Anthony Iwuoma
Leading lights of Northern Nigeria gathered, in Abuja, and after x-raying the state of affairs, identified some of the problems bedevilling the region.
At the end of the meeting, they also announced the formation of the ‘Abuja Roundtable’, a non-partisan and non-governmental group, designed to address the challenges confronting the North.
Some of the leaders at the meeting were former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega; a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed; a former presidential candidate of the National Republican Convention in 1993, Alhaji Ibrahim Tofa as well as former governors, ministers, senators; and military officers.
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Alhaji Tofa, who addressed newsmen thereafter said, “These challenges are many and they cut across the region. These have manifested in the collapse of institutions and services, widespread poverty and inequality, mutual suspicion, endemic insecurity, disunity, despair, and a dearth of hope across the region. Every community has challenges. But to overcome challenges, there is a need to admit their existence.”
They accepted the failure of northern leaders saying, “We have no difficulty admitting all is not well with Northern Nigeria and taking primary or vicarious responsibility for the current state of affairs. We must all – leaders, followers, and passive onlookers – accept our share of responsibility. But beyond that, we must collectively resolve to take action and remedy what went wrong going forward.”
Also, they noted that succeeding generations would bear “the consequences of our action and inaction, even though they bear no responsibility for how we got here.
“No parent would wish to bequeath a precarious future to his child and no price is too high to pay to secure the future of succeeding generations of Northerners.”
According to the leaders, the conditions and forces of division have taken root and have been left to fester unchecked over a long period.
They expressed hope that as collective victims who have paid the price of division, “our people have arrived at the realisation that unity is required to resolve other challenges afflicting the region. Recent consultations with eminent political, traditional, and religious leaders across the North are encouraging.
“We will widen and deepen these consultations in the coming weeks, months and, if necessary, years in order to attain our objectives.
“The most urgent task, therefore, facing the peoples of Northern Nigeria is to overcome fear and suspicion, jettison unhealthy division and create consensus around common goals and aspirations.
“These are necessary for creating the enabling environment to address our most stubborn challenges such as insecurity, widespread poverty, the collapse of institutions and services, etc., so that order, peace, and prosperity may once again return to our region.”