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Tag: Northern

  • Northern Elders unveil agenda for regional growth, industrialisation

    Northern Elders unveil agenda for regional growth, industrialisation

    The Northern Elders have unveiled an ambitious agenda for regional growth and industrialisation, signaling a new phase in efforts to transform the economic fortunes of Northern Nigeria.

    The NEF stressed that Northern Nigeria is not “landlocked” but “land-linked,” serving as a gateway to Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Benin, Mali, and the Central African Republic.

    Speaking at a briefing in Abuja, spokesperson of NEF, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, announced the maiden edition of the Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit, organised in collaboration with the nineteen (19) Northern states and the New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC).

    The summit, scheduled for 29th and 30th September 2025, has been in the works for over a year and a half. Noting that it is designed to launch a patriotic, deliberate agenda aimed at strengthening the region’s development efforts and creating new opportunities for Nigerians and global partners.

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    The NEF recalled how, in the 1960s through the early 1980s, Northern Nigeria powered much of the nation’s economy with agriculture, livestock, and solid minerals, while spearheading landmark industrial projects. However, insecurity, underinvestment and other challenges have slowed progress in recent decades.

    Jiddere said: “Our groundnut pyramids reached the skies; our cotton, hides, livestock, and solid minerals supported industries; and our leaders championed bold national infrastructure and industrial projects.

    “Over the years, however, new challenges have emerged, ranging from insecurity to underinvestment, that slowed the pace of progress. This has left us with a paradox: a land blessed with abundance, but a people yet to fully enjoy the rewards of that abundance.

    “This summit is about turning that paradox into opportunity and ensuring that Northern Nigeria steps confidently into a new era of growth. We have identified five key pillars and three supporting enablers as the foundation for Northern Nigeria’s renewal: Land & Agriculture: Vast arable lands across 19 states, capable of feeding Africa.”

    The NEF stressed that the summit is not just for Northern Nigeria but for the entire country, Africa, and international partners who share the vision of inclusive prosperity.

    He added; “This summit is not for Northern Nigeria alone. It is for Nigeria. It is for Africa. It is for all global partners who believe in shared prosperity. When Northern Nigeria rises, Nigeria rises. When Nigeria rises and Africa rises.

    “We, as elders, carry the wisdom of memory and the responsibility of vision. But it is the youth, the generation under 60, and the children yet unborn, who will carry the dreams of tomorrow”.

  • Why do Northern problems persist?

    Why do Northern problems persist?

    Northern Nigeria is in tatters, politically, economically and socially. Almost everywhere you turn, the news is of death, destruction and despair as if we were a rudderless and leaderless people …

    The Bank of the North building in Kano, the Turaki Ali House in Kaduna and other tall buildings erected in several northern cities and towns in the 1960s and 70s were a sky-is-the-limit statement for the future of the northern private sector. That future is here, but we might as well return to the 1960s because Sardauna’s heirs now know only to erect silly flyovers in a region where the predominant means of township travel remains the human foot.

    —Suleiman A Suleiman in The North in tatters, Daily Trust, July 1, 2024

    The living reality in Northern Nigeria is very explosive. If anyone is interested in finding the practical meaning of the Hobbesian description of life being ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short’, just look at what life is in Northern Nigeria. Indices of poverty, unemployment and inequality are beyond description. Conditions of schools and hospitals are, to say the least, depressing. The civil service, in virtually all the 19 states, is only a shadow of itself, with hardly any public service activity taking place. Our illustrious and respected traditional institutions have been devalued and reduced to a state of hopelessness. Most of our religious leaders and centres are far removed from God’s way of life. Few industries exist in the region. And on account of insecurity, agricultural activities, the mainstay of the economy of the region, is highly on the decline.

    — Salihu Mohammed Lukman, in Open letter to Northern politicians, Daily Trust, July 1, 2024

    The courage to provide a comprehensive analysis of the prevailing realities in Northern Nigeria has been a rare commodity, especially when the speakers or writers are Northerners themselves. But the two writers cited above were hardly the first to point out the Northern problems in Nigeria. At different times, but largely in passing comments, highly influential Northerners had highlighted in various ways the multiple problems besetting the North. The list includes former Governor of the Central Bank and controversial Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai; and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote. However, none had addressed the issues as comprehensively as Suleiman and Lukman.

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    But, as I pointed out earlier on this column, the Northern problems in Nigeria date back to colonial times, when the erstwhile separate Northern and Southern Protectorates were merged into a single colony in 1914 in order to use the economic and human resources from the South to sustain the North (see The Northern question again: Facts unknown or ignored, The Nation, June 26, 2024).

    In the last two decades, these problems have been complicated by the scourge of insecurity that continues to decimate the region’s homes and farmlands. The social, economic, and political underpinnings of the region’s backwardness today, which Northern leaders have continued to ignore, provided the basis for the scathing rebuke of the present crop of Northern leaders by Suleiman and Lukman. In the light of this rebuke, how much shame do Northern leaders wish to endure over their negligence in developing their region all these years?

