Charles Dickson urges northern leaders to do more for their people
“When
a people have suffered for too long, they will drink fairytales on
fairylands with insatiable gullibility.” (Hamilton Ayuk)
I
had written on the topic Northern Nigeria and her mythical realities
some four years ago. As with many things Nigerian, those that should
listen, never do, those that should do something are never bothered. So
again let me remind us peradventure.
The
North may be the truth, or falsehood, call it nonsense, be bitter or be
complimentary about it, I really do not care–or better still I care
enough to tell us the way I see it. And it is a do-no-favours essay. The
words of Malcolm X sums up my next few paragraphs. “You’re not supposed
to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is
wrong, no matter who says it.”
The
myth–Aboki is supposedly an Hausa term that is used to describe the man
up North. He may be Hausa, Nupe, Berom, Fulani, Shua, but largely he is
ignorantly Hausa to all and poor; he is either mai-guard (gateman),
mai-ruwa (water), mai shai (tea), mai-doya (yam), mai-reke (sugarcane),
mai-miaa (black market fuel); whatever he is, he just has to be
mai-something or mai-everything. He is a symbolism today to other
Nigerians of violence and false face of Islam. He is
‘misunderstandingly’ understood…to this add the herdsmen narrative.
Then
we have the Alhaji, he is everything above except that he is presumed
rich, and in recent times dangerous too, he could be a sponsor of Boko
Haram too. But for a ‘typical’ southerner, there is the allure of his
riches whether via politics, oil, or ‘voodoo,’ who cares? He is there in
Abuja, Port Harcourt and Lagos. He really doesn’t care about his North;
he is a hypocrite to the core without his knowledge. He has done almost
nothing for his home state whether Kano, Borno, Zamfara or Plateau
other than milk it where possible.
Now
to more of those mythical realities and issues, that has left a region
on her knees. No other time than now has the North faced an identity
crisis and fight within herself. Who are the Hausas, who are the
Fulanis, and how about the Hausa- Fulanis? What really is the place of
the Islam North, real, media creation and how about the Christians in
the North in specific terms, Hausa Christians, Fulani born Again?
Is
the North still united, as was the case? What about her oligarchy and a
few leftist socialist activists that set the talakawa agenda, what
happened? What is it that needs to be understood about the alamanjiri
system and institutional begging in the North?
Is
it really about marginalization and if indeed, who marginalized who,
Abacha, Shagari or IBB, Yar’adu or Buhari, what did we really do with
power, one which we have held on to but remain largely economically and
educational defunct and marginalized.
The
North and the agitating Middle Belt is an emotional wreck, a perfect
picture of an abused bride, which today is even afraid of a hug of
reconciliation, with rehabilitation and reconstruction a far cry. We are
chasing Igbos out because they demand secession, restructuring, fiscal
federalism, etc. If the North decides to go away from Nigeria, will the
other component part fight to keep it and would it be really 19 states?
Is Plateau State North when there’s no love lost between the Plateau
people and the North? Does Taraba believe in North, Southern Kaduna,
parts of Nassarawa, Benue, Kogi, etc.?
People
still believe that up North we are all empty land mass and goats,
unproductive, and leeching termites stuck on Nigeria because of the oil.
If not, why the hue and cry of an erratic false Jewish Messiah called
Kanu? When Zamfara’s mines are gold for the asking and we could develop a
self-sufficient and exportable agrarian community?
When
stories of precious stones litter the grounds of Plateau, Nasarawa or
the rich Mambila Plateau. What is the Arewa ideology? What does Ango
Abdullahi, Ibrahim Babangida, Atiku Abubakar and the rest stand for?
Everyone
is on a blame ride, but as ‘Northerners’ have we blamed brother T.Y.
Danjuma, or IBB, Mallam Lamido, Dr. Babangida Aliyu or Rev. Yuguda and
ministers, legislators, and their ilks. What examples have they set?
Dangote is the richest, and we boast of the poorest communities.
So
much is wrong with the North–I challenge my brothers from Katsina,
Jigawa, Kebbi, Zamfara, etc., to tell me two companies that make N30
million a month after salaries are paid and utilities are sorted.
What
really have the likes of Ango, Buhari, IBB, Abdulsalam done in real
terms to galvanise the economy of the North, one whose crumbling was
facilitated by the insecurity unleashed on the region by religious
fanaticism aided by our elitist refusal to educate and empower our
people.
A
huge army of unemployed youths in the North ready and willing to be
used, points to the fact that there was urgent need for the revival of
the Northern economy and job creation. But how are we doing that, other
than power flexing our birthright mentality?
How
many Ashaka/Larfarge cement companies do we have in the North? NASCO in
Jos is dead, funeral rites only being delayed. Same for the Kaduna
textiles industry despite all the promissory notes of Nasir el-Rufai.
What
and where have the billions of 17 years gone to in the North?
Universities out of private initiative litter the South, and up here
what are we doing, joining issues with Biafra, and ranting while we
should do the needful.
The
North has equally failed“to give her people opportunity, education and
resolve conflicts through regular democratic processes”. “In terms of
human capital and young people, I think the greatest investment any
country can make, not just an African country, is educating its youth
and providing them with the skill to compete in a highly technological,
advanced world economy”. Nigeria has failed in this regard and the North
has woefully crashed in same vein.
The
North will rise again. How, if I may ask, by threatening a lame-duck
Kanu and Biafra that has no price, or priding ourselves that we can
stand when we have refused to start standing.
The
South-West despite Bola Tinubu’s crookedness is chasing a semblance of
regional integration; the South- East and South-South are not left out.
States have even gone ahead to use their emblem and are creating
identities. We are still seen as Fulani herdsmen asking for reserves on
other peoples’ lands and seeking nomadic education because we can’t do
regular school.
We
need to bash ourselves, the larger North, the smaller Arewa needs to
stop lying to itself and her people. There are current realities, where
do we fit into it?
I
will end this admonition in the words of one of the problem sons of the
North, TY Danjuma, “We need to think more, pray more, plan more, work
harder, relate better, and talk less. Battles are better fought and won
through wisdom and strategy than through inflammable pronouncements and
political tantrums.” This is to the North but it does apply to Nigeria,
the current hate quotient is high – for how long, only time will tell.
Dr. Dickson is a Freelance journalist and can be reached at [email protected]
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