The umbrella Northern socio-political organisation, the Arewa Consultative Forum, on Thursday in Kaduna, expressed concern over what it described as the “untold hardship” and pains inflicted on Nigerians due to the ongoing nationwide strike by the organised labour and civil society groups over the removal of subsidy on fuel by the Federal Government.
The Forum warned that the current deadlock between Labour and the Federal Government would cause further pains to the hapless citizens of the country.
The ACF, in a communiqué issued at the end of its emergency meeting in Kaduna on Thursday, also dissociated itself from the activities of the militant Islamic sect, Boko Haram, urging residents of the Northern states to disregard the ultimatum recently handed down to Southerners and Christians by the sect to leave the region.
The communiqué jointly signed by the ACF National Chairman, Alhaji Aliko Mohammed, and National Publicity Secretary, Anthony Sani, appealed to the organised labour and the Federal Government to “reconsider” their positions on the fuel subsidy removal.
The Forum stated that both parties and the other stakeholders should resume negotiations with a view to arriving at a compromise in the interest of the nation and the economy.
The ACF communiqué reads in part, “The meeting also viewed the current untold hardship being experienced by Nigerians as a result of the ongoing strike with serious concern, and appealed to both the government and stake holders to reconsider their positions. They should go back to the negotiating table with a view to arriving at compromises that are acceptable to all parties in the dispute. This is the time for compromises on the part of both parties in the dispute for the purpose of national interest and the economy.”
The ACF, however, said the Boko Haram militant sect remained a minority group which could not speak for the majority of the Muslims in the North, stressing that the neither the Forum nor the leadership of the North supported the sect in any form.
It stressed that the ultimatum issued by a minority group like the Boko Haram “cannot prevail and so should be discounted in the interest of peaceful coexistence, national security and unity of the country.”
The ACF communiqué further reads, “Arewa Consultative Forum and, indeed the North, is committed to a united one Nigeria whose society is socially diverse, economically empowered and politically active. It is against this background that the ACF has condemned any violence, be it ethno-religious or otherwise.”
“Arewa Consultative Forum is aware that terrorism which thrives on violence has redefined evil, which is not in agreement with scriptures of all faiths that preach the sacred inviolability of the individual with clear sense of what is right and what is evil.
“Therefore, let it be known to all Nigerians that ACF and Northern leaders are not in support of the activities of Boko Haram which represents itself and not the people of the North nor Muslims across the country.
“The meeting drew the attention of Nigerian leaders-be they political or religious-to beware of making unguarded statements claiming knowledge of supporters of evil doers without naming them. Such statements should have no place in delicate situations such as we have in our country today.
“The meeting commended Nigerians of both faiths who are already working together to narrow the differences among themselves and are creating interreligious harmony, such as noticed in Niger, Kano and Kaduna states and the FCT, where Muslims and Christians took turns to protect one another while observing their religious rites.”-PUNCH
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