    But the most critical question now is what to do to solve the Northern problems and, by so doing, solve Nigeria’s problems. What should be done to make Northern leaders look inwards, rather than to Abuja, in order to develop their region? Let’s go back again to history.

    According to Suleiman, the glorious North existed when it was a region by itself, following the foundation laid by Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, who was the Premier of Northern Region from 1954 until his assassination in a military coup on January 15, 1966. With various economic, educational, and political policies, Ahmadu Bello put his region on a path of development in order to catch up with the Western and Eastern Regions. The opposite has happened since his death.

    Hence Suleiman’s historical references in the opening quote and this one in the body of the essay: “… none of the North’s two layers of leadership – the federal government and the 19 state governors – has proven capable of reimagining in 25 years what Sardauna achieved economically for the region in 10”. Embedded in this comment is Suleiman’s rebuke of former President Muhammadu Buhari in the same essay for looking away while the North was being decimated under his watch, despite his campaign promise to unify the region. Never mind that Suleiman left out decades of military rule under Northern leadership, which did next to nothing to improve the fortunes of the region.

    An interesting takeaway from Suleiman’s reference to Sir Ahmadu Bello is the fact that there was a time in history when the North was on track for development, championed by Sir Ahmadu Bello himself. This implies that the North has lacked leadership for 25 years since the return to democracy.

    A close look at the bahaviour of Northern Governors reveals several findings. One, each of the 19 state Governors has turned his state into a small fiefdom and then, with a few exceptions, milked the state’s resources dry. They are not bothered that, vis-à-vis the rest of the country, their state or region as a whole has the lowest literacy rate, the highest number of out-of-school children, the highest poverty rate, the highest unemployment rate, the lowest contribution to GDP, the lowest Human Development Index, and the most insecure.

    Two, the Governors allowed insecurity in their region to fester until it got mapped unto old historical wounds between Fulani and other groups, who owned the land and farms. The result is unbridled herder-farmer clashes, cattle rustling, banditry, kidnapping, and other crimes. Some of these crimes have since spread across the country.

    Three, the same Governors and insecurity have compromised possible interventions by traditional rulers in their region, who are either threatened with deposition or kidnapped.

    Urgent solutions are necessary, which will require presidential and legislative actions. But that will be the subject of another essay in the coming weeks.

    •An earlier version of this article was published on July 10, 2024

  • The Northern question again: Facts unknown or ignored

    The Northern question again: Facts unknown or ignored

    Early in the colonial period, Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria were administered as two separate colonial territories under British control. However, right from inception, the North had posed serious problems to the British government. Chief among the problems was economic—the territory was being run at a budget deficit. The Northern Protectorate was also an administrative nightmare. According to colonial records at the time, the Northern protectorate was “predominantly Muslim and animist”, whereas the Southern protectorate was largely Christian and aggressively “westernizing”. The early adoption of Western education produced surplus personnel to assist the colonial administration. That was not the case in the North, where Western education was resisted. The colonial government also wanted better ways of moving people and goods across the two protectorates.

    The colonial government’s solution to these economic, administrative, and commercial problems was the infamous amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates of 1914. The merger allowed the colonial administration to use the budget and personnel surpluses from the South to run the two territories together. But the Northern problems persisted.

    This was particularly evident in the education sector. The resistance to Western education persisted so much so that, on the eve of independence in 1959, less than ten secondary schools were located in the entire North, whereas about 150 were already functioning or taking off in the South.

    One whole century plus eleven years later, the Northern question remains the Nigerian problem. This is manifested today in many ways, four of which are paramount and interrelated.

    First, the legendary educational underachievement of the North persists. True, there are now many highly educated Northerners, but the North lags seriously behind the South in literacy rate. One distinctive feature of education in the North is its limitation to the children of the elite in their bid to reproduce themselves in power. In the colonial and early postcolonial periods, the children of the elite predominated in the few secondary schools in the North, such as Barewa College in Zaria. Today, the elite outsource the education of their children to foreign institutions in Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. The vast majority of the talakawa are left largely uneducated.

    Today, none of the 19 states in the North has attained 50 percent literacy rate, whereas all Southern states are beyond 50 percent. For example, according to the latest UNESCO data, the top three Northern states and their percentage literacy rates are Kwara (49.3); Kano (48.9); and Plateau (46.6), while the bottom three are Taraba (23.3); (Katsina (21.7); and Borno (14.5). However, on the other hand, the top three Southern states are Lagos (92.1); Ekiti (80.0); and Ondo (75.1), while the bottom three are Bayelsa (62.0); Ebonyi (53.0); and Imo (53.2). On the whole, the average literacy rate across the North is 34 percent, whereas the average literacy rate across the South is 68 percent.

