The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has expressed concern over the hash economic conditions Nigerians are going through amid deteriorating security situation.
This was contained in a communique issued at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Tuesday in Kaduna.
The meeting which was attended by members of the forum across the 19 northern states, was presided over by Mamman Osuman, chairman of the forum.
The communique signed by Tukur Muhammad-Baba spokesperson of the forum, noted that “the times continue to be tough and challenging for the average citizen who is daily confronted with runaway inflation, unemployment, rapid deterioration in standards of living in the face of incidents of insurgency, terrorism and banditry, etc.”
The forrum lamented that “the problems have remained dire, acute or even chronic in some places in the North in particular.
“The immediate causes of the problems have been policies put in place by government over the past months, including but not confined to removal of subsidies from the prices of petroleum products, floating of the naira, and astronomical hike in the cost of poorly supplied electricity, increasing tariffs and taxes against the seemingly insensitive profligacy in spendings by public officials, to list a few.”
The forum however, acknowledged efforts by the federal, state and, to a little extent, local governments to tackle the problems, but said “public policy response to the problems remain weak and ineffective at best.”
The communique expressed “grave concern, regrets and decries the continuing, deterioration or escalation in the spate of insecurity-related incidents in all three.”
The communique warned that the problems are harbingers of citizens’ discontent and social chaos if not addressed.
It said further that the ACF is equallly worried about the “widening regional disparities in social demographic factors, such as access to education, health public, infrastructure, economic inclusion, political participation, living conditions, etc.”
The communique called on the government to curb such disparities so as to ensure that “Nigeria does not become two-states-in-one.”
It said, “Factors that unify rather than divide citizens along any lines should attract the attention of all concerned, government and citizens alike.
“As it has severally reiterated in recent public outings, ACF calls for urgent action and definitive attention, by government at all levels, to confront rapid decline in living conditions of citizens.”
The forrum said, “The addition of new taxes and levies becoming increasingly burdensome too heavy to bear for ordinary Nigerians.
“The need for a roll out of public policy programmes and projects aimed at addressing low purchasing power challenges is clearly indicated.
“ACF calls on citizens to rally around government and offer prayers for God Almighty’s intervention in our various tribulations such as will translate into a new, prosperous Nigeria where justice, equity, love, righteousness and hope emerge to replace the current despair and hopelessness.
“To inspire the spirit of needed sacrifices by citizens, ACF calls on public functionaries to shun profligacy and recklessness in spending of public funds.
The communique declared support to security agencies in their determined efforts to rid the country of criminal elements and ensure stability.
