It is becoming a tired cliché to note that Nigeria is a country with
vast potentials which have remained unrealized due to socio-political
and economic challenges of which dearth of transformational leadership
is at the heart of all. Again, it is common knowledge that this
leadership deficit is more severe in northern Nigeria relative to other
parts of the country. A disturbing yet overlooked dimension of this
leadership conundrum however, is that leaders who ought to be
responsible for identifying the problems and finding solutions seem to
have little understanding of what these problems are, they prefer to
ignore them or both, and hence have little or no solutions to them. The
leaders are also becoming progressively disconnected from the ordinary
people and their concerns.
vast potentials which have remained unrealized due to socio-political
and economic challenges of which dearth of transformational leadership
is at the heart of all. Again, it is common knowledge that this
leadership deficit is more severe in northern Nigeria relative to other
parts of the country. A disturbing yet overlooked dimension of this
leadership conundrum however, is that leaders who ought to be
responsible for identifying the problems and finding solutions seem to
have little understanding of what these problems are, they prefer to
ignore them or both, and hence have little or no solutions to them. The
leaders are also becoming progressively disconnected from the ordinary
people and their concerns.
MISPLACED PRIORITIES
The summaries of various communiqués of meetings and fora involving
northern political leaders (mainly the Northern Governors Forum) and
most northern elders (mostly former public office holders) of recent, on
the North’s numerous problems are
northern political leaders (mainly the Northern Governors Forum) and
most northern elders (mostly former public office holders) of recent, on
the North’s numerous problems are
baffling and frustrating as it is
apparent the agenda of these meetings typically have little to do with
the region’s gargantuan economic, socio-political and security
challenges. Neither do the final recommendations.
The themes of these meetings usually revolve around increased revenue
allocation to northern states from the Federal Government, lamentations
over existing conspiracies to “marginalize” and “destroy” the North;
emphasis on the North’s “turn” to produce the next President in 2015;
hollow, rhetorical lamentations on the decline of the northern economy
and the need to revive agriculture, countering the Boko Haram insurgency
and occasionally, a passing reference is made on the need for good
governance, and in the end, these ills are ascribed to bad leadership
and that’s about it. These meetings typically produce virtually no
solid, detailed, implementable blue prints on how to methodically,
systematically and effectively address the North’s well-documented
problems.
allocation to northern states from the Federal Government, lamentations
over existing conspiracies to “marginalize” and “destroy” the North;
emphasis on the North’s “turn” to produce the next President in 2015;
hollow, rhetorical lamentations on the decline of the northern economy
and the need to revive agriculture, countering the Boko Haram insurgency
and occasionally, a passing reference is made on the need for good
governance, and in the end, these ills are ascribed to bad leadership
and that’s about it. These meetings typically produce virtually no
solid, detailed, implementable blue prints on how to methodically,
systematically and effectively address the North’s well-documented
problems.
As the communiqués and press briefings for these meetings become
public, one’s hopes of tangible solutions are further dashed by the
crushing realization that our leaders are running round in vicious
circles. At best, they gloss over the most critical problems, and at
worst, their recommendations have practically no bearing on these
problems. While the last meeting of the Northern Governor’s Forum
belatedly established a committee
to propose ways of addressing the insecurity in the North, it is an
open secret that many of the governors have their eyes set on and are
working towards contesting the 2015 presidential elections. Recently, at
least two prominent northern leaders have made the case for revisiting the Federal Government’s revenue allocation formula, while at least three northern elders have variously “advised” that President Jonathan “renounces” any intention of contesting in the 2015 elections to “defuse political tension”.
public, one’s hopes of tangible solutions are further dashed by the
crushing realization that our leaders are running round in vicious
circles. At best, they gloss over the most critical problems, and at
worst, their recommendations have practically no bearing on these
problems. While the last meeting of the Northern Governor’s Forum
belatedly established a committee
to propose ways of addressing the insecurity in the North, it is an
open secret that many of the governors have their eyes set on and are
working towards contesting the 2015 presidential elections. Recently, at
least two prominent northern leaders have made the case for revisiting the Federal Government’s revenue allocation formula, while at least three northern elders have variously “advised” that President Jonathan “renounces” any intention of contesting in the 2015 elections to “defuse political tension”.