    Poverty is the second major drawback for the North. The World Poverty Clock currently has Nigeria at 71 percent poverty level. The bulk of the poverty burden is borne by the North. As with high illiteracy, poverty is at its highest level in the region. According to World Bank and NBS data, the North accounts for 87 percent of Nigeria’s overall poverty level, whereas the lowest poverty rates are to be found in the South. Poverty is so pervasive in the North that as many as nine states have poverty levels in the nineties!

    The third burden the North has made Nigeria carry is insecurity. Boko Haram, banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling, and other violent crimes are rooted in the North and continue to draw the North and the rest of the country back. As President Bola Ahmed Tinubu indicated on Monday, June 24, 2024, some of the conflicts underlying insecurity in the region are rooted in “historical injustices” that have torn communities apart. Others are rooted in religious fanaticism, mass illiteracy, and hunger.

    What is really mystifying about insecurity in the North is that the region has produced two Presidents (Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, 2007-2010 and Muhammadu Buhari, 2015-2023), both from Katsina state. Their state and region remain largely illiterate, poor, and insecure. Since he became President in 2023, Tinubu has focused on insecurity in the region, by repeatedly drawing attention to the problem and by deploying resources and homegrown personnel to the region. Thus, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Defence Minister, the Minister of State for Defence, the National Security Adviser, the Vice President, and more are all from the North. Besides, all the Governors of the 19 Northern states are all from the region. Moreover, as many as ten Northerners have been Prime Minister, Head of State, or President for a total of 44 years since Nigeria became a republic in 1963, whereas only four Southerners have occupied any of the positions for a paltry total of about 18 years.

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    A fourth major problem confronting the North is malnutrition, leading to stunted development among children and women of childbearing age. Malnutrition has been a lingering problem in the region. That is why there are many Northerners, including children, begging for sustenance on the streets across the country. Yet, most Ministers of Agriculture and Health have come from the North since independence. Today, UNICEF’s data point to Nigeria as home to the second highest burden of stunted children worldwide. The North carries the brunt of this burden. For example, according to the FAO, as many as 3.7 million children are malnourished in the three contiguous states of Yobe, Borno, and Adamawa alone. Borno is Vice President Shettima’s state and Adamawa Atiku’s.

    The conjunctive implications of these problems in a single region could be overwhelming. Illiteracy limits employment opportunities. Insurgency feeds on illiteracy, poverty, and unemployment for recruitment. Rampant insecurity hampers farming and food security, which further deepens the poverty level. To be sure, there are a few factories here and there in the North and the region continues to supply some foodstuffs to the South, but the region still depends largely on resources from the South, distributed as federal allocations. At the end of the day, the North is still a huge burden on Nigeria, recalling the economic burden on the colonial government, which led to the amalgamation of the North with the South in 1914.

    It is unfortunate that Northern leaders are now crying wolf and shifting blame, when they allowed the wolf to fester and grow. This is particularly true of their state Governors, who are the Chief Security Officers of their states. It is a shame that, instead of focusing on the problems of education, poverty, insecurity, and malnutrition in their states, Northern leaders have been busy chasing power, complaining of this and that every election cycle. Their recent complaints about the Tinubu Administration fall flat in the face of the facts (see, for example, Sam Omatseye, Who loves the North?, The Nation, August 18, 2025). What is striking about Northern leaders’ complaints is the neglect of the problems outlined above, which have been plaguing the region before Tinubu came to power.

    Our elders say that you do not count the number of fingers of a nine-fingered person to his or her face. However, if a section of the country continues to lag the rest of the country for over a century, it is high time the problems were highlighted for their historical depth and persistent neglect.

    •An earlier version of this article was published on June 26, 2024

  • Islamic scholars unite against gender-based violence in northern Nigeria

    Islamic scholars unite against gender-based violence in northern Nigeria

    Islamic scholars from Northern Nigeria vowed to address the rising instances of gender-based violence (GBV) in the region, focusing on the protection of women and girls from its associated dangers.

    Dr. Judith-Ann Walker, Executive Director of the Development Research and Project Centre (dRPC), emphasized that the increasing cases of GBV have become a significant concern, highlighting the urgent need for intervention.

    Represented by Dr. Stanley Ukpai, Director of Projects, she spoke at a workshop organized by the dRPC in collaboration with the Centre for Islamic Civilization and Interfaith at Bayero University Kano.

    The event was supported by the Ford Foundation and included leading Islamic scholars from Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Jigawa, and Zamfara states.

    Walker stated that the project’s goal is to prevent GBV rather than just mitigate its effects.

    She added that the workshop aims to develop strategies that utilize the influence of scholars, along with traditional and government officials, to mobilize citizens against GBV through an Islamic perspective, focusing on prevention in the northern states.

