ACF Urges Northern Govs To Review Land Ownership, Control

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has called on the governors of the 19 northern states to carry out a comprehensive reform of land ownership and control to prevent foreigners from taking over their lands.

It decried a situation where northerners are not allowed to purchase land in the southern part of the country, despite what it called the “North’s receptive and unlimited hospitality” towards people from the South who live and own houses in the North.

The Chairman of ACF Board of Trustees, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, who raised the matter during a meeting in Kaduna State, noted that the growing hostility and “hate mongering against northerners in the South, appears to be exacerbated by the current unequal and discriminatory policies of the Federal Government toward the North”.

Dalhatu said the time had come for governors and legislators in the northern states to carry through a comprehensive reform of the system of land ownership and control.

He noted that the need for this reform was self-evident, especially given the current “mad” scramble for land in the North by foreigners.

He said, “Authorities in the North must ensure that northerners do not become landless in their own territory.

“These negative developments have prompted a growing disenchantment and disillusionment amongst northerners against the federation of Nigeria.

“Some in the North now openly question the rationale or justification for remaining in the union.”

Alleged Maltreatment Of Northerners

The forum also alleged that northerners were being maltreated and attacked in the Southern region, describing it as ironic and painful, given the fact that for centuries, the North had kept its doors wide open and welcomed people from all parts of Nigeria.

Dalhatu said, “It is deeply regrettable, therefore, that southerners have refused to reciprocate this noble gesture by the North. In fact, in many parts of the South, especially in the Southeast, a northerner can not expect to acquire one square foot of land, not to speak of owning any significant landed property.

“While on the subject of violence and killings, we must review and condemn in the strongest possible terms, the growing hostility and attacks against northerners who choose to live or pursue livelihoods in the southern states of Nigeria. Even innocent northerners on journeys through southern states get killed or subjected to inhumane treatment, a tragedy which, unfortunately, successive administrations in this country have failed to stop.”

The ACF also demanded the immediate review of the law creating the Federal capital territory in 1976, and the need to create a state for the indigenous people of Abuja, who are the original ‘owners’ of the Federal Capital Territory.

According to the ACF BOT chairman, the law creating the FCT in 1976 specified a number of actions to be taken by the Federal Government as preconditions for the area to become the federal capital territory.

“One important condition was that the indigenous population within the area demarcated as FCT would be paid adequate compensation and relocated to the neighbouring states that currently include present-day Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Kogi and Kaduna.

“It has been about 50 years since that law was passed, but the Federal Government has failed to adequately implement its provisions. As a matter of fact and much to the regret of fair-minded Nigerians, the indigenous people of the FCT, have been forcefully driven away from their ancestral land and rendered landless and homeless through no fault of theirs.

This injustice and maltreatment of the indigenous people of the FCT Abuja calls for an urgent review. The time has come for Nigeria to fulfil its obligations towards the indigenous people of Abuja, including the creation of their own state within the federation of Nigeria,” he added.

On the Renewed killings and attacks in some states in the North, the ACF called for more collaboration and consultation between the government, traditional and religious leaders to bring the crisis to an end.