‘One North, One Security’. That was the inspiring title of the piece I wrote 6 years ago. Its deepest tone was advocacy for an urgent convening of a regional conference to fight the cancer of disturbances poisoning the soul of northern Nigeria.
Meanwhile, I have not lived to see the eventual reality of that clarion call till date. I was initially enthusiastic for a rebirth of the North where unity, focus, loyalty, sacrifices, selfless services would be proudly exhibited to eliminate the growing dangers and enemies within, at least, after the consultation. Unfortunately, that desirable parley was never to be. Instead, the North has utterly been further neglected to continue bleeding from all angles day by day. The resolved verdict is that the uncaring stakeholders of the region have completely abandoned it to perish or rescue itself. The only few caring voices are in disarray without proper communication order, effective synergy, strategic planning and practical implementation of people’s oriented policies.
Many know and understand that our regional predicament is escalating from one strength to another. Yet, we still lack the courage to sack the emerging turmoils, even for the sake of Nigeria. At the high level of international embarrassment, there has been no visionary demonstration to rescue it from total dislocation. It is disgusting to mention that the power of the vast North is being usurped by few brutal elements unleashing unpredictable mayhem in the forest.
Sadly, the rise of these ‘evils of the forest’ is a direct consequence of the menace of poor leadership and lack of human management in the North. If we are to create peace in the North, we must establish justice. If we want justice, we must find great leaders. If we must make great leaders, we ought to develop sound criteria which must forfeit selfishness by putting the North first.
When I made that achievable proposition 6 years ago, I forgot that the political will of the mainstream elite was not functioning to take the bull by the horn. In the end, I felt the North’s gigantic project was betrayed and humiliated by her own people. I concluded that this generation should be the original version of Soyinka’s ‘ wasted generation’. What a sorrowful fate!
It was my bad experience of communication for the survival of my people. I was thinking that I would make a fantastic point igniting the flame of jingoism to push for a productive and prolonged campaign with a sincerity of purpose. Unfortunately, that intention was severely defeated and destabilized. ‘ One North, One Security’ was typically my attempted agenda setting adventure to be supported and promoted for the sake of prosperity of the North.Sadly, the North remained traditionally adamant and it is still so, 6 years after.
In numerous instances, we saw how difficulties were changed into strengths and opportunities to uplift nations. Dubai is a typical example here. The funny thing is that many privileged northerners prefer traveling to Dubai for leisure instead of contributing to the creation of another Dubai in the North. In the crude style of the North, however, difficulties are made to be more difficult and complicated, thereby making life miserable. If developing human capital had been our priority, bandits would not have been the ugly creation of the North. Many of these terrorists would have been in the medical services saving lives instead of killing innocent and defenceless citizens. Many would have been great engineers building infrastructures instead of destroying them.
On this note, let us fervently pray that we will not wake up one day and hear the victims of the lingering mayhem regret being northerners. This will be the highest point of embarrassing the North. The development of the North lies with the assertion of a renowned economist, stressing that there are three basic indices for measuring development anywhere in the world. They are our ability to eradicate poverty, inequality and unemployment. These three chronic diseases are gradually and fatally killing the North. A responsible North would not have allowed the politically inspiring revolutionary heritage of the late Malam Aminu Kano to disappear in North’s politics. Aminu suffered in the conduct of political philosophy tilted towards the redemption of the masses.
No matter how much we strive to cover our collective failure, the epidemic remains uncovered, unchanged: INSECURITY! For the record and good of the North, Emir Sanusi’s lamenting voice is still echoing in this regard. It will never change its course until a new North is born. Those of us who can hear the echo believe in both the message and the messenger. Hear him, “If the North does not change, the North will destroy itself.” A reformed North is what we want and what we need.
Commenting on Sanusi’s statement, Dele Momodu looked beyond the North and concluded that the destruction of the North would have serious consequences on Nigeria. Lasisi’s recently thought-provoking piece entitled “Northern Nigeria will soon kill Nigeria”serves as a deep reflection on our unresolved regional crisis. In another article I authored, ” The rise and fall of northern Nigeria: Is Nigeria an observer or casualty?, it also highlights how northern Nigeria lingering crisis will have destructive consequences on Nigeria.
I still find it difficult to understand why we don’t want to bring back the North of Sir Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa, Aminu Kano, Joseph Tarka, Sunday Awoniyi and the others. They did not live for themselves but lived for the North and its development. The North they founded was different from today’s North. They were defined by the aspirations of their people, not defined by their own selfish desires. They were the North’s best citizens, best friends, best leaders, best examples to follow and achieve regional salvation.
Can the North rescue the North? This is a compelling question because the North is guilty of being the architect of its own destruction!!
Abdu Abdullahi
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