Irked by the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers, the Annual General Assembly, AGA, of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has appealed to the group to embrace the Federal Government’s proposal to dialogue on the way forward rather than the destruction of the Nation’s economic infrastructure in the region.
In a communique signed by the forum’s National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim at the end of its Annual General Assembly in Kaduna on Tuesday, ACF has following the insecurity menace in the Northern part of the country, proposed a security summit aimed at sensitizing various stakeholders to come and proffer lasting solutions.
The Annual General Assembly noted the success recorded by the military and security agencies in combating these crimes, especially the degrading of the Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast and the crushing of cattle rustlers in the Northwest.
The AGA looked at the general state of insecurity across the country brought about by Boko Haram insurgency, the clashes between herdsmen and farmers, kidnapping for ransom, cattle rustling and destruction of pipelines by the Niger Delta Avengers and other terrorist groups.
The forum equally looked at the government’s policy on the diversification of the economy, especially through solid mineral exploitation and agriculture as the best thing to be the mainstay of our economy.
It agreed with the proposal by the federal government to produce a template of Solid Minerals deposits in the North and to launch same, noting that the various agricultural programmes of government, in particular the launching of the rice planting season by President Buhari in Kebbi state was a step in the right direction.
It commended the President for his bold step for the diversification of the economy, stressing that it would not only provide food security but also create employment opportunities to the teaming youth.
The AGA noted with serious concern the huge number of young children from the North being ferried to the Southern part of the country for child labour and other child abuses by Human traffickers.
It, therefore, called on state governments, security agencies, NGOs and the agency responsible for the fight against human trafficking to collaborate and arrest this menace.
It noted that state governments should do more to expand educational infrastructure, skill acquisition centers and opportunities to accommodate children roaming the streets.
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