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    According to her, “It is worrying that cases of gender-based violence are increasing despite efforts by governments, civil society organisations and development partners in the region. This leads to the determination to explore the powerful voices of Islamic scholars to provide solutions through an Islamic perspective in dealing with the situation.

    “Data collated from the Kano state centres, for example, indicate that in 5 years, over 1,334 cases of GBV were recorded while 671 cases were within July this recorded by the Hisbah board alone.”

    Malam Ahmad Abdullahi Ahmad, the Coordinator of the Muslim Opinion Leaders Project, stated that the project’s goal is to enhance the abilities of Islamic leaders to address the increasing cases of gender-based violence (GBV) in the region.

    He mentioned that a peer-to-peer study conducted in Egypt has allowed scholars to share experiences with prominent Islamic scholars there regarding how Islam addresses GBV cases.

  • Constitution Review: Northern, Southern Senators disagree over regional govt

    Constitution Review: Northern, Southern Senators disagree over regional govt

    Southern and Northern Senators on Saturday disagreed over the agitation for the reintroduction of a regional form of government in Nigeria.

    The Senators spoke sidelines of the ongoing two-day retreat of the Senate Adhoc Committee on Constitution Review in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) in Kano.

    While some senators from the northern part of the country who spoke on the issue vehemently opposed it, some of those from the south, described it as a welcome development that would improve the economy, tackle insecurity and fast-track infrastructural development. The Red Chamber through the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has however assured Nigerians that the  issue of regionalism was not part of the ongoing review of nation’s constitution.

    Senator Abdul Ningi who represents Bauchi Central, told reporters that his people will never support the idea because they did not enjoy any form of development when the system of government was practiced in the defunct First Republic.

    Ningi said, “I have heard so much about regional government  or federalism and I have heard people going about, canvassing for such ideas.

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    “For a start, no matter  how you see it, the current document (1999 Constitution) is still the grundnorm. It has also stipulated how it is going to be amended.

    “Having said that, it is also imperative to also know that it isn’t just enough for anybody to come and say he is the representative of one ethnic group or another at the National Assembly.

    “The question that arises is, when was this mandate canvassed? When was it received? You are a representative of a particular ethnic group in Nigeria, at what time were you given mandate to canvass that?

    “The only people that are given this mandate, to look at the Constitution and amend it are of course, members of the National Assembly. “Therefore, it is important for those who go about selling these ideas, false ideas in my opinion, that they are representatives of the  people to let Nigerians know where they are coming from and in whose mandate and when was this mandate given to them.

    “We have seen how the regional government was operated in the past. My part of the country that I am representing didn’t enjoy the development of that so called regional government that was based in Kaduna.

    “We aren’t going back there again! I am speaking for my senatorial district. It is either the Nigerian Federation or nothing. We can’t go along, my senatorial district will be satisfied independently with Nigeria, if that is what is required.

    “As far as regional government is concerned, my constituency, my people aren’t for it. What we need is the reform of the current Federal Government structure and  fiscal federalism because there is nothing like true federalism.”

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, advised Nigerians against mistaken the establishment of the Zonal development commission for regionalism.

    He said the various geopolitical zonal development commission was strictly for the social and economic development of their areas.

    He said, “It is wrong of anybody to think that the development commissions being established for the six geopolitical zones is a plan towards regionalism. It is not.

    “Those who are advocating for it should come up with bills through their representatives in the National Assembly and test the popularity of their proposal.”

    Similarly, former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, said the idea of true federalism was no longer fashionable because many countries in Africa had discarded it.

    He advocated the creation of strong institutions that would enhance good governance and curb corruption and insecurity.

    “When the government put these in place, there won’t be clamour for true federalism because there will be justice, equity and fairness in all the regions of the country.”

    Also, the Chairman Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TetFund, Senator Muntari Dandutse, representing Katsina South, disagreed with the proponents of regional government.

    He said the essence of the ongoing retreat was to improve on the defects and anomaly discovered in the nation’s constitution over the years.

    He said, “We should not have myopic thinking about ourselves. There is no section of this country that is not blessed.

    “What is important is that we should have good governance, a credible and responsible accessibility of the resources that we have, because Nigeria is blessed.

    “We have all the comparative advantages that will move this country forward, unless of course we are serious and determined.”

    However, the Senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, disagreed with those kicking against a regional system of government.

    Buhari said, “Recall that the regions were able to harness their resources in the First Republic.

    “We were able to harness all our resources. There was no dominance of a particular resource(s).

    “In those years, the North was known for the pyramid of groundnuts, the South West was known for cocoa, we should be able to do that.“When you make the center less attractive you cut off corruption. You can’t wipe it off, but you can cut it off,  because there is what is called, watch your team. People will watch their team within their locality or within their region.

