Nigeria: Yar'Adua Fit to Rule - ACF

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Leadership (Abuja)

11 October 2008
Posted to the web 11 October 2008

Samuel Peter Aruwan

Following lingering debates on President Umaru Yar'Adua's state of health, prompting fears over his ability to rule, the northern Nigeria socio-cultural organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has thrown its weight behind him, with a declaration that the president is fit to rule.

This was contained in a communiqué made available to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND in Kaduna, arising from its National Executive Council meeting signed by Anthony N.Z Sani, national publicity secretary. "The meeting noted reports in the media and elsewhere about the health of the president, Alhaji Umaru Yar'Adua. While the forum believes that Nigerians have a legitimate right to know what their leaders do with the mandate given them, it regretted that the undue pressure being brought to bear on the president on account of his health alone is unhelpful. Contrary to the insinuations of the critics, the ACF believes that the president is capable and is discharging the duties of his office," it stated.

Appealing for support and solidarity for the president to excel, ACF said: "The forum urges all Nigerians to remain positive and give the president their total support, cooperation and encouragement in order for him to do more and achieve more."

While the forum was pleased with the remarkable improvement in rainfall, it urged both federal and state governments not to allow the good fortunes of farmers be the reason for farmers' distress as often happens, calling on both governments to make good their pledge to buy off whatever surpluses was being offered by farmers so that it would prevent a collapse of farm-gate prices. It, however, expressed displeasure over the inability of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and other relevant agencies to maximise the benefits of commodity exchange for purchase of grains.

"Regrettably, information available to the ACF indicates that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and other agencies of government around the country have studiously been reluctant to use the commodity exchange for purchase of grains or the development of our commodity's industry generally."

"The meeting accordingly resolved to urge all relevant authorities to review their positions and make proper use of the commodity exchange. This should enable our farmers enjoy the benefit offered by modern commodity marketing as being achieved in an increasing number of countries even within Africa," the communiqué read in part.

On the prospects of various conferences and seminars targeted at improving the northern Nigerian economy, ACF said: "The forum also considered and welcomed the various conferences and seminars being organised for the purpose of drawing attention to the deteriorating conditions in the North and for identifying possible strategies for addressing it. It hopes these interventions will galvanise all northerners at individual and government levels into taking actions that are necessary. We face daunting challenges. The North is not just falling behind its neighbours in virtually all indices of development, it is regressing rapidly into abject poverty. Northerners must at all costs, arrest the decline of their region back into the dark ages."

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