The Arewa Youths Forum has decried what it described as the gradual and deadly extinction of the North as Boko Haram continues to gain more territories from the North-Eastern part of Nigeria.

Rising from an emergency meeting held today in Kaduna, North-West Nigeria, Gambo Ibrahim Gujungu, National President of the Forum, said after a thorough review of the State of the Nation with more emphasis on Northern Nigeria, “it is evidently clear, that what is occupying our attention is mainly politics without recourse to our survival as a people.

“While the North is burning and heading to a total collapse, those in positions of leadership and those outside are only occupied with power struggle to the detriment of our survival as a people.”

Gujungu accused politicians of wasting millions of public resources in the name of seeking power at local, state and national levels. “While we have no qualms with that but we felt it is a corruption and abuse of office and breach of trust,” he said.

Sources say the meeting discussed the increasing insurgency attacks and the consequences of their territorial control to Nigerian authorities.

The meeting also deliberated on the Northern Nigerian ethno-religious crisis involving Christians and Muslims, as well as the hostile relationship between Hausa-Fulani and the rest ethnic groups of Northern Nigeria.

Gujungu said: “We agreed on the total collapse of mutual relationship, respect for adherents of different religions and other inclinations in Northern Nigeria, and collapse of trust and confidence amongst Nigerians of northern extraction.

“We observed total failure of Northern leadership in all spheres, elected and appointees, traditional and religious institutions and many more are shying away from the reality we are in hence we make bold without any reservation to make our position as follows:

*That all former Heads of State, Northern Governors, Northern Senators and Representatives, religious and traditional leaders, academicians, business class, media owners, and all other leaderships should hold an emergency meeting and come up with a position to Nigeria’s government on practical solution to the quagmire the region is in i.e. Boko Haram insurgency, ethno-religious crisis, loss of trust and confidence. And they should know that posterity will hold them accountable of either their courage or non-commitment.

*Federal Government and Nigerian security agencies must as a matter of national security demonstrate sincerity and political will in tackling insecurity ravaging the region and halt the menace gradually finding foot in the whole North.

*Power struggle in Northern states should be de-emphasis in view of our situation for urgent resolution of the danger and deadly crisis the region has been plunged into. We should keep politics aside for survival first.

*All the political office holders are more interested in political office forgetting if your house is not in other you can govern well.”

•Photo shows a Boko haram-ravaged community in Northern Nigeria.

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