Northern Nigeria is famous for its political pomposity of having the highest number of votes to influence political power or direction. However, it is lacking the political sagacity to transform the deplorable conditions of the people to justify its numerical relevance.
In today’s North and politics, misplaced priorities have been the order of the day. We are afraid of breaking away from conventions to attain a paradigm shift that will discover our potentialities, fix our opportunities and discontinue the practices of conservatism. Long term policies and projects for sustainable development are inadequate to face the challenges of the 21st century.
There is no adequate balancing between human development and physical development. The North’s politics bolsters mainly in relation to cheap popularity and other forms of self-aggrandizement, rather than exalted and exemplary mission for regional rejuvenation and prosperity. Our numerical pride, after all, is never a means to achieving an end, not even an end in itself.
If numerical advantage is the only measurable and core value that matters in North’s politics, we should not have been battling the chronic diseases of poverty, unemployment and insecurity among others. In fact, this so called strength calls for sober reflections on how to make it politically and economically viable and constructive, not destructive as in the case of the merchants of death killing innocent and defenceless people.
For long, two conflicting trends have continued to define our protracted and overwhelming ills. I am referring to the eventual advent of political will versus political opportunism forces. Therefore, we are entangled in a political contest of elites who are torn apart between political will and political opportunism. The political elites who possess political will for reforms are very rare because they have been relegated to the background and the North will continue to bleed without this political capital.
While political opportunists have saturated and hijacked the political environment, the alarming risk is that the mainstream northern politics begins and ends with the perpetuation of self-indulgence as well as self- complacency. We are no longer thinking about robust institutions that foster advancement, but we are fighting wars over individuals. Meanwhile, northern interests, yearnings and aspirations will continue to be compromised and imprisoned. This is a typical political error we are underestimating. We have forgotten that our collective yearnings and aspirations are so humongous that they require the deployment of strong political will to conquer our difficulties and conundrums.
We shall never forget that political will is very indispensable because political characters are willing to commit precious time, energy, funds and political capital to achieve a desirable and impactful change. These political elements are risk bearers and can incur opportunity costs to fulfill collective interests. It is all about politics for change and not politics for extending the status quo. Unfortunately for northern Nigeria, our political nomenclature is not aspiring for the restoration of political will to strengthen our progress.
The only panacea to mould our politics, secure and rescue the North from imminent collapse is the insatiable desire for the enthronement of political will. Therefore, the elites who are students of political will should be mobilized and massively supported to join active politics. This can be done through the utilisation of different fora by organizations and patriotic individuals. It is high time to raise political will awareness adopting modern technology. The time is now and not later. This is the greatest political service the North requires for the meantime.
On the other hand, political opportunism is not the best political friend of our time, pragmatically taking advantage of every available situation or circumstance to maintain political support or influence towards egoism. It is often the benchmark for illegitimate behavior in politics. One of its greatest ills is prioritizing expediency over principles. In the end, we are victims of the political reactionaries.
Political will focuses on the depth of power while opportunism concentrates on the length of power. Between political will and opportunism, therefore, our collective and inordinate desire has always been tilted towards opportunism. The political opportunism vanguard is fast growing while we are helpless and hopeless. The political will to transform rural areas and boost farming activities is bankrupt and we remain happy!
Political visions are supposed to empower political will to transform northern Nigeria. Political woes are never supported by blatant pretentions and all that. In today’s North, political opportunists are unwilling to reach a compromise that will sacrifice their political project for northern project. Our political crisis is so huge and complex that we are enmeshed in trivial matters while ignoring potential dangers that may consume us.
The formation of political thoughts and practices vis-a-vis the development of the North is largely shrouded in an utter lackadaisical attitude. Developmental concerns and wisdoms are at a poverty level and inconsistent with our generational yearnings and aspirations. Imagine how stupendous money is squandered annually sponsoring government officials and party loyalists to perform the lesser Hajj( Umrah) while basic public schools are lacking structures and resources. This manipulative and religious tendency has proved political excessiveness in the midst of squalor.
Political will is an effective therapy while political opportunism is a dangerous disease. Our political opportunists are self made heroes taking advantage of the circumstances to promote themselves, with little regards to principles, in total disregard for consequences as they affect the rest of us. For sure, the North is at the devastating spot of political opportunism. It is paying costly for the evils of political opportunism. That is why Yobe, Sokoto and Kebbi are having the highest number of out-of-school kids in the country.
In the profound wisdom of Milton Friedman, one man’s opportunism is another man’s statesmanship. This is an inspiring food for thought addressed to all northerners with political mind and proper jingoism.
Abdu Abdullahi
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