political leaders of the North, where are the leaders of political parties? We need to change the way things are done. We are not telling ourselves the truth; the North is only worshipping money, money and money.
“We cannot keep sweeping things under the carpet and pretend all things are well. I have spent 16 years in the National Assembly, I know those Northerners who love the North,” he emphasised.
Also, in his address, Tambuwal noted that it is common in some quarters to discuss how the North appears to be dragging the nation down and to reel out indices that show how the North is poorer, less educated and less enterprising than the other parts of Nigeria but said that while some of this is true, this is not all that the North is about.
“The North is much more than some of its problems. There is another North, a North that is not always visible because of the menacing shadows cast by the pervasive violence and collapse of industries. This is the North that has managed to keep its courage and combative spirit in the face of inhuman odds. This is the North where the people retain their sense of decency, of fairness and of brotherhood in every situation. This is the North that continues to believe in the unity of Nigeria, the virtues of democracy and the peaceful transition of government in a free and fair election.
“It is always wrong to judge people based on their current challenges. A more reasonable approach will be to look at their antecedents, their past history, their crisis management skills and their potential for recovery. There is no doubt that before long, the North will overcome its challenges and rise again. Historically, we must acknowledge the fact that there was a time when the North was the richer half, the one whose revenue helped carry the other‎ half. That before the other part of the country was viewed as a region, the North was already a cohesive whole, a united thriving behemoth. These are not the best of times for the North, especially when we recall that hundreds of years ago, the people of ‎what is today known as Northern Nigeria were already trading with the large kingdoms of the western Sudan (Ghana, Mali, and Songhai) and with countries of the Mediterranean across the Sahara. Now it is almost impossible to take goods from Yola to Maiduguri without fatal consequences,” he said.
Earlier, Vice President Namadi Sambo, who was represented by Kaduna State Governor, Ramalan Yero, noted that the event had come at a time when the country is preparing for elections and the political atmosphere is fully charged, “thus arises the need for restraints and caution by politicians to toe the path of sanity and decorum so as not to unnecessarily overheat the polity. Suffice it to state that this review holding at this time is significant as the north is faced with socio-economic challenges that require our collective will to surmount.”
Governor ‎Yero in his capacity as the host governor, in his welcome address, wondered how the North can progress with its people who have the economic and political ability keeping away from an arena where their ideas are needed to move the zone forward, and advised leaders of the region to concentrate on either economic or political challenges of the North and solve them once and for all.
LEADERSHIP Sunday reports that 16 northern governors and other personalities expected to grace the anniversary lecture yesterday were absent.
Yero was the only governor in attendance while those of Niger and Katsina States sent representatives. Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (Retd), who is the chairman, ACF board of patrons and was expected to chair the occasion was also represented by Alhaji Ahmed Jodah. His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar who was expected to be the Royal father of the day was also represented by the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar. The anniversary lecture was delivered by the former President of the Court of Appeal, Honourable Justice Mustapha Akanbi, while the keynote address was delivered by the Chairman ACF NEC, Dr Ibrahim Ahmadu Coomasie.