Published in Nigerian Pilot and Daily Champion(Back page) of July 1, 2013. Untying the knots of imbalance in Arewa “He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart” – Chinua Achebe. The above excerpt drawn from Achebe’s debut novel Things Fall Apart aptly describes the fate that befell the people of Northern Nigeria as soon as the then British colonial overlords abdicated in favour of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sarduana of Sokoto and the then Premier of Northern region. So for people who maintain that the idea or the era of monolithic North died a long time ago, there can be nothing more truthful about this assertion than the increasingly emerging vexatious issues bordering on the hitherto smouldering feelings that now threaten our polity. Arguably, dating back to the era of the overwhelming leadership of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the North has lost – with the exception of its bloc name and geographical fabrics – the fundamentals of meaningful monolithic existence, and now tailored to be running on illusions as would always be created and/or re-created by its successive leadership at varying periods of time. Thus, this has made it possible for the vast majority of the people of the region to have unconsciously embraced the false sense of unity and oneness which unfolding events have increasingly continued to bring out the truth to bear on this mindset. Hence the situation nowadays is such that the new consciousness is so rife that the mere mention of the moribund slogan of “one North” is readily taken to connote one religion (which is Islam) as opposed to the initial impression of “one people”, its response slogan. Perhaps it is in view of this development, that the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kuka, was quoted in the Media to have urged the Muslims in the North to imbibe the habit of sharing powers with their non-muslim brethren in the region. In fact, that brings us to the salient issue of whether the Muslim Northerners can afford to sacrifice or subsume their Presidential aspirations into that of a Northern Christian candidate. Though, as the saying goes, nobody can predict the temper of the chicken still in the egg, yet it may be no exaggeration to speculate that it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for Muslim Northerners or, worse still, their far-Northern group to mobilize themselves and unanimously adopt a consensus Northern Christian Presidential candidate. However, let us look at the burning issue of the day in the North. That the insecurity of lives and properties is the greatest challenge confronting the region is a fact that does not need any proof. Conversely, one thing that needs to be proved, beyond reasonable doubt for that matter, is the sincerity or claim of it by the leaders and elders of the North in their manifold suggestions and attempts to bring to an end the festering crisis of the Boko Haram sect. Indeed, this need for proof becomes imperative given the contradictions that have arisen from the unguarded utterances of these leaders and elders of the North. For one, it still boggles one’s mind how the person of retired Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, erstwhile Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of Nigerian Armed Forces, could almost run amok while griping about the “invasion” of soldiers into his Daura community in house-to-house search for suspected terrorists. Unbelievably, Buhari did not perceive any wrong or see the pain that rankles over the killing of a soldier and the wounding of a few others by the Boko Haram members, which necessitated that singular military action. And it is quite unfortunate that Buhari had to even chastise President Jonathan for not deeming it right to give members of the Boko Haram sect the Niger-Delta kind of amnesty treat. Similarly, that the Arewa Consultative Forum and the Northern Elders Forum hurriedly condemned the action of the Federal Government over the proscription of the Boko Haram sect and the Ansaru, its sister terrorist group, impugns the sincerity of these groups, especially with regard to what appears to be their lip-service calls for an end to terrorism, wanton killings and destruction of properties being perpetrated by the same Boko Haram members and their ilk. Meanwhile, it is by no means less disturbing that after appearing to have become somewhat tired of using the Boko Haram sect to unleash fear upon the minds of people of different ethnic nationalities in the North, there seems to be a secret resolve to begin a whole novel wave of assault on the leaders of these nationalities who attempt to support Dr Goodluck Jonathan for 2015 Presidential contest. Little wonder, therefore, that there was in the news recently a widely reported alleged lynching of Major-General Lawrence Onoja and Senator John Wash Pam, two prominent leaders of Middle- Belt region. But the concern is: has it come to a point whereby people are no longer at liberty to exercise their right to freedom of choice on who to endorse for 2015 presidential contest? Anyway, time and events will address this novelty. Much as certain issues are highly sensitive and so are bound to raise incredulity when they are mentioned, the truth is that no imbalance or aberration can be candidly addressed without first identifying and adverting attention to its existence. Essentially, therefore, it has been carefully observed that the dailies are yet to be awash with the news of expression of gratitude by either the Arewa Consultative Forum or the Northern Elders Forum to President Goodluck Jonathan over his appointments of Air-Marshall Alex Badeh and David Paradang to the positions of Chief of Air Staff and the Controller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service respectively; as has been the tradition of these groups which was duly observed in the wake of the appointment of the incumbent Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Muhammed Dikko Abubarka. Needless to say that it has been an oversight on the part of these same groups of elders not to have done same since the appointments of Mr. Andrew Yakubu, the Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Co-operation, and Mr. Benjamin Diki, the Director-General of Bureau of Public Enterprises. For clarity, however, this observation is personal and not intended or meant to serve as a reminder to these leaders and elders of the North or an attempt to ridicule them either. Now, to the issue afflicting the Northern Governors Forum, it is instructive to note that the spillover effect of the crisis in the Nigeria Governors Forum, which is now the bane of peace in NSGF, is one that cannot be fobbed off as an irrelevant distraction, merely because of the impression that their activities seem not have any nexus with the well-being of the masses. But then, it is arguable that the deep-seated animosity and the palpable feelings of betrayal arising from that fateful election have perniciously paved way for the breeding of crisis of confidence in the hearts of the Northern elite and masses alike, and thus has further widened the already perception imbalance in the region. It therefore beats one’s imagination how Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of Kano state and his other colleagues and turncoats could shamelessly confess to having really set a terrible precedent of great betrayal of Governor Jonah Jang of plateau state, after duly electing him the consensus candidate of the Northern State Governors Forum for the Chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors Forum. What an appalling manner to pride themselves on ignominy? And if one may ask: what salutary lesson do Kwankwaso and his ilk think that this perfidy has got for the younger generations, the people of the North in particular and Nigerians in general? Lest we forget, this is a glaring case of breach of trust and/or agreement, no thanks to the earlier notorious allegation of breach of same often leveled against President Jonathan by some of these turncoats, leaders and elders of the North. What is more, perhaps Alhaji Aliko Muhammed of Arewa Consultative Forum and other critics of President Goodluck Jonathan, who accused him of dividing the North, are yet to walk down memory lane and/or look inward with a view to x-raying, appreciating and ruminating over past and contemporary vexatious issues and events in the annals of Northern Nigeria, in order to be in a vantage point to locate the actual identities of persons and agents dividing the region. Somehow, it appears that Northern leaders and elders alike have so far turned a blind eye to the question of the great betrayal of Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State by his brethren; probably because it seems to suit and serve their hidden agenda, perceived or real. Anyway, suffice it to say that those who prefer to swim against the tide when the chips are down should equally learn to accept things and situations with stoicism whenever or however the tide turns against them. Onyiorah Chiduluemije Paschal, a Journalist, writes from Abuja, via duluemije4justice@yahoo (08037738607).
Posted on: Mon, 01 Jul 2013 09:08:07 +0000
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