INSECURITY: US intervention in Nigeria questionable – Tukur Baba, ACF spokesperson

•Asks: What did the bombing achieve?

•Optimistic that a viable Nigeria is possible

By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

Professor Tukur Muham++mad Baba, National Publicity Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, speaks on the achievements, challenges and future of the organisation, Nigeria’s insecurity and relations with other socio-cultural groups. Excerpts:

About two decades after the establishment of the ACF, can you say the organisation has achieved its objectives, or is there still work to be done?

In general terms, I think the ACF has stayed the course with regard to its vision and mission. If those constitute its objectives, then it has largely succeeded. The ACF was established as a forum for dialogue and collective response to shared issues affecting the diverse northern-based socio-cultural groups, united largely by political geography. To that extent, the ACF has gone far in achieving its objectives.

One clear indicator is that the organisation is firmly established, credible, visible and sound. There is no doubt about that. I can even say, without apology, that the ACF is indisputably the most eminent of such groups in the country, maintaining fidelity to its founding objectives.

That said, there is still a lot more to be done. The issues confronting the organisation are dynamic in form, content and manifestation. This naturally means that strategies must constantly be reviewed and recalibrated. The ACF has engaged in such reassessments and will continue to do so if it is to remain relevant.

No social endeavour can ever be perfect. One area often mentioned is the speed of response to emerging issues. Even here, the ACF has risen to the task, though there is always room for improvement in timeliness. In summary, the ACF has done well, but it can certainly do…