The National Publicity Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Professor T. A. Muhammad Baba, has attributed the North’s developmental setbacks to a lack of political unity and failure to hold public representatives accountable.

Reacting to recent comments by former Senate President David Mark on the region’s socio-economic backwardness, Professor Baba said internal issues such as poor accountability, disunity, and inaction have exacerbated the North’s condition.

Mark had criticised the North’s deteriorating socio-economic state, arguing that the region is largely the architect of its own challenges.

While noting that the ACF has yet to issue an official position on the matter, Professor Baba said his personal view aligns with parts of Mark’s assessment.

“What he [David Mark] said is nothing new. Many people have said it before. The North is behind in all indices of development-health, infrastructure, and education in particular. It’s a complex situation,” he told Daily Trust in a telephone interview on Sunday.

“Our lack of political unity and the inability to hold our leaders accountable have significantly contributed to the region’s condition. David Mark is right in some respects, though his remarks are somewhat exaggerated. The North’s challenges are both internal and external, but the internal factors are more critical,” he added.

Professor Baba, a former Dean of the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences at the Federal University Birnin Kebbi, stressed the need for northerners to look inward and take ownership of efforts to bring about change-beginning with education.

He clarified that his remarks represent his personal opinion and not the official stance of the Arewa Consultative Forum. (Daily Trust)