by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has suspended its Board of Trustees Chairman, Bashir M. Dalhatu, over allegations of “financial misconduct and constitutional breaches.”
The decision for his suspension was taken at the emergency meeting of the forums National Executive Committee (NEC), held in Kaduna, Wednesday, amid rising tension within the forum, including disputes over access to its National Secretariat and widened internal disagreements.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, the ACF National Publicity Secretary, Tukur Muhammad-Baba, disclosed that delegates from about 18 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory eventually convened after the meeting was relocated from the ACF Headquarters to another venue, due to ‘restrictions,’ following the internal crises.
Muhammad-Baba also said that the NEC condemned the alleged blockade of the secretariat, describing it as interference in the internal affairs and associative rights of the forum.
According to Baba, the committee rejected claims that the situation amounted to a leadership crises, stressing that the issues involved constitutional procedures and governance processes within the organisation.
Muhammad-Baba stressed that, “Following the presentation of a report by an Ethics and Conduct Committee established to investigate a petition on financial administration and internal governance, the committee’s preliminary findings raised serious concerns requiring further investigation, particularly on issues of due process and financial management.
“Based on the recommendations, the NEC passed a vote-of-no-confidence on Dalhatu and approved his immediate suspension as BoT Chairman, pending the outcome of further investigations.
“The committee also ordered a comprehensive forensic audit of all ACF financial records, including its Endowment Fund, with a mandate to recover any funds found to have been improperly handled.
“In another resolution, the NEC reaffirmed confidence in the National Working Committee, led by Mike Mamman Osuman, SAN, and maintained the status of the Secretary-General, pending any constitutional review.
“The forum further condemned the alleged police restriction of access to its headquarters, describing the action as unacceptable interference in the affairs of a socio-cultural organization,” the forum said.