The Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja Cardinal John Onayeikan has challenged elites of northern extraction to fix the economic, political and security crisis ravaging the region.
He maintained that fixing of the challenges facing northern Nigeria “is the panacea to solving the nation’s challenges.”
Cardinal Onayeikan threw this challenge in Abuja when he hosted the League of Northern Democrats (LND) led by the former Kano Governor Senator Ibrahim Shekarau.
Commending LND for their initiatives of championing a northern renaissance, Onayeikan tasked the League to inquire why there are too much poverty and insecurity in the northern states when compared with the southern states of Nigeria.
“I think we must face reality that the way the northern Nigeria is today is not what we can be proud of. All the various indices of good governance and standard of living we have a very poor record. If Nigeria is poor the epicenter of the poor is the north.
“And when there is a League of Northern Democrats who are interested in addressing the issues and finding out about why is it that things are not moving as they should, I think things will move because a league of elite northern democrats should be able to engage those who call themselves political leaders especially as some of you have had good experience in government.
“So you can tell them, listen look around you. Are you proud of what you see? Out of school children all over the place and it is not an excuse to say we are poor because if we continue to about being poor the issue will remain.
“We are in a federal government and federal resources are being distributed so what has happened.
“Let’s face it, if the North does not move well, Nigeria cannot move well. It’s the same discourse, if Nigeria does move well, Africa cannot move well. There is no room for one section of the country to be lagging behind. What it does mean is that the entire nation should be interested in what you people are doing. If for no other reason but for what they normal call enlightened self interest.”
The cleric stressed the need for all regions of the country to move together, adding that his doors are open to leaders from other parts of the country who share the same interest of ensuring good governance.
He added the country needs many leagues of democrats to improve the quality of governance.
”Your initiatives of coming together to form the League of Northern Democrats for the purpose of trying to re event the north is a welcome development. I support what you are doing.
”Go further ask questions because when you re event the north, you are on the sure positive way to re event Nigeria. When you re event Nigeria, Africa would be re even itself, We are the largest black nation in to world.”, he charged the League of Northern Democrats ”, he stressed
Onayekan also tasked the league to endeavour to task the leadership to know why the economy of the northern states are backwards, while calling for harmonious religious relationship between Christians and Muslims in the north.
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He said that a peaceful religious Co habitation between Christians and Muslims is another sure way to build a stable and United northern Nigeria,
The chairman of the League, Senator Shekarau said their visit to Onayekan was to acquaint him of their plans to re-event the north from poverty, challenges of insecurity by engaging leaders from the zone.
He said: ”We are an apolitical group who are worried with the level of economic, Security developments in the nineteen northern states. We have members from all political parties. Our mission and goals is to re event the north from it’s present economic situation ”