While I am not disregarding the importance of these issues, there are
more critical issues requiring the immediate attention of our leaders
on which the fate of ordinary people and the region as a whole hang. The
problems bedeviling northern Nigeria can be broadly classified into
four distinct but interrelated categories: the steady economic decline
of the region over several decades, the breakdown of social cohesion,
the insecurity especially the Boko Haram insurgency and the gradual
decline of the North’s political influence at the centre. The disturbing
fact though is that the priorities of our northern Governors and many
of our northern elders, are skewed towards the North’s access to
political power and how to bring back the Presidency to the North come 2015 while the more important economic, social and security challenges are of secondary importance to them.
more critical issues requiring the immediate attention of our leaders
on which the fate of ordinary people and the region as a whole hang. The
problems bedeviling northern Nigeria can be broadly classified into
four distinct but interrelated categories: the steady economic decline
of the region over several decades, the breakdown of social cohesion,
the insecurity especially the Boko Haram insurgency and the gradual
decline of the North’s political influence at the centre. The disturbing
fact though is that the priorities of our northern Governors and many
of our northern elders, are skewed towards the North’s access to
political power and how to bring back the Presidency to the North come 2015 while the more important economic, social and security challenges are of secondary importance to them.
CRITICAL PROBLEMS REQUIRING URGENT SOLUTIONS
As our leaders and elders focus on these non-issues, one wonders how
these would actually translate to a better life for the ordinary
northerner when 8 out of 10 people in most northern states live in
abject poverty, how President Jonathan’s shelving of his 2015 ambition
would translate to better equipped schools and medical centres, or how abrogating the Onshore-Offshore Dichotomy Bill
and revising the “unfair” distribution of Federal revenues will attract
needed investments to a region where in many state capitals it’s a
herculean task to find one large departmental store (an indicator of
modernization), when the current revenues are clearly being mismanaged.
These are the leaders and the “voices” of the North and from what they
talk about, one can reasonably conclude that these are their main
priorities.
these would actually translate to a better life for the ordinary
northerner when 8 out of 10 people in most northern states live in
abject poverty, how President Jonathan’s shelving of his 2015 ambition
would translate to better equipped schools and medical centres, or how abrogating the Onshore-Offshore Dichotomy Bill
and revising the “unfair” distribution of Federal revenues will attract
needed investments to a region where in many state capitals it’s a
herculean task to find one large departmental store (an indicator of
modernization), when the current revenues are clearly being mismanaged.
These are the leaders and the “voices” of the North and from what they
talk about, one can reasonably conclude that these are their main
priorities.
The tragedy here is that not only is there an acute misdiagnosis of
the numerous problems bedeviling the North and its people by our leaders
and elders, those ideally best placed to know the problems and
formulate solutions, but that even their proposed solutions to the
misdiagnosed problems are deficient, while the region continues to
decay, collapse and burn, literally. Few of our “leaders” and “elders”
have for instance, actually proposed realistic and pragmatic steps in
containing the Boko Haram insurgency, the most glaring manifestation of
this decay and impending collapse.
the numerous problems bedeviling the North and its people by our leaders
and elders, those ideally best placed to know the problems and
formulate solutions, but that even their proposed solutions to the
misdiagnosed problems are deficient, while the region continues to
decay, collapse and burn, literally. Few of our “leaders” and “elders”
have for instance, actually proposed realistic and pragmatic steps in
containing the Boko Haram insurgency, the most glaring manifestation of
this decay and impending collapse.
