THE QUEST FOR PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE IN NORTHERN NIGERIA, THE CHALLENGES OF YOUTHS:

Introduction:

Events unfolding within the geo political entity known as Nigeria in recent times have generated debates within political parlance about future of the federation. Of great concern is the increasing profile of violent crimes, religious and ethnic tension. Economic and social activities have been paralyzed in most commercial cities thereby leaning credence to the debate that the state of union is in near jeopardy. Security challenges have dominated every national discourse. The insurgency question has been so much exaggerated and mystified that fear with mutual suspicion determines every aspect of public relationships.

The capacity of the state to contend with these challenges obviously is below human expectations. It is argued by some Analysts and Public Commentators that since the insurgency (Boko haram) originated from the North and their activities for the time been has been limited to the Northern states therefore it is a conspiracy of Northern political class to destabilize the country because they are out of power. On the other side, it is view by some religious bigots as an Islamic machine to Islamize Nigeria.

The latter School is popular among some Christians while the former is a political theory of some Southern politicians. Either way the situation is assessed the Northern States are in a dilemma as a result of ravaging hunger, poverty, unemployment, corruption and above all rising profile of security challenges. The summary of these developments resulted in the clamour for a National Sovereign Conference, (NSC) as a way of resolving certain national questions. Peace in the North means the country will be peaceful. This is where the choice of the topic and the audience is relevant.

Conceptualization:
Youth is time of life between childhood and adulthood otherwise referred to maturity, Macmillan Dictionary for Students, Macmillan, Pan Ltd. (1981) Page 115. Definition of the specific age range that constitutes youth varies. An individual’s actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals cold exist at all ages.

Around the world the term youth, adolescent, teenager, kid and young person are interchanged, often meaning the same thing and occasionally differentiated. According the Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Youth generally refers to a time of life that is neither childhood nor adulthood, but rather somewhere in-between.

Youth also indentifies a particular mindset of attitude, as in he is youthful. The term youth is also related to being young. Arguing in favour of the former Robert Kennedy in his work, “Day of Affirmation”, University of Cape Town, South Africa, June 6, 1966, has this to say, “this world demands the qualities of youth: not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the life of ease” 

Youth is an alternative word to the scientifically-oriented adolescent and the common terms of teen and teenager. Another common title for youth is young person or young people.

The age in which a person is considered a youth and thus eligible for special treatment under the law and throughout society varies around the world. According to the United Nations General Assembly and the World Bank (Youth at the United Nations Website and Children and Youth World Bank website) “Youth are those persons between the ages of 15 and 24”. The Commonwealth Youth Programme works with young people (age15-29) Alternative Homes for Youth Incorporated defined “Youth as an individual from 13 through 19 years of age”, while the World Health Organization conceived “Youth as any member of a society between the ages 15 and 34”.

In Nigeria there is no generally accepted definition of youth. The concept is conveniently manipulated in favour of prevailing social dynamics. The age of 18 is recognized by statutes as the age of criminal liability and qualification for holding public responsibilities. The only attempt to define youth is contained in the National Youth Policy which defines youth as any person within the ages of 18 and 35. Even this provisions is observed more in breached so much that in the National Youth Council of Nigeria majority of the officers are in their late 50’s and early 60’s.

Little wonder the National Youth Leader of the ruling party is said to be over 60 years of age, a scenario that defeats the hope for the upcoming generation. The graduation with the definition of the concept youth from the older generation to the graves without consideration for future has been contended as a major factor responsible for distrust that contributed to current social instability. Unless efforts are mobilize by the advance generation to regularize this negative trends of social development mutual suspicion will continue to grief the society and conflict will ultimately be domesticated.

The saying that the youth are leaders of tomorrow must be guaranteed practically. Concrete policies for realizing this ideologue must be demonstrated to create avenues for re-orientation of the youths in preparation for higher responsibilities. Therefore, there is need for the Northern Governors Forum to develop a Youth Development Policy that will be uniformly implemented with sincere commitments to regenerate confidence of youth as panacea to conflict situations.

Peace is a state of harmony characterized by lack of violent conflict, commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy of newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the establishment of equality, and a working political order that serves the true interest of all. Peace in international relations is not the absence of war or conflict, but also the presence of cultural and economic understanding.

