By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has felicitates with Muslim Ummah in Nigeria and worldwide on the successful completion of the Ramadhan fast and the celebration of 2024 Eid el Fitr. This is contained in a statement signed by forum’s National Publicity Secretary Prof. T. A. Muhammad-Baba, Wednesday.
ACF noted that lessons must have been learnt from the Ramadhan period and in particular from partaking in the month-long devotion to sacrifice, spiritual introspection, compassion, deep sober reflections on the meaning of life and death as well as of God’s benevolence and Mercies.
ACF also decried the many challenges ordinary citizens are currently facing, including runaway inflation, unemployment, rapid fall in standards of living, insurgency, terrorism and banditry, amongst others describing them as Most regrettably.
These problems, according to ACF, are more dire, acute or even chronic in the Northern states of Nigeria.
“Sadly, public policy responses, in line with the covenant between citizens and the state, to such problems remain weak and ineffective at best.
“ACF calls for urgent attention, by government at all levels, to the demonstrable rapid decline in living conditions of citizens occasioned by recent Government policies such as removal of subsidies on the prices of petroleum products, floating of the Naira, and astronomical hike in the cost of poorly supplied electricity.
“The burdens of such policies are becoming too heavy being portent ingredients of citizens’ discontent, social chaos and unrests. Recent episodes of looting of public and private goods in several locations are pointers of what lies ahead if things are allowed to slide unchecked”, it stated.
The statement read in parts: ACF calls on citizens to remain steadfast in prayers. God Almighty has a purpose for and the answers to all tribulations that people face. Daunting as it seems, ACF steadfastly envisions a prosperous Nigeria where justice, equity and hope will prevail over despair and hopelessness.
In the Spirit of Eid El Fitr, ACF calls on the Muslim Ummah to remain prayerful for Nigeria’s rejuvenation, such that a peaceful, secure and economically vibrant country will emerge. Citizens should also pray to God Almighty to endow Nigeria’s leaders with love, faith, strength, righteousness, fear of God and wisdom with which to govern the polity.
Against the national current challenges, ACF
(i) Calls for roll out of rational public policies aimed at the qualitative easing of purchasing power challenges, create opportunities for economic empowerment;
(ii) Calls on public functionaries to shun provocative profligacy and reckless ego-massaging and self-serving spending of tax-payer funds;
(iii) Warns against very poorly organised and chaotic distribution of “palliatives”. ACF prefers simple, transparent and effective community-based distribution system with adequate security coverage;
(iv) Warns the general public against resort to looting of public and private storage facilities; vehicles in transit ferrying good across the country. Economic challenges should present no excuse for brigandage, lawlessness, as ultimately, it is the same “ordinary citizen” that experience losses in lives, limbs and property;
(v) Solicits support and prayers for Nigeria’s security agents in their resolve to rid the country of criminality, insecurity and instability; and
(vi) Prays that all terrorists, bandits, insurgents and other criminals on rampage with evil tools will reflect on the futility of their fruitless intentions, repent and rejoin the culture of peace and compassion. The terrorists and bandits must promptly release all men, women and children citizens that they hold in captivity under miserable conditions.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, it stated.
