The Board of Trustees of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has at its second meeting in Kaduna on Wednesday, said the bad economic policies of the Buhari administration is killing many Northerners who are struggling to survive.
Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of the BoT, Ambassador Shehu Malami, said the rate of damage suffered by the region has forced youths into acts of criminality which in turn, has worsen the security problems in the North.
He said the bad economy caused by ineffective and inefficient monetary policies of the government is responsible for the current, “hyper-inflationary trends stiffing the economic and industrial growths and well-being of our people”.
He warned that if the President and Northern Governors fail to address the dangerous situation by improving the living conditions of the people, there's danger ahead.
He said, “It appears that our leadership in the north is yet to understand and appreciate the bad situation of our youths. They are time bombs that can explode at any given moment.
“It is utterly injurious and catastrophic to delay any action to salvage them from lethargy, drugs and substance abuse and despondency, banditry and many more vices we can think of.
“No sensible being will be happy to rely on any form of palliative. Every average person wants to earn his living.
“Our leaders must show enough seriousness on the future well-being of youths. They must find the way and means to encourage them in productive activities.
“As critical stakeholders, it behoves on us to conscientiously address our State governments in the north to take decisive actions towards industrialising the region.
“Northern governors and persons of means should be in a position to establish banking and other financial institutions to facilitate growth and development.
“Solid minerals and other resources abound in every State of our region which should be tapped as a matter of priority and urgency for our collective good.
“Our governments in the region should be made to understand this fact; to neglect agriculture is to court disaster and peril to ourselves”.