From Latin pax, meaning, “freedom from civil disorder”, the English word came into use in personal greetings from the Thirteen Century as a translation of the Hebrew word shalom.  Such a translation is, however, imprecise, as shalom, which is a cognate with the Arabic, “salaam”, has multiple other meanings in addition to peace, which includes justice, safety, well-being, prosperity, equity, prosperity, good fortune, and friendliness. At a personal level, peaceful behavior are kind, considerate, respectful, just, and tolerant of others; belief and behavior…tending to manifest goodwill?

This later understanding of peace can also pertain to an individual’s introspective sense of concept of her/himself, as in being “at peace”, in one’s own mind, as found in European references from the twentieth Century. The early English word is used for “quet”, reflecting calm, serene, and meditative approaches to family or group relationships that avoid quarreling and seek tranquility…an absence of disturbance or agitation.

In many languages the word peace is used as a greeting or a farewell Salaam, for example the Hawaiian word Aloha, as well as the Arabic word Salaam. In English the word peace is occasionally used as farewell, especially for the dead, as in the phrase ‘Rest in Peace’.

Religious beliefs often seek to identify and address the basic problem of human life, including the conflicts between, among and within persons and societies.

Christians believed Jesus of Nazareth to be the “Prince of peace, the Messiah Christ who established a Kingdom of Peace where persons, societies, and all of creation are to be healed of evil. For persons to enter the Kingdom and experience peace, Christians believed that one must develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who stated “Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for Iam meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest of your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”, (Mathew 11:28-30)

While Islam means submission. The title “Muslim” etymologically directly related to Salaam and the name Islam means a person who submits to Allah in Salaam. The submission to Allah (the Arabic proper noun for “God”, One and only) is based on humility.  An attitude of humility within one’s own self cannot be accomplished without total rejection of violence, and personal attitude and alignment toward peace.

These two dominant religions in Nigeria advocate peace and humility and de-emphasized violence. So how can one reconcile the current wave of socio religious and ethnic conflicts that characterized most parts of Northern States where majority of the people profess these religions? What can be responsible for the collapse of both moral and spiritual values to the extent that incessant killings of fellow human beings has displaced the humility and peace demanded by God?

Northern Nigeria is the geographical expression lying between the Rivers Niger, Benue and the Republics of Cameroon, Chad and Niger. It is three quarters of the entire land mass of the country and made up of over three hundred and fifty ethnic nationalities, with diverse languages, customs, traditions, religions and cultural heritage. Politically, Northern Nigeria is configured into North West comprising of kaduna, katsina, Kano, jigawa, kebbi, sokoto, Zamara states, while the North Central includes Kwara, kogi, Niger, Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, Taraba States and the FCT. The North East is made up of states like Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, Adamawa and Borno.

Social Harmony in Northern Nigeria.

The Northern States enjoyed considerable socio-political cum religious stability for long until in the early Eighties when religious fundamentalism provoked social convulsions with the Maitasine crisis in Kano, Bulunkutu in Borno State, Yola in the then Gongola State, Kafanchan crisis which later spread to Kaduna and Katsina in the then Kaduna State, etc. This doctrinal shift in religious paradigms was not limited to any of the dominant faiths but evolved simultaneously from the late Sixties and erupted into violent conflict situations during the Second Republic with attendant consequences on peaceful co-existence and social harmony. What went wrong?

Many reasoning has been engaged by Scholars to re construct the shift in social harmony which has become a culture with violence dominating the Northern landscape. Of great concern is the introduction of armed struggle as means of realizing set objectives. It has been contended that rising ideological differentiation within religious groups has heightened the culture of intolerance between the heterogeneous nationalities of Northern Nigeria. These ideological driven groups earlier emerged as puristic movements but gradually metamorphosed into violent confrontation within the same religion or the state. Religious mandate from Holy Scriptures is usually referred to as the motivational drive and obedience to Almighty God becomes the creed. Anything opposed to the contrary generate hostility that usually occasioned heated debates with ultimately violent clashes.

No doubt, fanaticism as a variety of Northern religious ideology has contributed enormously in escalating conflicts however, it does not proffer acceptable justification.  It looks more of an escapist theory intended to evade critical evaluation of the issues at stake. Granted fanatically driven ideology has impacted negatively on our national polity but something might have provoked it.

