The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) says current living conditions worsened by insecurity were comparable to civil war times in Nigeria.
This is just as the foremost socio-cultural organization urged the Federal Government and governors of northern states to ramp up efforts to secure the region against terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers.
ACF stated this in a communique released Wednesday after the first meeting of its newly-elected National Working Committee (NWC), headed by a former Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh.
The forum called on political, traditional and religious leaders to avoid inflammatory and wild comments that could worsen the already tense security situation.
“The federal and state governments must take urgent steps to arrest the deteriorating security situation in northern Nigeria, which has led to insurgency, terrorism, banditry, ethnic and religious disturbances all over the north,” ACF warned.
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ACF further decried low school enrollment statistics in the region, and urged the governors of the 19 states in the north to adopt steps to reverse the trend and end street begging.
The forum warned that low school enrollment and street begging portend grave danger of the development of the region.
It added, “Northern states should take advantage of the N75 billion loan to farmers in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing in Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).
“Unemployment has become a big menace to the northern region. State governors are advised to design employment schemes for our teeming youths who have become frustrated and pose an additional threat to the security of the North and the country.
“State governors are also advised to key into programmes of the federal government designed to offer employment to the youth and alleviate poverty.”