Arewa Group Blasts Northern Elite, Predicts God’s Reckoning For Failures

The Lagos Branch of the Arewa Community Forum has released a blistering New Year statement denouncing Northern Nigerian leaders and elders for decades of failed leadership, moral decay, and profound betrayal of public trust.

The forum accuses the political class of presiding over worsening insecurity, poverty, and social collapse across the region.

The Arewa Community Forum emphasized that its message was not driven by hatred but by conscience, accountability, and love for the people of Northern Nigeria.

It warned that history and God will ultimately hold them accountable for the suffering endured by the people.

In a strongly worded statement signed by its Chairman, Board of Trustees, Alhaji Dr. Ibrahim Tanko, the forum said it was “ironically extending thanks” to Nigeria’s political leadership.

This is for presiding over the steady collapse of regional stability, social cohesion, and economic opportunity and failures that have exposed the country to damaging foreign scrutiny, including the United States’ designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.

Tanko contrasted the present reality with the early post-independence era. He recalled a time when Nigeria’s economy was agriculturally driven, relatively stable, and guided by leaders committed to nation-building, equity, and social justice.

He described the founding generation as “selfless patriots” whose governance philosophy placed the welfare of the common citizen above personal ambition.Highlighting Northern Nigeria’s legacy of principled leadership, the forum referenced the contributions of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto.

His investments in mass education, scholarships, and institutions—such as the Northern Nigeria Development Corporation (NNDC); were designed to lift the underprivileged and ensure inclusive development.

Other leaders of that era—Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Sir Kashim Ibrahim, and Mallam Aminu Kano—were also cited as exemplars of governance rooted in social justice and mass education.According to the statement, today’s Northern Nigeria tells a tragic opposite story. Entire sectors of the economy have collapsed, leaving millions of children without access to quality education or employment

Many youths, it noted, have been forced onto the streets and, in some cases, branded as terrorists due to circumstances beyond their control—resulting in avoidable bloodshed and the loss of innocent lives.

The forum blamed the crisis on long-term neglect and deliberate misallocation of developmental resources. It alleged that funds meant for schools, hospitals, and community infrastructure were diverted to criminal networks, political agendas, and personal luxuries.

It further accused political elites of investing oil wealth abroad and educating their own children overseas while exploiting uneducated local youths as tools for political manipulation.“Insecurity has reduced our region to a struggle for survival,” the statement said.

It warned that this environment has crushed hope among jobless youths, stalled growth while other regions advance, and turned insecurity into a weapon used to suppress progress.

History, it cautioned, would harshly judge those responsible.Beyond historical accountability,

Tanko invoked a higher moral reckoning, reminding leaders that ultimate judgment rests with Allah. “On the Day of Judgment, power, wealth, and influence will avail no one,” the statement warned.

 

It called on leaders and elders to reflect deeply, reclaim the values of justice and service, and act decisively to rescue the region from further decline and decay.