The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has raised apprehension about the dispute between prominent Northern businessmen, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Abdussamad Rabiu of BUA Company.
Expressing disquiet over the conflict between the former governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, and his successor, Governor Dauda Lawal, NEF, led by its Convener, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, emphasized that the situation was intricately connected to the region’s economic and political equilibrium.
Prof. Ango Abdullahi, the Convener of NEF, articulated concerns, stating that the ongoing disputes between Aliko Dangote and Abdussamad Isiyaku Rabiu over cement prices, alongside the clash of interests between Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State and Defense Minister Bello Mohammed Matawalle, were compounding the multifaceted challenges confronting the Northern region in the realms of security and the economy.
“In response to this, NEF urges the leaders embroiled in these disputes to display restraint for the greater benefit of the region. Furthermore, we implore all leaders and stakeholders in the North to intervene by spearheading reconciliation dialogues among all the parties involved. It is imperative, particularly for the two Zamfara leaders, Lawal and Matawalle, to demonstrate restraint and sagacity, fostering an atmosphere of unity and cooperation to confront the pressing insecurity in the state,” the statement iterated.