    Asked whether the South West region has a specific Agenda for the ongoing constitution review, said the it would be presented at the appropriate time.

    He said, “We don’t want to disclose that Agenda yet but we have agreed among ourselves that the person that is going to present that is the Chairman of the South West Forum when the time comes. It will be very unfair for me now as a member to start discussing that.”

    However, the Leader of the Senate, said the issue of regionalism could not be changed through constitution amendment.

    He said, “There are some decisions in the state of which an executive bill cannot come to the parliament unless there are some political consensus.

    “For me, going back to regional form of governance is something that will go beyond a bill being sponsored, either as a parliament member bill or as an executive bill.

    “It’s also not something that you sit down in a public hearing room and organize a public hearing to take a decision on.

    “An example is when people tell us, oh, you know, you are in parliament. As a parliament, you cannot discard the entire constitution. Nigeria needs a new constitution because this constitution cannot work.

    “It’s easy for people to make such arguments, but that is not something we can sit down in parliament and do.

    “So we are not changing the constitution, because that would require a political consensus, and that would also require the buy-in of the Nigerian people themselves.

    “I mean, why is it so difficult to amend even one section of the constitution, not even talk of discarding the entire constitution?

    “So, to amend a single provision in the constitution today, the National Assembly, all chambers, will have to go through this entire process we are going through, which we go through in every legislative assembly, and many of you have been a part of this process.”

  • End banditry, terrorism now, Northern govs tell FG

    End banditry, terrorism now, Northern govs tell FG

    • Donate N180m to victims of Tudun Biri bombing
    • Military will punish personnel culpable in bombing,CDS vows
    • Uzodimma warns against politicising incident

    The Northern Governors Forum (NGF) yesterday made a case for the intensification of the ongoing fight against banditry across the region by the Federal Government.

    It pledged its  own total collaboration with the federal authorities and relevant agencies to end the menace. 

    The governors donated N180million as an emergency aid to  the victims of the December 3 accidental bombing  at Tudun Biri in Kaduna State.

    The financial assistance came on a day the Chief of Defence Staff, General  Christopher Musa pledged compensation by the military to the victims and vowed that the military authorities would punish anyone indicted by the panel probing the bombing.

    The NGF,in a communiqué at the end of a meeting in Kaduna yesterday hailed the Federal Government for its renewed fight against insecurity, kidnapping, banditry, communal clashes and terrorism, bedeviling the region.

    It   resolved to stand united in its commitment to addressing those challenges through enhanced collaboration with security agencies, strengthening local law enforcement.

    The forum also resolved to address the environmental challenges affecting the north, which are  threatening rural livelihood, pushing farmers into conflict with herders and compounding  the general level of poverty and insecurity.

    Chairman of the forum, Gombe State Governor, Muhammad Yahaya,said he and his colleagues would  vigorously pursue the collective interest of the north in areas of enhanced security, peaceful coexistence, economic development, youth employment, drug abuse and revitalisation of education at all levels.

    The governors commiserated with the Tudun Biri community over the accidental bombing and  prayed for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives and the speedy recovery of the injured while appreciating the Federal Government for handling the matter well.

    They  gave them a  donation of  N180m to meet their immediate needs.

    Yahaya said:”I want to assure you that all the Northern governors are working assiduously to ensure that the unfortunate incident is thoroughly investigated with the view to compensating the victims and take corrective measures so as to prevent future occurrence.

    “As governors of Northern State, while we are commending the Federal Government over the fight against insecurity, we believe that more need to be done to bring an end to kidnapping, banditry, communal clashes and terrorism bedeviling our region.

    “Security and development are connected and we must apply them collectively. Without security there will be no development because investors can only invest in an environment where their resources are secured. Infrastructure, educational development and agriculture can only flourish in the atmosphere of peace and security.

    “Similarly, our people can only go to farms and pursue other economic livelihoods and other social activities when their safety is guaranteed. Therefore addressing insecurity, and other challenges is crucial to the overall development and wellbeing of the region. In this regard all the 19 Northern governors are united in our commitment to addressing those challenges.”

    Military will punish personnel culpable in Kaduna bombing – CDS

     Fielding questions from journalists at his maiden interaction with the media yesterday  in Abuja, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa  said the military authorities would punish personnel found culpable in the accidental bombing.

    Those found culpable by the independent investigation ordered by President Bola Tinubu would be punished, Musa, said.

    His words:“The incident in Kaduna is highly regrettable, it should not have been.

    “Our mandate is to protect civilians, not to kill, maim or destroy.

    “At that particular time, we were in the heat of pursuing some bandits within that general area and unfortunately this happened.

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    “I am happy the Commander-in-Chief has instituted a committee to look into the incident and advise on how to move forward and how to prevent a recurrence.

    “Whatever happens, we shall identify the casualties and arrange for compensation.

