From Femi Oyelola in Kaduna
Rising insecurity across Northern Nigeria took center stage at the 79th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), held at the ACF Secretariat on No. 11A Sokoto Road, Kaduna.
Chairman *Mamman Mike Osuman, LLM, SAN, FCIArb, OFR, opened the session with a stark warning about escalating violence and its devastating impact on communities throughout the region.
“Since our last meeting on 21 August 2025, our Region has continued to face grave difficulties — natural disasters, tragic loss of lives, and the harsh vicissitudes of daily existence,” Osuman said.
He detailed how terrorism, armed banditry, insurgency, and kidnapping have surged in states such as Kwara, Southern Kaduna, Katsina, Benue, and beyond.
“The consequences have been devastating, with families and communities violently uprooted and displaced,” he added, noting that these displacements have resulted in overcrowded camps and informal settlements with limited access to basic services, increasing the risk of malnutrition and mortality among survivors.
Osuman highlighted how repeated attacks and a climate of fear have disrupted education, leading to school closures across affected areas.
“Rural economies have been severely strained, travel has become unsafe, and access to farming, schooling, and healthcare has been discouraged,” he explained.
He further emphasized that insecurity has deepened the case for external military assistance, underscoring the severity of the crisis.
“This grim situation heightens ACF’s concern and underscores the urgent need for our State Chapters to be proactive,” Osuman stated.
“Our existence as a socio-cultural organization must not be merely ceremonial or rhetorical; it must be principled, sincere, sacrificial, and action-driven.”
He called on members to engage constructively with governments at national and subnational levels in the pursuit of peace, stability, and the civil rehabilitation of affected communities.
The Chairman also linked the insecurity to broader societal challenges, warning that the election season has produced “convoluted groups whose focus is not on out-of-school children, hunger, poverty, frequent attacks by kidnappers, banditry, or terrorism, but rather on strategies for repositioning ahead of the 2027 elections.” He urged members to prioritize the welfare of the people over political maneuvering.
Osuman reminded participants of their constitutional duties, noting that each had received a copy of the ACF Constitution, whose “sections are few, and its provisions are clear, concise, and unambiguous.”
He highlighted at least three communication platforms within ACF, cautioning that some messages “are extenuating and require caution.”
He detailed recent preparatory work: on February 9, the Finance and General Purpose Committee, led by the Deputy Chairman, met from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., producing a “comprehensive report and recommendations” for the National Working Committee (NWC).
The NWC, which he chaired on February 10, deliberated from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., resolving issues and seeking approvals. He commended NWC members for their “vital body that examines and determines all projections of ACF,” and directed members to Sections 10, 12, 13, and 14 of the Constitution for reference.
He announced the formation of a new *Code of Conduct and Ethics Committee*, required by Sections 14(1)(n), (o) and 21, to be headed by *Professor Nuhu Mohammed Jamo*, a former Dean of Law at Ahmadu Bello University and current legal consultant to the National Assembly. “I humbly request that you give it legitimacy by approving this list,” Osuman said, asking members to move to adopt it.
Osuman called on ACF to cooperate with relevant authorities to ensure peaceful and credible elections, educating citizens on their civic responsibilities and the necessity of abiding by the laws of the land. He urged members to treat the agenda with seriousness, listen attentively to the Secretary General’s report, and avoid “unnecessary fanfare, sensationalism, and window‑dressing events.”
He recommended that all positions and references be “fact‑based” and that speakers propose “practical solutions that will guide remedy, recovery, and progress.”
