The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), on Monday, said that former heads of states from the North were underutilised assets.
This was contained in a communiqué signed by Colonel John Ubah (retd) and Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, issued at the end of a one-day meeting of northern groups with ACF.
Former heads from the region include General Yakubu Gowon, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, General Muhammadu Buhari, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida and General Abdulsalami Abubakar
The forum said the Northerners expected their inputs in influencing events surrounding security of the region and its economic well-being, but have been disappointed so far.
In the communique issued :
“It resolved to invite the attention of former Heads of State and President, General Yakubu Gowon, President Shehu Shagari, General Muhammadu Buhari, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and General Abdulsalami Abubakar to recognize that they severely under-utilized assets and northerners expect them to improve their input into influencing events around their security and economic wellbeing.
“Request the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives and all legislators from the North to note that northerners expect them to exercise greater commitment towards ensuring that President Goodluck Jonathan’s government is made more accountable to northerners and the citizens of Nigeria in the manner it handles national security and the management of resources of the nation;
“Remind northern govenors that citizens are disappointed over their seeming neglect of the security and welfare of the people of the North. In the next few weeks, activities of joint committees will approach governors and involve them in mobilizing citizens towards supporting all measures to improve security in the North, and will inform northerners of responses of all our elected leaders,” it said.
The ACF also rejected the recent allocation of additional polling units by INEC, which it says deliberately conferred undeserved advantages on states in the South.
The communique said, it “rejects the recent allocation of additional polling units by INEC which deliberately conferred undeserved advantages on states in the South. The creation of additional polling units should be revisited, using standard criteria that INEC is aware of.
“Attempts to blackmail and stampede INEC into abandoning its hallowed responsibilities to do justice to all Nigerians, or sacrifice the rights of northern voters are hereby condemned. The North expects INEC to re-allocate the polling units in strict compliance with its standard guidelines without fear or favour.”