The Arewa Young Christian Forum of Nigeria (AYCFN) has asked the incoming administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to zone the position of the SGF to a Christian from the North Central region of the country.
The group noted that the recent endorsement of candidates for the offices of Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker by the ruling All Progressives Congress, leaves the North Central region in political limbo.
The youth group made this position known while addressing a world press conference on Wednesday, noting that this will create an inclusiveness atmosphere for all the country’s geopolitical regions.
*Arewa Young Christian Forum of Nigeria*
*WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE*
*Being text of a world press conference by Arewa Young Christian Forum of Nigeria on setting the agenda for the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidency in Nigeria*
Ladies and Gentlemen of the revered press
Representatives of the Diplomatic Community
Representatives of Civil Society Groups
Representatives of APC Stakeholders
Representatives of the Organized Private Sector
The text
Ladies and Gentlemen, please accept our warm greetings on this occasion of a world press conference to set the agenda for renewed hope and the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidency.
Nigeria is about to usher in another democratically elected government. As usual, there are hopes and aspirations from Nigerians with regard to the way forward towards sustainable growth and development.
The political and religious configuration of Nigeria has mandated that the various regions be allowed to represent and be represented in the country’s governance, which, by and large, is aimed at creating an atmosphere of unity, peace, and tranquility.
The various regions in Nigeria have clamored for equal representation at the highest level of governance in the country with the overarching objective of the equitable distribution of the dividends of democracy.
As a body of democrats, we have elected to hold this press conference to set the agenda for the incoming administration and put issues in proper perspective in the quest for transparency, equity, and justice.
This is on the heels that the Muslim-Muslim composition of the President and Vice President has indeed opened a plethora of agitations for the need to accommodate the Christians in the governance structure of the incoming administration.
It must be stated that in the executive arm of government, the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is regarded as the engine room of government, saddled with the responsibility for ensuring the effective coordination and monitoring of the implementation of government policies and programs in the hierarchy of Nigerian government.
The SGF also serves as a front-line advisory institution of the presidency. Given that the South West and the North East have been adequately represented, it behooves that the North Central region should be given the slot of the SGF in the spirit of equity.
The strategic importance of the North Central region in the political and socioeconomic life of the country must be considered. The recent endorsement of candidates for the offices of Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker leaves the North Central region in political limbo. This does not augur well for Nigeria’s nascent democracy, hence the need for action that would create a balance for all the regions in the country.
After extensive deliberations, the Arewa Young Christain Forum of Nigeria, given the reality on the ground, states that the position of SGF should be reserved for a Christian from the North Central region of the country.
Our position is hinged on creating an inclusiveness atmosphere for all the country’s geopolitical regions. We must admit that given the present political arrangement, the North Central region has been left out temporarily.
We wish to make it clear that credible persons of repute have contributed immensely to the growth and development of democracy in Nigeria from the North Central region. These persons have proven their commitment to advancing democracy in Nigeria in ways too numerous to mention.
Given the above fact, we believe that the outgoing governor of Plateau State, and Chairman of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong indeed fits the bill for the position of SGF.
His track record of administrative competence as a one-time speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Governor of Plateau State, and Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum speaks volume.
Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong has been instrumental in entrenching peace and political stability by administrating policies that address the political, religious, and ethnic concerns in North Central and Northern Nigeria as a whole.
His leadership acumen is such that he reverberates competence, commitment, and sound judgment in matters of national interest. He has been tested and trusted in various capacities, and we do not doubt his suitability for the position of SGF.
The implication of the appointment of Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong, as the SGF is that it would create the much-needed political and religious balance in the governance structure in Nigeria.
We wish to use this medium to call on the APC leadership to see this proposition as ideal and necessary, given the peculiarities of time and the need to bring about a sense of inclusiveness in the governance structure in the country.
This is aside from the fact that Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong is a highly respected individual who has tremendous influence in North Central and has successfully built bridges across the divide.
His experience would be put to good use as the SGF in ensuring that the engine room of the government is adequately oiled to deliver on the critical mandate of the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The necessity of now requires proactive actions that would give Nigerians the much-desired renewed hope now and in the future. And one such move would be the appointment of a Christian of North Central origin in Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong as the SGF.
It is our conviction that Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong will deliver on the critical mandate of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration in renewing the hopes of Nigerians for a better and progressive Nigeria.
Nigeria is our home; together, we can build a better future for ourselves and our children.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Long Live Nigeria
Signed:
