Prominent Northerners, including Senator Natasha Apkoti, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, a former Chief Security Officer to the late Gen. Sani Abacha, and Dr Yunusa Tanko, Chief Spokesperson of the Labour Party, Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 polls, gathered at the Arewa House in Kaduna to pay tribute to the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the defunct Northern region.
The event, which was part of the Remembrance Day Commemoration in honour of the late premier, provided an opportunity for the attendees to reflect on his legacy and the current state of Northern Nigeria.
While praising Sir Ahmadu Bello’s visionary leadership and contributions to Northern Nigeria’s development, the attendees also criticized successive Northern leaders for perpetuating the region’s backwardness.
According to Al-Mustapha, “Those who conspired and assassinated Sir Ahmadu Bello must be held accountable.
“We urge General TY Danjuma, General Yakubu Gowon, and their contemporaries to come out and inform Nigerians of the contradictions that predated the killing of Sir Ahmadu Bello and the aftermath.”
Senator Natasha Apkoti, who represented Kogi State at the event, assured women in the North that programs would be implemented to enhance their lives within the next few months.
“We are committed to empowering women in the North, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that they have access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities,” she said.
Dr Yunusa Tanko, who represented the Obidient Movement Worldwide, emphasized the need for Nigerians to rethink and correct past mistakes.
“Now is the time for Nigerians to reflect on their past actions and inactions. We must learn from our mistakes and work towards building a better future for ourselves and our children,” he said.
The seminar was organized by the Rebuild Arewa Initiative for Development (RAI4D), a non-governmental organization committed to promoting peace, unity, and sustainable development in Northern Nigeria.
According to the National President of RAI4D, Malam Balarabe Rufai, “The mission of RAI4D is to promote peace, unity, and sustainable development across the Arewa region through collaborative efforts and community engagement. We believe that by working together, we can overcome the challenges facing Northern Nigeria and achieve our full potential.”
The seminar was attended by prominent Nigerians, including traditional leaders, policymakers, academicians, youth leaders, religious leaders, and civil society organizations.
The event provided an opportunity for the attendees to reflect on Sir Ahmadu Bello’s legacy and the current state of Northern Nigeria and to identify strategies for promoting peace, unity, and sustainable development in the region.
Meanwhile, a communiqué issued at the end of the seminar emphasized the need to adopt Sir Ahmadu Bello’s legacies as guiding principles for sustainable peace, unity, and development in Northern Nigeria.
The communiqué also acknowledged the numerous challenges facing Northern Nigeria, including the education deficit, insecurity, and economic underdevelopment.
It noted that Northern Nigeria has some of the lowest literacy rates in the country, with a significant gender gap in education.
On insecurity, the communique noted that terrorism, insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping have devastated communities, disrupted education, and caused significant displacement of people.
On economic underdevelopment, the communique noted that high unemployment rates, dependence on agriculture, and inadequate infrastructure have hindered economic growth.
The communiqué, which was signed by Malam Balarabe Rufai and Mr Abel Abaji, National President and Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, respectively, noted that the Northerners acknowledged late Sardauna’s vision, leadership, and contributions to the development, unity, and peace of Northern Nigeria and recognized the relevance of his principles in addressing contemporary challenges in the region.
It read partly, “We, the representatives of stakeholders across Northern Nigeria, comprising traditional leaders, policymakers, academicians, youth leaders, religious leaders, and civil society organizations, convened to deliberate on the enduring legacies of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto.”
“Arewa, Northern Nigeria, faces several fundamental challenges that have impeded its development and stability. These challenges are deeply rooted in historical, socio-economic, political, and cultural contexts.
“The Almajiri system, while culturally significant, often lacks integration with modern education, leaving many children without basic literacy and numeracy skills. Inadequate infrastructure, especially in rural areas, hampers education and limits access to basic services.
“Ethno-religious conflicts, longstanding tensions between different ethnic and religious groups, have led to periodic outbreaks of violence.
“Youth unemployment is rampant, contributing to poverty, crime, and vulnerability to recruitment by insurgent groups.
“Dependence on agriculture, while culturally significant, often lacks modernization and mechanization, leaving many farmers without access to markets and basic services.”
