By Lawrence Olaoye
The Northern Elders Council (NEC) has declared that it would align itself now and at all times with the position of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) as the pan northern umbrella organisation on all issues of national importance, especially on the national conference.
In a statement signed by the spokesperson of the group, Ambassador Yusuf Mamman, the group regretted the belligerent posture of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and expressed dissatisfaction at its utterances, which according to him, are to say the least, an embarrassment and un-dignifying to the general position of participation, consensus-building and constructive engagement initiative by the ACF with all and different parts of the country.
He stated “The northern Elders Council reaffirms its total support to participate in the National Conference and assures all Nigerians that Northern delegates will participate and contribute actively and will vigorously defend northern and national interests. The so-called Kano declaration was an exercise in futility.
“The Northern Elders Council is always in tandem with ACF’s position. There was extensive and intensive consultation and presentation by the ACF before the Okuronmu committee, including presentation of memoranda at Minna, Kaduna, Sokoto and Jos. At no time was the idea of a walk-out or boycott ever entertained.
“We believed in justice, dialogue and consensus – and any group spitting fire and brimstone is not speaking on behalf of the North,” he said.
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