On the other-side of the debate are those who opined that ideological differentiation has been in the Northern States and that communities had enjoined peaceful co-existence. It stated that the question of disharmony is outside religion but there are political forces that manipulate the religious environment to advance parochial interests. It is further submitted that the collapse of the political institution is a major factor instigating ideological embers of discord considering the diminishing welfare conditions of majority of the populace. Early Greek Political thinkers like Democritus, had laid the philosophical frame work of this reasoning when he postulated “that since modern civilization has failed man, man should revert to the state of nature and cohabitate like the animal kingdom”. This extreme solution suggests that failure of political leadership can provoke serious frustration with attendant socio-political consequences.

Little wonder, the failure of leadership in Nigeria coupled with injustice perpetuated by the ruling class led to the emergence of arm carrying groups. From the Niger-delta militancy to OPC, Bakasi boys, MOSSOB, endemic human carnage of Plateau and Kaduna States up to Alih Sunnah lidah wati wal Jihad, are indices of leadership malice. At the centre of leadership collapse is brazen corruption with impunity. The display of ill gotten wealth by the ruling class definitely has created frustration within the upcoming generations questioning whether the saying that the “youths are leaders of tomorrow” is not mere subterfuge. If at the age of fifty in this country, yet one is not qualify to hold the position of National Youth Leader of a political party, then where lies the hope for a tomorrow?

It is therefore academic fallacy to conclude that the concept boko haram meaning “Western Civilization is prohibited” originated from the Alih Sunnah lidah wati wal Jihad struggle for justice. It has existed as far back as 4BC in the ancient Greece. The difference here lies with strategy employed for prosecution, while Democritus advocated civil disobedience to drive his ideas the latter adopted armed struggle.

Taking critically review of these theories then applying same to Northern States, it factual that leadership failure as a result of abandoning welfarist philosophy of founding fathers for ostentatious family empires. This has created both moral and institutional decay that bred frustration and hatred amongst the peoples of Northern States.

Religion and ethnicity, a crafted strategy for keeping the people perpetually divided, while the crisis persist funds are looted from public treasury in the name of security votes. The masses share a common denomination of poverty, hunger, unemployment but they are often deceived that the basis of intolerance is religion. And as they continued with killings of one another the ruling class with their families is either in Abuja, Egypt, Dubai, China or any part of Europe watching them on international channels with cups of coffee. What an irony?

Of course, if the conflict situations is propelled by religion as we are made to belief why has the casualties been reduced to only the poor? Why has the crisis remained within the settlements of the commoners and has not affected any of the Government Reserved Areas? In any case what is the religion of poverty and what is the tribe of hunger? It is my opinion that the day the poor people provide answers to these questions then there will be enduring peace in Northern States.

Ahmadu Bello, the Sarduana of Sokoto and Premier of Northern Nigeria was a great leader who never promoted ethnic chauvinism or religious bigotry. As a Muslim he accommodated Christians and other non Muslims in his leadership. This was a man who took Audu Micheal Buba to Mecca even as a Christian. To Sarduana, leadership is distinct from wealth accumulation, any person with crave for material accumulation has no business been in politics. This father of the Northern Region along with other leaders like Aminu Kano, J.S Tarka, Abubakar Tafawa Belewa though had their political and religious differences considered the interest of the North as paramount and stopped at nothing to defend it. No wonder, the ideology of “one North, one people, one destiny”. Where are the Sarduanas, Tarkas, Aminu Kano and the Tafawa Balewas of the North today?

Contemporary Challenges:
Religious and Ethnic intolerance: Christians and Muslims locked horns in human carnage claiming to be serving the will of Almighty God who created life. The manner these differences had contributed to social convulsion is beyond conception. I have as a person always questioned the rationale of this line of human reasoning. The Holy Bible says “God created man in His own image and likeness” meaning that man is the image of God on earth. So if you kill another human being you are destroying the image of God. More so that the Ten Commandments say “thou shall not kill”. Here the Scriptures does not provide for justification for shedding innocent blood.  So where do those who killed in the name of Christianity derive their authority?

Historically, there has been no any war between Christianity and Islam. The two religions have complimented the efforts of each other in times of external threats. It is on record that early Muslims were provided refuge by Christians. To be precise, at the formative stage of Islam, the pagan authorities in the Arabian Peninsula of Mecca attacked Muslims because it was considered as threat to Mecca establishment.

In a reaction Prophet Muhammad Bin Abdullah (Peace be upon Him) asked his followers to go to Abyssinia, which is today’s Ethiopia. He said there was a King, a Christian but a man of justice. Of course early Companions were provided asylum by King Negus of Abyssinia.  He resisted diplomatic efforts by the Mecca authorities to extradite them because according to King Negus, their religion and my religion originate from the same source, because it believed in Jesus as the son of Mary.

