Human rights activist Sa’id Usman is the National Deputy Coordinator of the Northern Youth Development Forum (NYDF). He spoke with Austine Tsenzughul in Bauchi on the activities of the group, insecurity in the region and 2015 polls.
Why is the North under-developed, unlike the South, despite the judicious allocation of resources to the region from the Federation Account?
To start with, the moral standard of our people, as experienced in the 1960s to early 1990s, is no longer there. The quality of secondary school education our current leaders got in the 60s, 70s and up to 90s has been thrown away. Our health facilities are better imagined, the roads are death traps from the South to the North or from the East to the West. In those old good days, you had the responsibility to correct your neighbour’s child or ward, if he committed a wrong, and nobody complained. But, it is not so these days. You dare not reprimand your neighbour’s son or daughter, if they go wrong. We were our brothers’ keepers, but is it like that today.
True justice was always meted out to offenders by either the law courts or court constituted by elders at home, and their judgments were upheld by the parties involved. There was what we called social justice too. Your neighbour had the right to watch over your house while you were away on a journey.
Why is politics now a do-or-die affair in the region?
There were political parties and there were politicians too. But politics was certainly not a do-or-die affairs. Yes, there were fights occasioned by irresponsible ,who practiced their trade on tribal sentiments. But, politics in the sixties and eighties and early nineties, except in the election of the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, which was practiced basically on regional basis, but it was peaceful, as there were hardly intra or inter-party fights that spilt blood. The practice of politics was essentially along the North, South and Western and East divide. This, of course, was the same during the Shehu Shagari’s time. We witnessed that in the Western Nigeria, Middle-belt, and some areas in the North too. But, with time and sensitisation and understanding, the fights stopped. We noticed what I call ‘’de-tribalised partisan politics in the case of June 12, 1993, when Chief Abiola, a Yoruba man, won in the freest election in Nigeria. Politics was so many things to many politicians. To some, it is an instrument for societal development. To others, it is for individuals to amass primitive wealth or steal from our treasury and build a personal kingdom as it is being done today.
What is the solution to the insecurity in the North?
It is true that Boko Haram, a devious creation by few selfish and unpatriotic Northerners, businessmen and politicians in the Northeastern, Nigeria have created unwarranted insecurity in the North and its unwholesome activities have collapsed our socio-economic activities and driven investors away. No new investors are coming and we are getting poorer. Boko Haram activities have more profound negative effects in the Northeast because there is virtually nothing that is functioning. People in the area hardly sleep with their two eyes closed; neither do they move about freely. Boko Haram has literally imprisoned us. As we talk to you now, even going to pray either in the Mosque or Church is dangerous; people cannot even worship their God freely.
Farming has stopped, as the sect members even hunt their victims on their farms. Business centres, markets, residential houses, hospitals, churches, mosques, recreational places, the airport and schools have been bombed and these places are still targets for bombing. Motor parks, railway stations, schools, airports, and state houses of assembly have been deserted due to insecurity. We succumb to the fact that our youths are involved in all this inhuman acts, but against their collective wishes. The youths have been used as mere canon folders by these politicians, through some religious leaders, who have succeeded in imparting negative teachings in them in the name of Islam. I know for certain and I can assure you that, Islam and Christian teach and preach love for your fellow human being and, if you love your fellow man, you will not fight or kill him because you are wealthier or stronger than him. Instead, you share what you have with him.
What has NYDF done in this regard?
Initially, we had no choice but to watch hopelessly while the destruction took place. Later, the shock wore off and we mounted pressure on our elders to put a stop to the carnage because youths, women and children were being wasted. So, we began with pressures on our elders, parents and the state governments. We also mounted various campaigns to educate and enlighten our youths on what was happening. Youths who are supposed to be leaders of tomorrow were being terminated irrationally. This campaign led to the federal government’s positive response, but not until Nigeria started getting a very negative status in the comity of nations.
The insecurity has brought untold hardship to all of us, irrespective of where you come from in Nigeria. Southerners and Northerners have been killed, properties worth billions of naira have been wasted; no more investment. Imagine a society without commerce, and you know even trade by barter is a form of commerce and there is no way trade by barter can flourish in a chaotic and dangerous environment.
What is your view on the rotation of the Presidency?
The North does not have the monopoly of wisdom. That is why we have the North, South, East and West. The leadership of the country has to rotate so that we can utilise talents from the six regions, have a strong sense of belonging and feel loved and wanted by each other.
But, we have to put our house in order in the North before we can achieve our aims, aspirations and destiny, which is greatness. There is the need for us to de-emphasise religion, ethnicity and regionalism. These factors only fuel and generate negative and disastrous outcomes. If we achieve our aims, I am sure other countries of the world will bow for Nigeria, look up to Nigeria for leadership and tap from our managerial acumens.
As the country prepares for 2015 polls, what is your advice to the political class?
Without Nigeria, there can be no President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President David Mark, the National Assembly, the Niger Delta or the North. There cannot be any Ndi-Igbo. And of course, if these politicians were wasted when they were youths, would they be where they are today? Let us reflect on our past, assess our present, analyse our being and plot our tomorrow. This is our stand, this is our desire.
The Independence Electoral Commission has released the 2015 General Election Timetable. What is your reaction?
The time table just released by INEC is a bad omen for the Nigerian democracy. Bad because our politicians want power at all cost and by all means. The presidential and National Assembly elections should have come last and not first. The President can use the instrument of his office to diabolically deal with some governors and other members of his party who cannot deliver their states for him. He can deal with them negatively, he can circumvent the constitution to his advantage, he can use his influence, including the use of security agencies to coarse or even intimidate them, withhold funds to states that opposed to his party in order to cripple them financially, thereby reducing their chances of legitimately winning at the polls. I think the INEC timetable is a lot doctored.
