ACF blamed the economic hardship on fuel subsidy removal, introduction of taxes and levies by the federal government, saying that these policies were responsible for rapid decline in living conditions of the ordinary Nigerians
By Emma Ogbuehi
Apex Northern socio-cultural group, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has taken a swipe at some policies of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government, blaming them for the deteriorating standard of living, inflation and unemployment in Nigeria.
The forum decried the continuing deterioration or escalation in the spate of insecurity-related incidents in all three geopolitical zones under which the northern states are grouped.
ACF warned that Nigeria might witness social chaos, particularly in the northern region if nothing was done to address the biting economic harsh situation.
The forum expressed worries at the widening regional disparities in social demographic factors, such as access to education, health public, infrastructure, economic inclusion, political participation, living conditions, stressing that governments must move to curb such disparities so as to ensure that Nigeria does not become two-states-in-one.
“Factors that unify rather than divide citizens along any lines should attract the attention of all concerned, government and citizens alike”, it added.
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The ACF made the remarks after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Kaduna on Tuesday.
In a communique issued and signed by the National Spokesman of the Forum, Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba, it lamented that the problems had remained dire, acute and chronic in some places, especially in the North.
ACF blamed the economic hardship on fuel subsidy removal, introduction of taxes and levies by the federal government, saying that these policies were responsible for rapid decline in living conditions of the ordinary Nigerians
The communique read, “With grave concern, NEC decries the continuing deterioration or escalation in the spate of insecurity-related incidents in all three geopolitical zones under which the northern states are grouped.
“These problems reflect on the region’s cascading political, social, economic challenges. NEC reiterates ACF’s earlier expressed position that the emergent protracted dimension of these problems, if untamed, are harbingers of citizens’ discontent, social chaos.
“Equally worrisome is the widening regional disparities in social demographic factors, such as access to education, health public, infrastructure, economic inclusion, political participation, living conditions, etc. Governments must move to curb such disparities so as to ensure that Nigeria does not become two-states-in-one. 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 addition of new taxes and levies is 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.
“On the national front and specifically applicable to the Northern states, NEC notes 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 problems that 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.
“ACF acknowledges the federal, state and, to a little extent, local governments have been making efforts to tackle the problems identified above. However, overall, it is undeniable, perhaps due to the quantum and widening dimension of the problems, that public policy response to the problems remains weak and ineffective at best.
“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.
“As always, ACF unequivocally supports Nigeria’s security agents in their determined efforts to rid the country of criminality, insecurity and instability and pray that they very soon enough prevail over insurgents, terrorists and bandits. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.