By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The Arewa Cohesion for Unity, Peace and Development Initiative (ACI) has criticized Northern elites for prioritizing flamboyant social ceremonies while insecurity devastates communities across the region.
The Director General of the group, Dr. Abdullahi Idris, made the remarks in a statement to mark the 2025 International Day of Peace, themed “Act Now for a Peaceful World.”
He lamented that despite worsening violence in states such as Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Plateau, and Benue, elites appear more concerned with social pageantry than convening solution-driven summits.
“Our region continues to bleed from avoidable conflicts, banditry, terrorism, farmer-herder clashes, kidnappings, and violent political rivalries that have robbed us of peace, prosperity, and hope. It is disturbing that at a time when so many states are under siege, elites find greater pride in staging flamboyant social ceremonies than in addressing the insecurity destroying our communities,” Idris said.
He accused security agencies of refusing to act decisively on intelligence, leaving governors “handicapped” and citizens “abandoned.” He also faulted a society that glorifies wealth and spectacle while poverty, unemployment, and mass displacement tighten their grip on the North.
The group urged a shift in values, saying peace must be built on justice, opportunity, and dignity. It called on President Bola Tinubu and Northern governors to rise above silence and selective engagement by empowering security agencies, visiting victims, and providing genuine leadership.
“History will not forgive inaction when action was most needed. The time for complacency is over. The time for action is now,” ACI declared.