    “I assure all Nigerians that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is here for Nigerians and we want Nigerians to take ownership of the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” Musa said.

    Musa said  the military, as a disciplined organisation, would not shield any officer found culpable in the incident.

    “If they are found guilty, they will definitely face punishment and I can assure you that we are going to be transparent about it,” he said.

    “Members of the committee will not even be serving members of the armed forces so that we can have that fairness in the process.

    “I am sure you know in Maiduguri we have jailed a lot of personnel and you can go and verify.

    “In the armed forces, we do not shield offenders. You commit an offence, you go for it and that is why we have that level of discipline.”

    He also asked Nigerians to join in the fight against insecurity as the military could not do it alone.

     “The security challenge we are facing is not only a military challenge; it is for everybody,” he said.

     “The issue of policing is everybody’s responsibility. We must have a good policing system that ensures that everybody is everybody’s brother.

    “We must be our brother’s keepers for us to be able to assist and our correctional system should be correctional.”

    Uzodimma warns against politicising Kaduna bombing

    Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma, yesterday cautioned commentators against politicising the Kaduna accidental bombing.

    He asked  politicians in particular to refrain from playing politics with the incident

    The governor spoke at the Sam Mbakwe Executive Council Chambers during the launch of the 2024 Armed Forces Remembrance.

    Uzodimma said that since the Nigerian Military had briefed the nation and explained that the incident was an error, the right thing to do is for Nigerians to see the ugly incident as such as no human being is free from making mistakes.

    He explained that every profession comes with its own hazards and challenges, noting that even the soldiers in the course of their duty lose their lives, in some cases, by making mistakes that are avoidable.

    “No one is perfect, and it is only God that is perfect. I think we all should rise to pray to God to always continue to intercede to get the insecurity in Nigeria to abate,” he said.

    Governor Uzodimma acknowledged the contributions of the military towards the unity of Nigeria and expressed happiness that over the years they have not disappointed the country.

    He congratulated the Nigerian Armed Forces for the events that culminated into the January 15th celebration and asked that they be supported in a way that the serving ones will be motivated to serve better.

  • North lags behind on many fronts, needs repositioning – Northern SSGs

    North lags behind on many fronts, needs repositioning – Northern SSGs

    Chairman Forum of Northern SSGs, Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, has reiterated the need to put Northern Nigeria back on the track of progress and development, noting that the region lags behind in economic resources, education among others. 

    Addressing the launch of New Nigeria Development Company Limited, NNDC Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, in Kaduna, Prof. Njodi, who is also the Secretary to the Gombe State Government, described the NNDC Code of Ethics and Business Conduct as a right step at repositioning the company being one of the legacies of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto. 

    According to him: “Our region is characterised by security challenges, poverty, industrial collapse. But we are endowed with vast uncultivated arable land, abundant unfound, unexploited mineral resources and a huge population.

    “Today’s event reinforces the urgent need to put the North back on track. Our region lags behind in terms of economic resources education and other social indices,” Njodi said, while pledging the wholesome commitment of all Secretaries to the Government of the 19 Northern States to support the NNDC Board in re-injecting vigour and vitality in the activities of the Company.”

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    He urged the leadership, staff and stakeholders of NNDC to do more in redefining the investment drive of the Company through commitment to duty, adherence to ethical corporate practices and innovation in applying global best practices.

    Kaduna Governor Uba Sani, who was represented by the Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, Dr. Abdulkadir Muazu Meyere, unveiled the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct Booklets, noting that the launch of the Code was a remarkable step in further boosting investment confidence and securing the timeless goodwill NNDC has built over the years. He restated Kaduna state’s timeless commitment to continuing to partner with the NNDC for the benefit of the region and the nation at large. 

  • Northern Muslims, Christians and national conference

    Northern Muslims, Christians and national conference

    Southern Kaduna is a parable as to whether we can, as a people or peoples, ever live together as one, or exercise civilised pretence. Or whether we can hug, wine and dine. Or whether we will continue to lock horns and make nights of noons.

    Not long ago, a seminarian became a metaphor of such a quandary. A band of goons invaded a church, but two bare-handed priests abandoned altar civility and tore the other cheek. They repulsed them. Blood in their eyes, the frustrated bandits burned the St. Raphael’s parish rectory in Fadan Kamantan. Inside was Na’aman Danlami, the seminarian. He had entered as a human, Bible-toting, a prayer specimen, a fury for the Holy Ghost. But he came out as human toast; stiff, roasted, blackened, past praying for.

    It is a malevolent reincarnation of T.S. Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedra. He was murdered in his safest place. Something did not just startle where he thought he was safest, to quote writer George Lamming. Something unsettled. He expired in fire and smoke.

