Introduction:
Iam highly honoured to be chosen to share with this reputable audience my ideas on contemporary issues affecting Northern States. This opportunity to my mind is not to profer solutions to the complex political dynamics of the region which taking a look at the configuration of the personalities made me wonder why I was chosen for this herculean task. My guess probably is that the organisers choice of my person may be based on the fact that from my background I may be capable of provoking cross fertilization of thoughts that will engage the experiences of the audience that may result in providing solutions to some challenges confronting the North.
The choice of the topic could not have been more appropriate than now when things are falling apart when the centre can no longer hold. To me this African adage that the eve lamb cannot die in partuition when the elders are at home is been proven here today. Also significant is the choice of the audience, major stakeholders with the capacity to bring change in Northern States.
Therefore, I concurred with the organisers in the choice of the topic believing that at the end of it all my opinions will instigate a development template that will bring succor to the predicaments of our people.
I have employed practical approach to address the topic under discourse.
Taking a close review of recent developments in Nigeria raises serious questions about the viability of the unholy Marriage of Sir Lord Luggard in 1914. Quite disturbing is the increasing profile of violent crimes, religious and ethnic tensions. Economic and social activities have been paralysed in most commercial cities of Northern States thereby adding weight to the fear of disintegration of the union in no distant future. 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 Nigerian state has demonstrated in capacity to contend with the situation which obviously left the citizens in perpetual trauma. It is argued by some Analysts and Public Commentators that since the insurgency (Boko haram) originated from the North; therefore it is a conspiracy of Northern leadership to de stabilise the country because they are out of power. On the hand, some religious bigots argued that insurgency is a jihadic machine to Islamize Nigeria.
The latter School of though is a misconception of some Christians while the former is a political theory of some Southern politicians to intimidate the Northern political class into surrender in 2015. Either way the situation is assessed the Northern States are in a dilemma due of ravaging hunger, abject poverty, unemployment, corruption and above all collapse of political leadership to navigate the people out of security quagmire. The summary of these enveloping state of near anarchy explains the panic response of clamouring for a National Sovereign Conference, (NSC) as a way of resolving certain national questions. There can be no any meaning progress in any human society without Peace. This is where a gathering of great leaders of the North like this cannot be considered to late.
May I begin by asking what is the North? Is this North of Muslim against Arna? Or the North where the shout of "Allah wa kabar" will lead to killing and burning of properties? Better still is the North where you need "In Jesus Name to save your life on a public high ways? Are we taking about the North of the Indigenes-Settlers dichotomy? May be the Christian North and the Muslim North? You can go on endlessly asking these questions without answers.
However, 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 one hundred ethnic nationalities, with diverse languages, customs, traditions, religions and cultural heritage. Politically, Northern States 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.
In appraising the state of development in the North the following questions must be considered. What is happening to Youth unemployment, social harmony, education, health, rural development, water resources and economy.
Corruption:
According to Loimeier,(2003), Corrupt and power hungry politicians, who hijacked votes and self imposed leaders, declare billions of fictitious amounts of naira as assets only to be recouped as investments through falsification and over pricing of contracts awards, in spite of the existence of framework of due process and diligence in contract awards and procurement.
Looting of public treasury has inflicted colossal damage to development. In every segments of public affairs, statistics indicated the domestication of poverty, hunger and youth unemployment through discredited Poverty Eradication or Empowerment Programs which are mere conduits for siphoning public wealth. The rate of citizens surviving beyond poverty margin is quite outrageous but government continues giving lips service to these social questions..
Therefore, instability will determine the context of the social environment which to my mind explains succinctly the current security challenges confronting the region.
Addressing these conflict situations requires radical leadership surgery with the determination to lay solid base for peace and harmony. Leadership is a burden which must not be sacrifice for political convenience even when it is clear that the figure under consideration may lack the capacity to pilot affairs. Severe sanctions including death penalty is hereby recommended as alternative to combating corrupt practices.
Youth Unemployment:
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 recognised 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 since majority of the officers of the National Youth Council of Nigeria 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 is a major factor responsible for distrust that contributed to current social instability. Unless deliberate efforts are mobilized by the advance generation to regularise this negative trends mutual suspicion will continue will dominate social harmony.
