Northern Elders Embarrassed Over ACF’s Leadership Crisis, Secretariat Blockade

The apex northern socio-cultural organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has disclosed that elders of the north were embarrassed over the forum’s yet to resolve leadership crisis that led to the blockade of it national secretariat in Kaduna by the police.

Our correspondent reports that the ACF secretariat was still under the firm control of police operatives as the forum’s crisis enters six days.

The police had closed down ACF Secretariat located at Sokoto Road, Kaduna ahead of the forum’s National Executive Committee (NEC) slated last Wednesday.

Though, Kaduna State Police Command had denied sealing the forum’s premises but claimed that its men were deployed to prevent a possible breakdown of law and order between two rival factions within the forum had fixed meetings.

On Wednesday, the forum’s National Executive Committee (NEC) led by it chairman, Mike Mamman Osuman, SAN, had suspended the chairman ACF Board of Trustees, Alhaji Bashir M. Dalhatu, over alleged financial misconduct and constitutional breaches during its meeting held in undisclosed location in Kaduna. The allegations Dalhatu denied.

Meanwhile, speaking with LEADERSHIP on Saturday, ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad Baba, said the elders will do everything possible for the issues to be resolved.

When asked whether there will be dialogue to end the forum’s leadership crisis, Muhammad Baba, said he has no concrete information but nothing above dialogue, “The secretariat is still under lock. They have opened the street, but the premises are still under police siege.

“There is a breakdown of communication between the different levels. And it is sad that it is turning personal. That’s why some of us are getting discouraged about it all. ACF is the leading socio-cultural organisation of the North that unites people with different ideas.

“It’s a pity but like I said, things happen for a purpose i’m basically optimistic that a way will be found I don’t know how but it will be found,” he said.