In a letter of appreciation written to King Negus by Messenger of God, Mohammed, He stated in categorical terms that there is no jihad against the Christians because they are alif littaf. He further instructed Muslims not to raise their hands against the Christians or their worship places. Why has Christians and Muslims of the Northern States abandoned these leadership virtues of these great Spiritual leaders? Are we today more pious than them? Certainly No, except that we are more corrupt than them. We have politicized religion as an enterprise not for the service of God but for the projection of self aggrandizement. Religion belongs to God, He alone chooses who to give and when to give and where to give, it is His ultimate mercies.

Social Injustice: the discrimination of certain ethnic nationalities as settlers in the Northern States has inflamed the conflict dimension. This phenomena entails denial of basic citizen rights to populations considered non indigenous. The indigene-settler dichotomy even though unconstitutional is well entrenched in sub consciousness of the leadership of most Northern States.

Even though some ethnic nationalities have stayed for over two hundred years and melted into the social system of such communities they are yet qualify to be citizens of those States. This ugly scenario is notorious in Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau and Kaduna states. It has led to different clashes between Tiv/Jukun, Tiv/Alago, Tarok/Hausa-Fulani, Berom/Hausa-Fulani, Kataf/Hausa-Fulani etc. The dangerous trend the conflicts dimension has taken is the indoctrination of ethnic hatred as part of the social values in most of the affected areas. There is no doubt that the future can better be analyzed within the parameters of this negative development.

Poverty, hunger and unemployment: The essence of leadership in social context is improving the welfare of members of the society. Significantly is protection of lives and properties of citizens, creation of conducive environment which in turn will create wealth for the system. Northern Nigeria over time has abandoned leadership role, consequently there has been increase in poverty, hunger and youth unemployment. The trio is social vices that destroy capacity building of a society by impoverishing the citizens thereby exposing them to easy manipulation for violent culture.

Where the society is properly organized with citizens dutifully engaged in economic activities, then violent culture will be minimized to zero tolerance. This is because the citizens will be stake holders with vested interest in society. On the contrary, where the citizens are isolated as it is now the case in the Northern States where poverty, hunger and unemployment inflicts excruciating pains on the citizens reducing them to mere tools for use by those who have accumulated enormous wealth will not augur well for peaceful co–existence.

 Even though the Northern States lack nothing in terms of natural resources, these have not been properly exploited for the benefit of development. Instead, the various State governments over depended on Federal allocations which if maximize for harnessing the rich potentials will have alter the status quo.

Indeed, the current security challenges can be factored within the theory. People are so poor that what to eat as human beings are insurmountable hurdles. I shed tears in Jos one day when at a car wash an elderly woman with her granddaughter has nothing to survive on except to pick mangos from a tree. The situation is so bad with that people have resorted to the state of nature for survival.

The consequences of leadership immorality has generated serious contention in human resource development, as a result all variants of violent behaviors have dominated social relationships. Minor gestures can provoke explosive reaction due to tension created by poverty, hunger or unemployment.

Therefore, it is imperative that in seeking solutions to peaceful co –existence within the heterogeneous social system, genuine efforts must be tailored towards combating social malice like poverty, hunger and unemployment. As a people with common destiny the need for patriotism as corner stone for fostering integration must be given priority. Conscious policies of understanding of the Northern social system must be develop as curriculum for all processes of socialization.  

The Northernization policy of Sarduna of Sokoto was to mobilize togetherness of the people towards building a virile society despite the diversity of the Northern Region. It contributed in no small measured to build patriotic northern spirit. Anywhere, the people go they were proud to identify themselves as Northerners. Is the situation the same today?

Patriotism as fuel for evolving national consciousness has been replaced by ethnic chauvinism pioneered by fanatical variant of religious bigotry. These negative tendencies are re-enforced by bad leadership in collaboration with parochial sentiments for ethnic nationalism. The Northern States will be better for it when human development will focus on developing patriotic and selfless leadership patterned on the philosophy of founding fathers.