The saying that the youth are leaders of tomorrow must be practically guaranteed. There must be Concrete policies for re-orientating 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 commitments to regenerate confidence in the youths.
The Northern States enjoyed stability for long until in the early Eighties when religious fundamentalism ignited 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 paradigm shift in religious ideology 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 severe consequences on peaceful co-existence. What went wrong?
Opinions varied about factors responsible for the evolution of culture of violence on the Northern landscape. Of great concern is the introduction of armed struggle as means of realising ideological 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 armed struggle 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 justification.. Anything to the contrary generate hostility that usually occasioned heated debates with ultimately violent clashes.
No doubt, fanaticism as a variety of emerging religious ideology has contributed greatly in escalating conflicts however, it does not offer acceptable justification. It looks more of an escape theory intended to evade critical evaluation of the issues at stake. Granted revivalists driven ideology has impacted negatively on Northern polity however there must be contributory factors
On the other-side of the debate are those who opined that ideological differentiation has been in the Northern States for decades yet communities have co-existed harmonious.. It further 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 the responsible for instigating ideological embers of disharmony considering the diminishing welfare conditions of majority of the populace.
Early Greek Political thinkers like Democritus, had argued “that since modern civilisation has failed man, man should revert to the state of nature and co-habitat like in the animal kingdom”. This extreme solution suggests that failure of political leadership can provoke serious frustration with grave consequences on the social system..
No wonder, leadership failure has encouraged the emergence of arm carrying groups. From the Niger-delta militancy to OPC, Bakasi boys, MOSSOB, endemic human carnage of Plateau Taraba, Nasarawa 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 public officials has frustrated the upcoming generations questioning 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 even 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 Civilisation is prohibited” originated from the Alih Sunnah lidah wati wal Jihad arm struggle. It has existed as far back as 4BC in the ancient Greece. The difference here lies with the strategy of prosecution, while Democtritus advocated reversion to status quo ante to drive his ideas the Revivalists Movements adopted armed struggle option.
Reviewing critically these theories and applying same to Northern States, there is no gain saying that collapse of leadership has resulted in abandoning welfare philosophy of founding fathers for ostentatious family empires. This created not only moral but institutional decay that bred frustration and hatred amongst the peoples of Northern States.
Religion and ethnicity in my candid opinion is merely a tool of manipulating perpetual division amongst the people., while crisis persist funds meant for development are looted from public treasury in the name of security votes. The argument in favour of religion as basis for social disharmony is conspiracy theory of benefactors of the conflict situation. While killings of one another continues the ruling class with their families are either in Abuja, Egypt, Dubai, China or any part of Europe monitoring it on International channels. What an irony?
Of course, if the conflict situations is propelled by religion as its being presented why has the casualties remained within the circle of the poor? It has never escalated into 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 it is by then enduring peace will reign Northern States.
Sir 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 even 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?
Challenges Against Development of the North:
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 early stage of Islam, in the Arabian Peninsula of Mecca Muslims were persecuted because it was threat to the establishment.
In a reaction Prophet Muhammad Bin Abdullah (Peace be upon Him) asked his followers flee to Abyssinia, which is today’s Ethiopia. He said there was a Christian king, but a man of justice. Indeed, King Negus of Abyssinia resisted diplomatic efforts by the Mecca authorities to extradite them because according to King Negus, Islamic religion and Christianity originate from the same source, because they both believed in Jesus as the son of Mary.
In a letter of appreciation written to King Negus by Messenger of God, Mohammed , categorical stated that there is no jihad against the Christians because they are Men of the Book. He further instructed that no Muslim should raise his hands against the Christians or their worship places. Why has Christians and Muslims of today abandoned these virtues of early Spiritual leaders? Are we today more pious than them? Certainly No, except that we are more corrupt than them. Religion have politicised as an enterprise not for the service of God but self serving.
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 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 these conflicts has taken is indoctrination of ethnic hatred as social values in the crisis infected areas. There is no doubt that the future can better be analysed within the parameters of this negative development.
