ACF, NEF, Others Mark 60 Years of Ahmadu Bello’s Assassination

By John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Arewa Consultative Forum, Northern (ACF), Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and other northern groups Thursday marked 60 years since the assassination of Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardaunan Sokoto, Premier of the defunct Northern region, describing his death in the January 15, 1966 military coup as a defining tragedy in Nigeria’s history.Speaking at a press briefing, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ACF, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, said, “Today is exactly 60 years sinnce Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardaunan Sokoto and some of his colleagues were murdered by rogue elements of the Nigerian military.” He recalled that the killings plunged the country into series of crises including a 30-month civil war and the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives.Dalhatu, who spoke on behalf of the Northern Elders Forum, Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Arewa House and other groups, said while Armed Forces Remembrance Day was worthy celebration, critical moments in Nigeria’s political history must not be forgotten.“The heroism and sacrifices of our men and women in the Armed Forces are worthy of celebrating. In the same spirit, key elements of our history are also worth remembering, particularly where they remind us of major turning points in our lives as Northerners and Nigerians”, he said.Dalhatu said the late Sardauna remained a symbol of visionary and selfless leadership in the North. “People of the North have a special place in their hearts for the Sardauna and his colleagues who made the supreme sacrifice 60 years ago,” he said, adding that their leadership offered “a vital lesson in the study of committed and visionary leadership.”The ACF BoT Chairman highlighted the developmental legacy of the former Premier, noting, “Sixty years after the Sardauna, the North looks with pride at the world class University, the Ahmadu Bello University which his vision and commitment led him to its establishment”.According to him, the fragmentation of the former Northern region and rising insecurity reflected poor governance.“We are having to deal with unbearable cost of governance, deeply worrying and complex inter communal relations, conflicts that take lives daily and fights which serve as evidence of poor standards of leadership and management of public affairs,” he said.Dalhatu reaffirmed the North’s commitment to democracy, stating, “The North will assert itself as a key player in the growth and development of the democratic system in Nigeria.”