The search of durable harmony in a heterogeneous society like the Northern States will remain mere lips service without viable economic foundations. Over depending on Oil resources as means of economic sustenance is counterproductive. There is the need for the Northern political leadership to evolve an economic blue print that should be consensus of the Northern Governors Forum which shall be religiously implemented to kick start the economy. The non chalant attitude of leadership to critical segments of development must be reviewed. It explains the ongoing clamour for National Sovereign Conference. Proponents of disintegration erroneous believed that Northern States are mere leeches’ parasiting on oil resources without commensurate contributions to justify drawing from the national treasury. 

Personally, I believed we gave them the basis to insult our corporate integrity.

On the strength of this thought, Northern States citizens are targets of humiliation in most Southern cities. The point is Northern States have nothing to lose in disintegrated Nigeria, because real estate assets and investments of Sothern States citizens in Northern States is more than oil resources. Also, the agricultural resources of Northern states are the highest indices to Nations Growth Domestic Products (GDP), therefore, what is the fear? Northern States can do better only if political leadership concentrates on effective utilization of the unexploited natural resources.

There was no oil when tin, ground, cotton and hides and skin was the main stay of the Nation’s economy and foreign reserve earner. The Northern States should reverse to this economic foundation as spring board to launch itself among competing global economies and refrain from the oil dependency theory.

The future of Northern Nigeria:

Having analyzed contemporary challenges of peaceful co-existence and integration with focus on the role of the youths, it is further suggested here that the following measures is key to the attainment of integrated harmony among the groups in Northern Nigeria:

(a)  Total commitments to peace and social harmony capacity building.

(b)  Injustice any anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere; there must be deliberate policy of evolving justice in all social systems. Discrimination of all forms must be discouraged. Inter marriages between the diverse peoples and cultures must be pursuit as a conscious social policy.

(c)  Poverty is at the centre of all human vices and must be challenge frontally with all the desire zeal.

(d)  As an interim measures, governments of Northern states should contribute five hundred million Nara in a common purse for the establishment of Poverty Eradication Commission with the Head Office in Kaduna. There will be Zonal Offices in the three Zones, North East, West, and Central to be manned by Zonal Coordinators, while States, Local Governments and Ward Offices respectively should be established. The funds should be managed by reputable persons chosen on merit and credibility from all the states appointed as Trustees. This economic shock absorbers measure should engage the unemployed productive segment of the society in all sectors of the economy. Thereafter, all previous economic blue prints should be considered. It is a necessary measure because an empty stomach does not hear the voice of gospel.

(e)  The security challenges of the Northern States ranges from religious to ethnic strife, violent crimes, drug addiction, prostitution, looting, election rigging, etc. All these are crimes associated with lack of legitimate leadership. Electoral processes are not credible and even beneficiaries of such processes do not even carry the people along.

Governance has been converted into management of personal estates only for occupiers of Government Houses and family members, surrogates, committee of friends etc. With this style of leadership peace will continue to elude us.

We must agree to live by the dictates of our faiths and remember that God will hold every soul accountable for stewardship on earth. The traditional method of security which involves traditional institutions has to be re invigorated. Governments should invest more of the security votes on these methods against the background of current wastage on Joint Task Force, Special Task Force and whatever form of Task Forces that produce little or no results instead it militarized the polity.

(f)  Northern States must restore its political identity as custodians of the Nigerian Project and in realizing this it cannot close its eyes to political developments in the Southern States. Northern States must adopt its own political party just like other places, all states, National Assemblies, state assemblies and Local Councils elections must be on this platform, then at the centre there will be negotiation of power.

(g)  The attitudes of public office holders in dealing with the question of good governance must be anchored on selfless service. The people must be seen as tall stake holders in governance and not tools of domination by their own very people. Corruption has destroyed the social fabric of our inheritance as a people. For Northern States to play its traditional role as buffer of Nigerian politics, corruption must be fought to its nearest minimum. Public officials must be held accountable for their actions and criticisms of wrong doing cannot be criminalizes or denied access to economic mainstream of the state based on political opinions.

(h)   Education is the only assets Northern States has to be relevant in the political configuration of the geo- political entity called Nigeria. The present state of educational development has no link with the vision of the founding fathers. The school system must be places of socialization and not mere avenues for engagement of the youths. The system must be fashion based on culture, traditions, values and beliefs to accommodate psyche of active participation. It therefore, requires leadership by example, where children must be given equal opportunities against the background of some studying abroad while the children of the poor languished in unfunded school system here at home.

(I)  The God given pride of Northern States is agriculture. It is this sector that sustained the Northern Region. It was the main stay of Nigerian economy before the curse called oil was discovered. Today, this vital sector still plays a fundamental role in driving the economy but at subsistence level.