Poverty and hunger:
The essence of leadership is improving the welfare of members of the society. Most significant is protection of lives and properties, creation of conducive environment for wealth creation. In the North these leadership roles has been abandoned overtime, consequently poverty and hunger is on the increase. These have destroyed capacity building of the society thereby impoverishing the people.
Where the society is properly organised with people engaged in economic activities, then violent culture will be minimised, because the people will be stake holders in managing the affairs of their society. On the contrary, where the citizens are alienated as it is the case now in the North, people have been reduced to mere tools for manipulation by the privillege ruling elites.
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 maximise 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 that people have resorted to the state of nature for survival.
The consequences of irresponsible leadership has generated grave contention in human development, as a result all variants of violent behaviours dominated human atmosphere. Minor gestures can provoke explosive reaction due to tension created by poverty, hunger or unemployment.
Therefore, it is imperative that in addressing to development imperatives a heterogeneous social system, genuine efforts must be tailored towards combating poverty, hunger and unemployment. As a people with common destiny the need for patriotism as corner stone integration must be prioritised. Governments of Conscious Northern States should initiate policies that will integrate curriculum on understanding of the Northern social system must be develop as curriculum at all levels of socialization processes..
The Northernization policy of Sarduna of Sokoto was a policy intended to mobilise the diversity of the people towards building an egalitarian society base on equity and justice. It contributed in no small measured to spur the Northern spirit for development. Anywhere, the people go they were proud to identify themselves as Northerners. Is the situation the same today?
Its pathetic that ethnic chauvinism has replaced regional consciousness. These negative tendencies are re-enforced by bad leadership in collaboration with parochial sentiments. The Northern States will be better for it when human development will focus on developing 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 changed. Proponents of disintegration erroneous believed that Northern States are mere leeches’ parasiting on oil resources without anya contributions to justify drawing from the national treasury.
Personally, Iam convinced that Northern Political leadership created the basis for insulting our integrity as a people..
Operating on this misconception, Northerners are targets of humiliation in most Southern cities. The point is Northern States have nothing to lose if Nigeria disintegrates because real estate assets and investments of Southern 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 utilisation of the un exploited 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 must reverse to this economic foundation as spring board for re- launching into relevant from oil dependency theory.
The future of Northern Nigeria:
Having analysed some of the challenges developments, it is suggested here that the following measures are key to promoting economic growth and developments.
(a) Total commitments to peace and social harmony capacity building.
(b) "Injustice any anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" argued the former American President, Abraham Lincoln; 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 for integration..
(c) Poverty is at the centre of all human vices and must be challenge head long with the desire zeal. As an interim measures, governments of Northern states should contribute five hundred million Naira each in a common purse for establishing of Poverty Management Commission with the Head Office in Kaduna. There should be Zonal Offices in the three Zones, North East, West, and Central to be manned by Zonal Co-ordinators, 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 in the archives should be revisited and implemented. It is a necessary panacea to raving social crisis endemic in Northern states. Of like the saying goes "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, worse still, beneficiaries of such processes compounds the situation with auspicious life style of corruption.
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 social stability is better imagined.
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 conventional method of engaging traditional institutions security management 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 has militarized the polity.
(f) Northern States must restore its political identity as custodians of the Nigerian Political Project and in realising 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 criminalised 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 equipment 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 under development. The centre is strong and lucrative which breeds unhealthy competition at 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.
Therefore, for a healthy federation and rapid development the revenue formula should be restructured in this order, Federal Government- 25%, States-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.
It is my submission that Joint Account Allocation Committee of the States has over stayed its constitutional welcome. 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 expunged. There can be no good governance and by implication peace and by extension development without credible elections.
Therefore all elections into every office in Nigeria should be conducted by Independent National Electoral Commission. With this you will agree with me that States Independent Electoral Commissions is no more useful to stable democracy and also 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 option A4.
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 victimisation of perceived political opponents.
Peace in not a good neighbour 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, harmony and development will flow like the Rivers Niger and Benue in the North.
The clamour for National Sovereign Conference under Constitutional arrangements is macabre dance will ultimately 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 failed leadership. 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.
Thank you for your patience and God bless you all.
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