    The story is about the church. But it is about something larger. It is about a region crawling with fear and trembling. It is about ethnic tension, Muslim and Christian, political bickering and brick walls, about bad men walking the night. It is about a quest for equality and plunder of scarce resources. It is about cunning and sectarian murder, about cash and cassocks. Above all, it is not a story of Southern Kaduna alone. It is a story of Nigeria. The bonfire of death and fear in that region triggers the question: Should we ever convene a sovereign national conference, or when or how?

    Only recently, the same region exploded in jubilant uproar when Major General C.G. Musa, one of them, was made the top man of the armed forces. They had coalesced their vote against a so-called Muslim-Muslim ticket. The pirouette in spirit came because they now perceive Tinubu as a possible friend. They have voter’s remorse. But then, under this administration they have seen not a few attacks. Now, if it was not the Tinubu administration looking the other way, what was wrong?

    My investigation shows that it is as religious as it is not, and ethnic as it is not. Recently, when armed caches were unearthed, who were arrested? They were not Fulani but people bearing Christian names. One of them was named Napoleon John as gunrunner. His partner? Monday Dunia. But those who burned the seminarian were Fulani by eye-witnesses. Recently, though, eight persons were arrested by the army for killings in the place. Six had clear northern, presumably Fulani names. But two of them were William Barnabas and Adamu Joseph. So what’s going on?

    This writer learned that the matter is more complicated than it seems. While the Fulani do the onslaughts, who is their spy? Some locals believe that villagers on the take collaborate with the goons and tell them who is in town, what place to pillage and when. This is a matter for the secret service to examine.

    According to a source, “some clerics are taking advantage of the mayhem to make capital from both Rome and Saudi Arabia. They elicit donations when churches and mosques get burned and by parading IDPs as being persecuted for their faiths. They also exploit funding from politicians and enthusiastic international donor organisations.” The region has dignified clerics  who rise above such vanities, including the well-known Bishop Hassan Kukah.

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    So, the ill will may not account for all or even the majority of the troubles. But it brings difficulty to the fight against terror, and in identifying the omens among men. Nor is it peculiar to southern Kaduna that persons have taken advantage of the Fulani hordes. Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom made a career out of a hate of haters. He made love from a feast of haters. The herders were evil enough, but he exacted a raison d’etre to thrive on it. With dark extravaganza of public funerals of herdsmen victims, he gave life and even respectability to a career of ineptitude as governor. We have seen this in parts of the north.

    The army in recent times has been combing communities for informants and collaborators in Southern Kaduna. That is an effort that should be intensified even as caches are found and arrests made. It is not a day’s job but a long, hard slog.

    We have peaceful locals who are Fulani. But who is to know who is for peace and for trouble, even among the Fulani settlers?

    It is the same sort of suspicion that has pervaded the country. The Yoruba and Igbo in Lagos, the Itsekiri and Ijaw in Delta, sometimes Itsekiri and Urhobo, the Ibibio and Anang, North and south, the Ikwerre and Igbo. It takes intra-ethnic colour, like the Ife and Modakeke.

    But this is expected in today’s world as globalization is creating such tensions. Nations are turning into racial ramparts in Europe and North America. There is even a call to abolish the international protocol on Refugees to allow nations reject migrants swarming their shorelines. It’s what Jesus called “distress of nations and perplexities.”

    It raises a question as to whether democracy is enough for the modern era. Or is it a problem of democrats? For instance, barely five decades ago, Christian natives up north craved the Fulani herdsmen and competed to welcome them to their farms. When they were leaving, they threw parties. They accepted their differences, unlike the assertion by French philosopher Montaigne, who wrote, “We all call barbarous, things that are contrary to our habits.”

    It is an irony today the bad Fulani and bad locals are the ones allegedly causing friction. They make the news and make the bombs. Their guns discriminate against none. As Napoleon said, “to a cannon, all men are equal.”

    In the halcyon days, they never called a national conference. They had what political scientist call a social bargain. They lived with unwritten rules. The British constitution’s beauty lies in the heart, not on the letter. It is the sort of feeling that made Idy Enang, a marketing guru to tell the Ikoyi Club celebrants at the club’s 85th anniversary symposium that he named his daughter Morenike for lack of such translation in his language.

    We had a national conference under Jonathan, but it was an extravaganza of grandstanding and vaporous rhetoric. We need what Aristotle called “civic friendship,” as a prelude to free citizenship. Today, we have Christian and Muslim citizens, Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo citizens. We are yet to have Nigerian citizens. The unwritten civic bargains, as we witnessed in the last elections, are mainly ethno-religious. Such a backdrop can only doom a national conference.

    We are in an age of charismatic leaders who ride populist hysteria. Our leaders can enthrone a new kind of social contract based on justice, the equity of resources and equity of recognition. It will banish kingpins of tribe and faith and announce a sojourn in citizenship. Lee kwan Yu did it so well that when a Chinese leader visited Singapore, the Chinese natives shunned his appeal to race. It is the way to mark a 63rd birthday.

