Leaders across Northern Nigeria to have been charged to rise to the challenges of insecurity, injustice, and underdevelopment that continue to ravage the region.
The charge was given by Arewa Cohesion For Peace, Unity and Development Initiative (ACI) in Kaduna as the world marks the International Day of Peace under the theme “Act Now For a Peaceful World”.
Delivering the statement, the Director General of ACI, Dr. Abdullahi Idris lamented the deepening crisis of violence marked by terrorism, banditry, farmer-herder clashes, kidnappings, and political rivalries.
He said these conflicts have left communities shattered and millions displaced, robbing the North of peace, prosperity, and hope.
“At a time when Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Plateau, Benue, and many other states are under siege, our elites find greater pride in flamboyant social ceremonies than in convening serious solution-driven summits.
“Worst of all is the refusal of security agencies to act decisively on intelligence, leaving governors handicapped and citizens abandoned”, he added.
The ACI statement criticized the growing culture of glorifying wealth and spectacle while poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy deepen across the North.
According to Idris, the region must shift its values from vanity to integrity, selfless leadership, and real action for peace.
Calling on both government and citizens, ACI emphasized that peace is not merely the absence of justice, dignity, and opportunity.
The group went further to outlined some urgent steps, that the federal government must act beyond rhetoric, as no more empty statements in the face of killings and kidnappings.
According to him, Northerners of all faiths and ethnicities must not allow selfish politicians to sow discord and diversity should be celebrated and grievances addressed constructively, citizens must demand their rights to life, education, healthcare, and development.
While acknowledging modest government efforts to restore peace, ACI insisted that they remain inadequate given the persistence of violence.
Dr. Idris directly challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and governors across the North to move beyond silence and selective engagements, calling on them to visit victims, bereaved families, empower security agencies, and show real leadership.
ACI also pledged to intensify enlightenment campaigns across the region, champion good governance, promote community-driven peacebuilding, and encourage citizen participation