Beyond the usual mantra on the need “to engage in dialogue” with the sect, is there any concrete plan on the sequence of events that would follow
in the event that the sect does agree to negotiate and is somehow
convinced to lay down its arms whether by an amnesty-type cooption into
the system or via another means? Is there a blueprint on integrating the
brainwashed flock back into society, to guarantee the safety and
security of those who agree to cease fire or for massive disarmament of
arms now overflowing the North? Is there any incentive (or protection)
to encourage those who genuinely want to renounce violence or to
convince the militants that it’s in their best interests to lay down
their arms in an environment where upward social mobility for the
unprivileged is almost non-existent even to the educated ones? Are there
plans for engaging these youth and other legions of unemployed,
disillusioned and frustrated young men and women in our northern cities
to prevent their co-option by other such anarchist groups? If any of
such plans or proposals exist, they surely haven’t been regularly
featuring in the communiqués of these fora involving our northern
leaders and elders.
in the event that the sect does agree to negotiate and is somehow
convinced to lay down its arms whether by an amnesty-type cooption into
the system or via another means? Is there a blueprint on integrating the
brainwashed flock back into society, to guarantee the safety and
security of those who agree to cease fire or for massive disarmament of
arms now overflowing the North? Is there any incentive (or protection)
to encourage those who genuinely want to renounce violence or to
convince the militants that it’s in their best interests to lay down
their arms in an environment where upward social mobility for the
unprivileged is almost non-existent even to the educated ones? Are there
plans for engaging these youth and other legions of unemployed,
disillusioned and frustrated young men and women in our northern cities
to prevent their co-option by other such anarchist groups? If any of
such plans or proposals exist, they surely haven’t been regularly
featuring in the communiqués of these fora involving our northern
leaders and elders.
THE DISCONNECT
Consequently, as our leaders and elders focus on issues which seem to have little bearing on the lives of the rest of us, we the rest
are increasingly dissociating ourselves from what they have chosen to
prioritize, while the rest of the country is moving ahead and
increasingly dissociating itself from the North as a whole. Some of our
leaders speak on behalf of the North and we wonder whether they are
really speaking on our behalf. They speak of the North but we wonder if
these are really the aspirations of the ordinary people.
are increasingly dissociating ourselves from what they have chosen to
prioritize, while the rest of the country is moving ahead and
increasingly dissociating itself from the North as a whole. Some of our
leaders speak on behalf of the North and we wonder whether they are
really speaking on our behalf. They speak of the North but we wonder if
these are really the aspirations of the ordinary people.
While our leaders and many of our elders attribute the North’s
underdevelopment to a lower share of federal revenues, many of us see
how some non-oil producing states south of the Niger, some of which
receive comparatively less revenues from the federal purse are embarking
on relatively more transformational policies: free health-care scheme for pregnant women, children, the physically challenged and senior citizens in Ekiti state; free education policy from primary to university level in Imo state; the rail transit system and other transport infrastructure in Lagos etc. At the same time, we see our own state executives, spending N2.7 bn ($17 m) on Ramadhan gifts, more than that state’s entirely monthly revenue allocation or jetting-off to Saudi Arabia
for the lesser hajj in August as Boko Haram and Joint Military Task
Force (JTF) slugged it out, further traumatizing the already battered
residents.
underdevelopment to a lower share of federal revenues, many of us see
how some non-oil producing states south of the Niger, some of which
receive comparatively less revenues from the federal purse are embarking
on relatively more transformational policies: free health-care scheme for pregnant women, children, the physically challenged and senior citizens in Ekiti state; free education policy from primary to university level in Imo state; the rail transit system and other transport infrastructure in Lagos etc. At the same time, we see our own state executives, spending N2.7 bn ($17 m) on Ramadhan gifts, more than that state’s entirely monthly revenue allocation or jetting-off to Saudi Arabia
for the lesser hajj in August as Boko Haram and Joint Military Task
Force (JTF) slugged it out, further traumatizing the already battered
residents.
