DESIST FROM POLITICS - SHAGARI URGES ACF

By NBF News

Deputy Governor of Sokoto State , Mukhtari Shehu Shagari has called on the leadership of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) to stop playing politics and face the challenges of how to ensure peace and security in the region.

Shagari said in an interview with Saturday Sun on Thursday in Sokoto that the ACF as a social cultural organisation should be more concerned with the spate of killings in Borno and Plateau states with a view to putting a stop to the ugly trend, rather than getting involved in politicking.

His words 'The ACF should leave politics to the politicians and pay more attention to those problems that are peculiar to the Northern people like the menace of Almajiri's. This, I am sure would earn them more respect from the region'.

The former minister said the ACF with leaders consisting of people of high integrity from different field of human endeavors should have the effrontery to approach Mr. President for solution to the problems militating against the progress of the Northern people with a view to moving the region forward.

He said he has no doubt that if this is done the president would be very glad with them and would be ready to offer his assistance towards meeting their expectations.

The deputy governor who maintained that he has the highest respect for the Forum, warned that the forum should guard against reducing itself to a political party and face the objectives for which it was set up.

He explained that if there was anything unusual about the primaries conducted by a particular political party, the court is there to adjudicate on the matter. 'It is certainly not the job for the ACF'.

Speaking on the sermons by some Islamic scholars encouraging Muslims to vote for a Muslim president, Shagari said, such sermons was uncalled for because according to him, what the nation needs was a God fearing and committed leader and that person could be Muslim or Christian.

Shagari remarked that President Goodluck Jonathan was not president for Christians alone, while Vice President Nnamadi Sambo was not Vice President for Muslims alone, saying 'The two of them are in the service of the entire Nigerians, irrespective of their religious, tribal or cultural background'.

While expressing happiness that such sermon is gradually dying down in the state, Shagari enjoined all religious leaders to pray for the progress and unity of the country as well as the successful conduct of the forth coming general election.

Speaking on the Buhari/Bakare ticket, Shagari said that even though he has a great respect for the personality of Gen. Muhammad Buhari, he did not see his union with Pastor Bakare as a threat to the presidential ambition of Jonathan.

He maintained that PDP remains the party to beat any day, anytime, adding that the wide acceptability of the party by the generality of Nigerians was never in doubt.

According to him, Jonathan would not have any difficulty wining the forth coming election, considering his popularity throughout the length and breadth of this nation.

'He is the man of the moment and no amount of campaign of calumny would work against him. He would be elected president come April this year by the Grace of God' Shagari Stated.