(http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/images/resized/images/stories/2011/february2011/ibrahim_haruna_26-02-11_200_160.jpg) Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) yesterday said the removal of its immediate past Chairman, Gen. Ibrahim Haruna, was not a punitive measure over his support for President Goodluck Jonathan. National Publicity Secretary of the Forum, Anthony Sani, disclosed that Haruna did not offer himself for re-election at the ACF extraordinary meeting last Wednesday in Kaduna.
Besides, Sani dismissed the insinuation that the Forum was doing the bidding of a particular northern leader, stressing that the new ACF leadership has nothing to do with former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.
Sani, in a statement yesterday, explained that the tenure of the Haruna-led National Working Committee expired on February 9, 2011, necessitating the need for a fresh election. The ACF official added that even though he was entitled to submit himself for re-election, Haruna decided to withdraw, disclosing that those who put forward his name did so without Haruna's consent.
However, it was gathered that the extraordinary meeting where Haruna was replaced by Alhaji Aliko Mohammed was chaired by Babangida, against the Forum's constitution which states in Section 8 (10): "The Board of Trustees shall appoint among its members a Chairman, Deputy Chairman and a Vice-Chairman, who shall preside at all Extra-ordinary General Assembly Meetings". But Sani wrote: "I have read the reports titled 'ACF sacks Haruna for backing Jonathan' in some National Dallies of 24th February 2011 and wish to submit that most of the content are misinformed, misguided and therefore misdirected hence this rejoinder for record purposes. "For example, the tenure of office of the officers of NEC, NWC of ACF expired on the 9th of February, 2011. This prompted the need for the extra ordinary meeting to dissolve and elect new members. That was exactly what happened. "Under ACF constitution, members of NWC are entitled to hold offices for maximum of two terms of three years each on merit. During the exercise at the meeting, Gen. Haruna withdrew his nomination on ground that those who brought about his name did so without his consent. Consequently, Alhaji Aliko Mohammed was left unopposed and the election of the election/appointment was completed smoothly."
The ACF scribe added: "You may wish to know that the committee that was charged with the responsibility of identifying suitable persons for elections/appointment to the various leadership positions of ACF has been in existence from 2007 at the instance of Chief Sunday Awoniyi. The committee is popularly known as Wushishi committee because it is headed by Gen Wushishi. "That is to say the committee is not the making of the dissolved NWC, let alone, a group.
You may therefore wish to know that both the dissolved NWC and the current leadership of the BOT emerged under the watch of the same Wushishi committee. "The text to some members of NEC to mobilise members to attend the NEC meeting were extra efforts by some members after invitation letters to all members had been sent. This was to ensure good attendance of members in the meeting and not to exclude any member from the meeting. "ACF has said it over and over again, Gen. Haruna has not sinned if he supported and still supports President Jonathan. We even discounted any insinuations that the respected Gen. Haruna is being influenced by any form of inducement. After all, many northerners and some members of ACF are not for zoning. In the same way, some southerners are pro-zoning. To us, this is healthy democracy and for the unity of the nation.
"It is therefore important to emphasis this point that what ACF found disagreeable with Gen. Haruna's approach was his tendencies to go public with minority views contrary to established norms. It is also noteworthy that while the forum frowned at such attitudes, it never considered meting any form of sanctions on the Chairman when he was in the office.
"The forum cannot do so now after the dissolution of the NWC. So, the question of ACF sacks Haruna for backing Jonathan cannot arise.
"And finally, we wish to point out that the composition of the NWC in the past and now cut across party lines. Some are even apolitical and so cannot be reasonably said to be 'Babangida Boys'. Please leave Babangida alone".
The ACF had on Wednesday elected the former President of the Nigeria Stock Exchange, Mohammed, to replace Haruna as the Chairman of the National Working Committee of the body in what many believed was a punitive measure for his pro-Jonathan stand which the Forum allegedly saw as detrimental to the interest of the North.
Source: ACF Explains Chairman's Ouster (http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=39816:acf-explains-chairmans-ouster&catid=1:national&Itemid=559)