Caring Heart Primary School is one of the “five star” public
mega primary schools being built by the Ondo state government all across
the state. This ambitious project aims to ensure such public schools
“compete favourably” with the best private schools and that the
underprivileged have access to quality education.
mega primary schools being built by the Ondo state government all across
the state. This ambitious project aims to ensure such public schools
“compete favourably” with the best private schools and that the
underprivileged have access to quality education.
We wonder when the communiqués of these meetings by our northern
leaders and elders would shift focus from their obsession with the 2015
elections which is still 3 years away or revisiting a controversial
revenue allocation formula laid to rest or from endlessly whingeing
about a conspiracy to “cripple” the North by others or the over-flogged
flashback to a glorious era of Northern agricultural buoyancy of decades
past, and when the agenda of these meetings would actually table viable
blue prints for economic rejuvenation of the region — viable proposals
for mechanizing the largely subsistence agriculture, making grants and
credit available to farmers and SMEs, subsidies and assistance to the
comatose industries, attracting investors and development partners with
business friendly policies, tax breaks and land leases; exploiting the
abundant mineral resources in the North such as gold in Zamfara which dubious (local and foreign) businessmen and impoverished villagers are already mining illegally anyways;
employment generation schemes; road-maps for investments in
health-care, education and transport infrastructure; engaging in massive
enlightenment campaigns for the masses on their civic rights and
duties, the list is endless. We wonder when these communiqués would
demonstrate seriousness on the part of our leaders and elders to start
looking inwards for home-grown solutions which are all around us.
leaders and elders would shift focus from their obsession with the 2015
elections which is still 3 years away or revisiting a controversial
revenue allocation formula laid to rest or from endlessly whingeing
about a conspiracy to “cripple” the North by others or the over-flogged
flashback to a glorious era of Northern agricultural buoyancy of decades
past, and when the agenda of these meetings would actually table viable
blue prints for economic rejuvenation of the region — viable proposals
for mechanizing the largely subsistence agriculture, making grants and
credit available to farmers and SMEs, subsidies and assistance to the
comatose industries, attracting investors and development partners with
business friendly policies, tax breaks and land leases; exploiting the
abundant mineral resources in the North such as gold in Zamfara which dubious (local and foreign) businessmen and impoverished villagers are already mining illegally anyways;
employment generation schemes; road-maps for investments in
health-care, education and transport infrastructure; engaging in massive
enlightenment campaigns for the masses on their civic rights and
duties, the list is endless. We wonder when these communiqués would
demonstrate seriousness on the part of our leaders and elders to start
looking inwards for home-grown solutions which are all around us.
Little girls crushing stones at home, to obtain gold in a remote part of Zamfara state. Source: Environment360
GENERATIONAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF NORTHERN LEADERSHIP DEFICIT
It is worth noting that leadership deficit is not unique to the North
as it is a general Nigerian problem, and arguably a global phenomenon.
The New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, writing in June 2012
identifies two components of the global leadership deficit
prevalent in many countries — generational and technological. When this
is applied to the situation in northern Nigeria, it becomes apparent
that the disconnect between our leaders and the rest of us has much to
do with the little generational change amongst those responsible for
aggregating and articulating the North’s aspirations, with mostly the
same people who have been in the thick of things since some of us were
in diapers, whom we’ve read about in social studies textbooks in primary
and secondary school, still dexterously recycling themselves
continuously back in power – as governors, ministers, legislators,
permanent secretaries, board members of parastatals – still calling the
shots today.
as it is a general Nigerian problem, and arguably a global phenomenon.
The New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, writing in June 2012
identifies two components of the global leadership deficit
prevalent in many countries — generational and technological. When this
is applied to the situation in northern Nigeria, it becomes apparent
that the disconnect between our leaders and the rest of us has much to
do with the little generational change amongst those responsible for
aggregating and articulating the North’s aspirations, with mostly the
same people who have been in the thick of things since some of us were
in diapers, whom we’ve read about in social studies textbooks in primary
and secondary school, still dexterously recycling themselves
continuously back in power – as governors, ministers, legislators,
permanent secretaries, board members of parastatals – still calling the
shots today.
