The recent appointment of a renowned Architect and a one-time president of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, Chief Gabriel Yakubu Aduku as Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum, for the next three years, is a welcome development as he will deploy his wealth of experience in both private and public sectors to enhance the growth and development of the region.
Indeed, the Arewa Consultative Forum’s choice of Amana Ogohi 1 of Ata Igala kingdom as its chairman was the best decision ever and couldn’t have come at a better time, as Chief Aduku will use his wealth of experience to ensure that the aims and objectives of the forum are pursued to its logical conclusion.
In realising this fundamental and all important task before him, the chairman, must ensure on how to carry out the audious task of diffusing anger, disastisfaction and polarization, the resultant effect of insecurity plaguing the region among different ethnic groups who must be reassured of their safety to live as brothers and sisters, if possible monolithically as one family, as it were in the past.
The man at the threshold of leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum today, no doubt has what it takes to ensure that which is needed, himself, haven lived in the north all his life and the brain behide the establishment of the iconic architectural firm, Archcon, located in the heart of the north, Kaduna.
From a humble background, through dint of hard work and perseverance, the pathfinder of architecture who has brought innovations and life to its chosen career ,Architecture, is also a renowned Arthur of many architectural books and this has helped him to where he is today, no doubt.
Chief Aduku as a bridge builder, innovative chess Master, though possessed with the needed experience, must ensure he carries out wider consultations among the northern elders and critical stakeholders before arriving at any decision that will help in diffusing tensions and cementing relationships among warring factions especially,decisions needed to keep the region united.
As a good listener who is endowed with array of notable friends from the region, their inputs as well as that of opinion leaders couple with the provision of the working tools, will be the necessary ingredients required to boost his job.
The body must understand this and its magnitude so as ensure their availabllity.
Therefore, as a political gladiator whose contributions dot the landscape of this country, the northerners he serves should cooperate with him in whatever way they deem it fit, to make his work easier and his tenure more rewarding and memorable in terms of growth and development for the region.
Chief Aduku, a past President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, an elected Chairman,Revenue Allocation Committee, and an architect of the controversial 13 percent derivation formula now embedded in the 1999 National Constitution, and the meritorious national honour award of the Officer of the Order of the Niger, OON , should be given the needed support to enable him bequate to Arewa Consultative Forum a legacy that will help nurture the region to assume the enviable required status that will be the cynosure of all, a formidable, united and indivisible north.
For posterity, the gentleman of Nigerian politics who bequated to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) its indentity, the logo of umbrella, will herald good fortunes for the north where pains will be gains in an understanding of oneness, common indentity and one north.
The J3, a media outfit therefore salutes the Arewa Consultative Forum initiative, decision for reposing confidence on one time Minister for Health Chief, Gabriel Yakubu Aduku, the new chairman of the forum.
Chief Aduku’s seat will however be saddled with demands that confront the people. and as such there are bound to be conflicting interests considering the hetorogeneity of the region .
No gain saying the fact that the region is being depleted, owing to serial killings .
North generally is going through myrad of challenges which are summontable with careful planning and execution.
Therefore, the new administration under Chief Aduku will definitely face the tasking challenges which border on insecurity, infastructure and development generally.
Chief Aduku would therefore, need the wisdom of God, to develop some measure of understanding of how to resolve these teeting challenges, especially when examing articulated views and issues for resolution.
For instances, the chairman may wish to tackle the unresolved issue (s) that led to formation of North Central Peoples Front (NCPF) out of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) some time last year.The essence is to either bring them back into Arewa forum or dynamically cause for appetite wetting solution that will attract them where their opinion matters.
As a result, Chief Aduku should be able to engineer a healing balm for the wounded hearts of those that have lost their beloved ones in devastated upheavals that have been consuming the north for the past years. He should also see the need to initiate for job therapy (occupational) for the morally, spiritually and psycologically devastated and disoriented youth who otherwise, would engage in crime and other social deviant behaviors.
It should matter much if not a priority for Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) leadership to look into.some of the articulated views of North Central Peoples Front (NCPF), if nothing is done yet to tackle their agitations, especially the agitation for the establishment of North Central Development Commission, just like the South -South’s Niger -Delta Development Commission that gets extra money from the Federal Government for its Development.
The region which is the back bone of the north is blessed with solid minerals and played host to so many initiated industries of which it is proud to say the biggest Iron and Steel industry south of the Sahara and the bedrock of Nigeria’s industrialization, Ajaokuta is in this region.
Ajaokuta should be a going concern just as the stalled dredging of River Niger, for the north is poverty strikened no doubt. However, the cause could be laid at the table of the northern leaders who through inactions or actions and lack of will-power, are not exempted from the stigmatization of inertia and ineptitude.
There are of course, legion of uncompleted viable projects initiated by northern governments which have alot of direct opportunities to the people of the region but lack of will-power and politics have either stalled them or suffered a deliberate snuffing of life from them.
If the north must grow , first it must come out of its staled reconteur , the unexcusable docile acceptance of the anomalies .
As a people , their interest should matter just as their peculiarity. They should be afforded the opportunity to sit at around table conference to discuss their challenges.
In this manner the much elusive peace will be restored. And this is where Arewa Consultative Forum has gigantic role to play.