By Emeka Mamah
Kaduna—Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has listed qualities which according to the group, the electorate should consider before casting their votes for candidates at the 2011 general elections.

ACF in a communiqué yesterday, after a meeting of its National Executive Committee, NEC, said the electorate should vote candidates who have vision and who are knowledgeable, inspirational, transformational and deliberative as well as have a sense of honour, trust, honesty, integrity, humility, and commitment to the social contract.

ACF’s National Publicity Secretary, Anthony Sani, signed the communiqué which also listed other attributes to include, public-spirited, patriotic courage, commitment to one united peaceful Nigeria, and to democratic ideals premised on triple foundation of liberty, justice and common decency and the capacity to exercise executive authority that is humane in its spirit, wise in its uses and moral in its purposes.

According to the communiqué, “it is the considered view of ACF that leaders with the listed traits will be better able to deliver on the promise of democratic dividends.

Security threats

“The meeting took note of the upsurge in insecurity of lives and properties across the nation, as symbolised by bomb blasts, threats of attacks, rampant cases of kidnappings, killings of security agents and civilians by suspected members of Boko Haram in  North-Eastern geo-political zone of the country.

“More distressing has been the warnings by other countries to their citizens about the insecurity in Nigeria.
“The Forum, therefore, considered the dire effects of such level of insecurity on the socio-economic and political development of the nation.

“Moreso that such dangerous trends are capable of inspiring possible loss of confidence in the governments’ capacity to secure the lives and properties of the citizens.

“The meeting, therefore, appealed to all three tiers of government across the country to take matters of security a lot more seriously.

“The Forum also called on all Nigerians to support the government in the important task of maintaining law and order.”
as necessary ingredients for peaceful coexistence needed for the socio_economic development of the nation.

“Towards this end, government should equip the security agencies properly and adequately as well as improve their intelligence gathering capacity for enhanced performance.

“Arewa Consultative Forum observed the deteriorating quality and volume of social services to the people by governments at all levels.

“It remains the view of the ACF that this situation very much reflects the low quality of leadership.
“The Forum therefore, appeals to all political parties to set high standards of integrity, character and knowledge for aspirants before they are presented as candidates for elections into leadership positions,” the communiqué said.