The incredibly persistent longevity of many die-hard power-brokers in
northern Nigeria has ensured that few neophytes have been genuinely
groomed as successors. This situation of course is connected to the
technological dimension of this leadership deficit which beyond the use
of modern technology in governance, refers to the stale, archaic and
retrogressive approach to leadership as a consequence of this
generational gap, with little input of fresh ideas and approaches to
governance. Therefore, the same top-down, gerontocratic and quasi-feudal
approaches to leadership of decades past is very much the norm in the
North today, increasingly incapable of addressing present-day 21st
century challenges. In fact, a former Head of State of northern
extraction (in)famously remarked that Nigerian youths are not ready for
leadership.
northern Nigeria has ensured that few neophytes have been genuinely
groomed as successors. This situation of course is connected to the
technological dimension of this leadership deficit which beyond the use
of modern technology in governance, refers to the stale, archaic and
retrogressive approach to leadership as a consequence of this
generational gap, with little input of fresh ideas and approaches to
governance. Therefore, the same top-down, gerontocratic and quasi-feudal
approaches to leadership of decades past is very much the norm in the
North today, increasingly incapable of addressing present-day 21st
century challenges. In fact, a former Head of State of northern
extraction (in)famously remarked that Nigerian youths are not ready for
leadership.
Looking at northern Nigeria through the prism of generational and
technological dimensions of leadership deficit put forward by Friedman
enables us to understand the disconnect between what our leaders and
elders regard as the North’s aspirations and what the rest of us really
think are our aspirations, that they seem not to realize this gap
exists, that the communication gap is widening and that it potentially
has grave implications.
technological dimensions of leadership deficit put forward by Friedman
enables us to understand the disconnect between what our leaders and
elders regard as the North’s aspirations and what the rest of us really
think are our aspirations, that they seem not to realize this gap
exists, that the communication gap is widening and that it potentially
has grave implications.
Now the danger is that as the North’s problems and aspirations keep
being misdiagnosed, ignored and misunderstood by our leaders, with wrong
solutions prescribed to non-issues, our problems continue intensifying
rapidly, entrapping us further into the cavernous stranglehold of
poverty, underdevelopment, political instability and conflict while
other parts of the country forge ahead. According to a May 2012 report
(PDF) by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development
(DFID), 7 out of 10 young women aged 20-29 in North-West Nigeria are
unable to read or write, compared to just about 1 out of 10 young women
in the South-East; while maternal mortality rate in the North-East is
1,549 deaths per 100,000 women, three times above the national average
of 549 deaths.
being misdiagnosed, ignored and misunderstood by our leaders, with wrong
solutions prescribed to non-issues, our problems continue intensifying
rapidly, entrapping us further into the cavernous stranglehold of
poverty, underdevelopment, political instability and conflict while
other parts of the country forge ahead. According to a May 2012 report
(PDF) by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development
(DFID), 7 out of 10 young women aged 20-29 in North-West Nigeria are
unable to read or write, compared to just about 1 out of 10 young women
in the South-East; while maternal mortality rate in the North-East is
1,549 deaths per 100,000 women, three times above the national average
of 549 deaths.
As stale and musty ideas that pervade the northern atmosphere
continue choking the very life out of a long comatose region with
approaches that reinforce rather than address the glaring contradictions
and atrocious inequality in the North, it is no wonder the incident of
violent crime – something alien to the North jut a decade ago – is now a
daily occurrence as the spate of drive-by shootings and assassinations
have increased exponentially.
continue choking the very life out of a long comatose region with
approaches that reinforce rather than address the glaring contradictions
and atrocious inequality in the North, it is no wonder the incident of
violent crime – something alien to the North jut a decade ago – is now a
daily occurrence as the spate of drive-by shootings and assassinations
have increased exponentially.