The embarrassment suffered by the peoples of Northern Nigeria as a result of the neglect of this sector explains contemporary National discourse on the future of Nigeria. The disservice of un-visionary leadership cannot be pardoned by posterity. May I asked, do we deserve the insults we received from our brothers in the Southern part of this country? Why are leaders so insensitive to these incessant attacks hauled on the people of the Northern Nigeria? Are we mere parasites depending on oil resources without any contributions to the national economy as it is argued? Simply put the answer, the leadership abandoned God’s gift of agriculture for oil, while the people are been humiliated.

We must retrace our steps back to where we missed it. In doing this, ground nuts pyramids must return, cotton production must return, hides and skin must return, tin mining must return, irrigation farming must return, and then we sing the songs of our founding fathers, One North, One people, one destiny. Anything short of these will reduce as to mere pawns in the political ball game of the Nigerian federation.

Conclusion:
Finally, the Hausa adage that “mutuwar uwar adashe ba karshe adashe bane” is germane in canvassing the position of Northern States as the debate for the National Sovereign Conference heats up. The North has equity in whatever today is referred to as oil in Nigeria. It was from the resources of Northern States that Lagos, Calabar, Port Harcourt and other Southern cites were developed. Even the oil exploration equipments were acquired with resources from tin mining, ground nut, cotton, hide and skin from Northern State.

Therefore, it is fraudulent to demand resource control without discharging the equity on it. Before control, all equities on the resources must be discharged and this should be the beginning of the national debate and not employment of cheap blackmail to rob other segments of their rights. The oil remains birthright until the equity's discharged.

The Nigerian federation I agreed is due for restructuring. The imbalance in the revenue sharing formula is responsible for underdevelopment. The centre is strong and lucrative which breeds unhealthy completion and gravitation to the centre. The formula concedes enormous wealth for the federation which has no relevance to welfare of citizens. The wages of Ministers, Special Advisers, and Members of the National Assembly in a year is more than the entire annual budgets of six states in the Northern Nigeria.

The wasteful allocation of resources to some states based on derivative principle which is been looted by public officials instead of developments requires review. Therefore, for a healthy federation and rapid development the revenue formula should be restructured in this order, Federal Government- 25%, Sates-30%, Local Governments-45%. Therefore, instead of the derivative principle, it is my submission that the federation be restructured into a loose federation with more powers given to the federating units to enhance peace, unity, security, social harmony and development.

Also, Iam calling for abolishment of Joint Account Allocation Committee of the States and all allocations of the Local Governments should flow directly to the Councils. All relics of control of States on Local Governments in the constitution should be removed.

All elections into every office in Nigeria should be conducted by Independent National Electoral Commission; therefore, States Independent Electoral Commissions should be abolished. To guarantee credible electoral system, Constitutional powers of appointing the Chairman and all Commissioners of Independent National Electoral Commission be removed from the Office of the President and vest in the National Assembly through direct nominations by the people base on the South African model.

The appointment and control of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission should also be removed from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation. The National Judicial Council should be vested with the powers of nominating the officials subject to confirmation by the National Assembly for effective performance instead of been used as machine for victimization of perceived political opponents.

Peace in not a good neighbor of injustice, therefore, in all dealings public officials must be just and fair to all manner of people without fear or favor, then peace, unity and harmony will flow like the rivers Niger and Benue in the North.
The clamor for National Sovereign Conference under Constitutional arrangements is equivalent to invitation to political suicide. It will not be possible except defector beneficiaries of power relinquished same for the emergence of another sovereign to preside over the liquidation of Nigeria.

This is macabre dance will consume the sponsors. The North is not afraid of National Sovereign Conference but at the same time we cannot abdicate our responsibilities as custodians of the union to the excesses of bad leadership trying to take refuge under mischief. The unity of the country was defended by people's blood; therefore it will amount to betrayal of trust if power shift will mean disintegration in some quarters.

 Nigeria will remain a sovereign indissoluble nation under God, while advocates of balkanization will be put to shame.
Thank you for your patience and God bless you all.

Being paper presented by Barrister Solomon Selcap Dalung at Public Lecture organized by National Council of Muslim Youths Organization, Bauchi Chapter on September, 1st 2012 at M.L. Auditorium, Federal Polytechnic Bauchi.