  • ACF, Northern Yoruba community mourn Akanbi

    Northern group, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and Yoruba community in  the 19 northern states and Abuja have joined others to mourn former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Akanbi.

    ACF and Northern Yoruba community, in their separate condolence messages, said Nigeria has lost one of its finest elder statesmen and an incorruptible judge.

    In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim Biu, Arewa said: “The late Justice Akanbi was a renowned legal luminary, who reached the pinnacle of his career as the President of the Federal Court of Appeal and also served as pioneer Chairman of ICPC.

    “He was an embodiment of hard work, diligence, selfless service, accountability and above all loyalty to the cause of nation-building. He was a great public servant, who left an indelible mark, especially in shaping the judiciary and fight against corruption.

    “The late elder statesman was a man of great vision and intellect who was a strong pillar that continues to support the unity and stability of Nigeria. Justice Akanbi was also one a great pillars that formed and nurtured ACF to its present position as the voice of the North.

    “The late elder statesman would be remembered for his commitment to national unity, transparency, philanthropic works and selfless service to his father land.

    “Nigeria has lost one of its fineness elder statesman, a bridge builder and a leader who lived a simple and humble life. He needs no thumb stone to remind us of his legacies. Yet the best remembrance is for those he has left behind to live up what he stood for.”

    Similarly, leader of the Yoruba community, Alhaji Mohammed Arigbabuwo, described the late Justice Akanbi as an illustrious son of Nigeria, who has contributed immensely to its growth and development.

    “We pray for the repose of his soul and ask Allah (SWT) to grant Justice Mustapha Akanbi eternal rest and Aljanna Firdaus. We also pray that Allah gives his immediate family, Ilorin Emirate, Kwara State and Nigeria as a whole the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”

  • ACF, Northern Igbo leaders, Atiku hail withdrawal of quit notice

    The umbrella body of northern leaders, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), and the leadership of the Igbo community in the North have welcomed the withdrawal of the quit notice earlier issued by a coalition of some northern youth groups to the Igbo living in the North.
    The Igbo leaders under the auspices of Igbo Community Welfare Association however asked the Federal Government to monitor and enforce its order against hate speech.
    ACF in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim Biu, commended the efforts of the Vice President, the Northern States Governors Forum under the chairmanship of Alhaji Kashim Shettima and other leaders of thought from the North in dousing the tension generated by the quit notice.
    The statement reads: “The ACF welcomes the withdrawal of the quit notice (issued) by the Northern Youths Coalition. This is a good development in the interest of peace and corporate existence of Nigeria.
    “ACF had earlier called on all concerned to note that our democratic system of government, which is anchored on law and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, guarantees free movement of all Nigerians to pursue their means of livelihood in all parts of the country, devoid of hindrance from any group or individuals.
    “ACF therefore commends the efforts of the Northern States Governors Forum, Alhaji Kashim Shettima and other leaders of thought from the North.
    “The ACF particularly hails the earlier efforts of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who had earlier engaged Northern leaders, traditional rulers and the Igbo leaders to douse the tension created by the IPOB activities and the subsequent quit notice given by the Northern Youths Coalition to the Igbo living in the North.
    “ACF appeals to all Nigerians to heed the Federal Government’s warning against hate speeches and violent agitations that will jeopardise our peaceful coexistence as a nation.”
    The President-General Igbo Community Welfare Association, Barrister Chris Nnoli, said the withdrawal of the quit notice was commendable as it doused tension among the Igbo living in the North.
    According to him, “it is a welcome development and we the Igbo community appreciate it because it will lessen the apprehension and tension created by that statement.
    “Some people have come to say it was only a suspension and not a withdrawal. But I think whichever way, it is still in order and we welcome it.
    “We will continue to ask our people to remain calm and law abiding. Nigeria belongs to everybody and we believe that everyone has the right to live wherever they want”.
    Also commending the coalition of northern groups for their decision to rescind the quit notice given to the Igbo to leave the North on or before October 1, 2017, former Vice President and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, described the development as the triumph of good judgment.
    In a statement issued from his media office in Abuja yesterday, the former Vice President appealed to the Coalition of Northern Groups and the Arewa Youths Council to go the whole hog and drop any other condition given to people of Igbo origin living in Northern Nigeria or anywhere else in the nation.
    According to him, “Reconciliation must be total or else it is pyrrhic.”
    In the spirit of this rapprochement, the Waziri Adamawa also called on other ethnic groupings which might have issued counter quit notices to accept the olive branch and rescind whatever notices or withdraw whatever statements they might have made.
    The former Vice President commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his national broadcast condemning such developments and urged other elders and elder-statesmen around the nation to add their voices to the condemnation of evil and henceforth refrain from making statements that could undermine Nigeria’s unity.