As our leaders and elders have chosen to focus on non-issues,
pointing the blame outwards rather than looking inwards, conducting
sincere assessments and proposing solutions, even the narrative about
northern Nigeria outside the country is changing. I have come across
many references to northern Nigeria on international websites and blogs
as the “poor” “backward” or “violent Islamist North”,
while Google image searches of our major northern cities such as Kaduna
or Kano routinely produce stomach-churning images of mangled corpses of
bomb blast victims, burnt vehicles, or arrested suspects of one vicious
crime or the other.
pointing the blame outwards rather than looking inwards, conducting
sincere assessments and proposing solutions, even the narrative about
northern Nigeria outside the country is changing. I have come across
many references to northern Nigeria on international websites and blogs
as the “poor” “backward” or “violent Islamist North”,
while Google image searches of our major northern cities such as Kaduna
or Kano routinely produce stomach-churning images of mangled corpses of
bomb blast victims, burnt vehicles, or arrested suspects of one vicious
crime or the other.
GOING FORWARD
We need new approaches to our multifaceted economic, social and
political problems as the current stale and archaic ways of thinking are
grossly inadequate and incapable of addressing our numerous 21st
century challenges. In order to do this, we ought to realize that
leaders like all human beings are driven by self-interest, and as such
they are not by default prone to accountability or altruism. It is
pressure from citizens that forces leaders to act in the collective
interest. It is agitation by ordinary citizens especially labour and
trade unions in post-war Western Europe that was instrumental in
pressuring the political elite to make inclusive social reforms of
hitherto exclusive and aristocratic political systems and implementation
of welfare policies (such as health care, housing and employment
benefits which exist to this day) to cater for the less privileged.
political problems as the current stale and archaic ways of thinking are
grossly inadequate and incapable of addressing our numerous 21st
century challenges. In order to do this, we ought to realize that
leaders like all human beings are driven by self-interest, and as such
they are not by default prone to accountability or altruism. It is
pressure from citizens that forces leaders to act in the collective
interest. It is agitation by ordinary citizens especially labour and
trade unions in post-war Western Europe that was instrumental in
pressuring the political elite to make inclusive social reforms of
hitherto exclusive and aristocratic political systems and implementation
of welfare policies (such as health care, housing and employment
benefits which exist to this day) to cater for the less privileged.
Thus, a huge responsibility lies with northern academics,
intellectuals, commentators, analysts, professionals and just about
anyone concerned about their own future (or lack of it) and that of
their children to continuously and consistently speak up on these
burning issues that affect us all and ensure they are brought back onto
the agenda of our leaders and elders. It is just not enough to assume
our characteristically fatalistic position of “Allah Ya isa” or “God dey” and then resign ourselves to this sordid fate that certainly awaits us!
intellectuals, commentators, analysts, professionals and just about
anyone concerned about their own future (or lack of it) and that of
their children to continuously and consistently speak up on these
burning issues that affect us all and ensure they are brought back onto
the agenda of our leaders and elders. It is just not enough to assume
our characteristically fatalistic position of “Allah Ya isa” or “God dey” and then resign ourselves to this sordid fate that certainly awaits us!
The intellectuals and columnists of northern extraction should beam
the spotlight more on what state and local governments are doing with
the same vigorous consistency that the activities of the Federal
Government are scrutinized – how revenues and resources are managed, how
investment decisions and contract awards are made, etc. because our
governance challenges are mainly under the constitutional purview of
states and local governments, and for the most part, information on the
activities of these sub-national governments is a black hole of sorts.
the spotlight more on what state and local governments are doing with
the same vigorous consistency that the activities of the Federal
Government are scrutinized – how revenues and resources are managed, how
investment decisions and contract awards are made, etc. because our
governance challenges are mainly under the constitutional purview of
states and local governments, and for the most part, information on the
activities of these sub-national governments is a black hole of sorts.
Public opinion moulders should provide information to ordinary
citizens on what these governments are doing, whether they are living up
to their responsibilities, highlighting and applauding the efforts of
political leaders who are performing well so that a performance
benchmark would be set for others and proposing concrete recommendations
no matter how idealistic they might seem. Public debate and public
opinion moulding are enabled when conversations are started on important
issues that others can relate with, build on and carry along and
thereby creating mechanisms for vigorous discussions, actions and demand
for accountability.
citizens on what these governments are doing, whether they are living up
to their responsibilities, highlighting and applauding the efforts of
political leaders who are performing well so that a performance
benchmark would be set for others and proposing concrete recommendations
no matter how idealistic they might seem. Public debate and public
opinion moulding are enabled when conversations are started on important
issues that others can relate with, build on and carry along and
thereby creating mechanisms for vigorous discussions, actions and demand
for accountability.
For our leaders, they ought to realize that the situation in the
North today is completely unsustainable and it doesn’t require the
clairvoyance of a seer to foresee the imminent disaster of chaotic
proportions that awaits the North as a whole. Thus it is in their own
self-interest that the North is brought back from this dangerous
precipice, by providing good governance we tirelessly complain about and
being true representatives of the people and their aspirations at best
to ensure the region does not tear itself apart and at worst maintaining
the grossly unequal, predatory and destructive status quo.
North today is completely unsustainable and it doesn’t require the
clairvoyance of a seer to foresee the imminent disaster of chaotic
proportions that awaits the North as a whole. Thus it is in their own
self-interest that the North is brought back from this dangerous
precipice, by providing good governance we tirelessly complain about and
being true representatives of the people and their aspirations at best
to ensure the region does not tear itself apart and at worst maintaining
the grossly unequal, predatory and destructive status quo.
For some of our “elders”, who have had rewarding careers in public
service, they could use their good names and influence in proposing
concrete steps towards containing the Boko Haram insurgency and plans
for reviving a post-Boko Haram North. They could also take their
campaign abroad to counter and disprove some destructive narratives
emerging in some Western publications (at the prodding of some Diaspora
based Nigerian lobby groups) that Boko Haram is a religious war against a
certain religious group in northern Nigeria.
service, they could use their good names and influence in proposing
concrete steps towards containing the Boko Haram insurgency and plans
for reviving a post-Boko Haram North. They could also take their
campaign abroad to counter and disprove some destructive narratives
emerging in some Western publications (at the prodding of some Diaspora
based Nigerian lobby groups) that Boko Haram is a religious war against a
certain religious group in northern Nigeria.
With their influence, some of our elders could also play instrumental
roles in enlightening the masses on their civic rights and duties, what
to expect from the government, being more proactive to demand
accountability from their representatives at the grassroots level,
resisting electoral fraud and selling their votes for peanuts and so on.
Importantly for other “elders”, it is just time to BOW OUT, as the
standing ovation has long died down, RETIRE for good and allow others to
take the stage. Overall, more links between the citizens and the state
need to be established with more communication channels between the
leaders and the led.
roles in enlightening the masses on their civic rights and duties, what
to expect from the government, being more proactive to demand
accountability from their representatives at the grassroots level,
resisting electoral fraud and selling their votes for peanuts and so on.
Importantly for other “elders”, it is just time to BOW OUT, as the
standing ovation has long died down, RETIRE for good and allow others to
take the stage. Overall, more links between the citizens and the state
need to be established with more communication channels between the
leaders and the led.
Really it is time we woke up from our deep complacent slumber and
started playing our roles in rescuing not just our future but our
present from this steady free-fall into the dark pit of misery and
underdevelopment. For in the end, what will probably kill the North
faster than any insurgency’s bullets and bombs is our own silence,
complacency and lack of pro-activeness in demanding accountability from
our leaders and representation of our interests in their actions.
started playing our roles in rescuing not just our future but our
present from this steady free-fall into the dark pit of misery and
underdevelopment. For in the end, what will probably kill the North
faster than any insurgency’s bullets and bombs is our own silence,
complacency and lack of pro-activeness in demanding accountability from
our leaders and representation of our interests in their actions.
Source: Zainab’s Musings
”The truth might be hard to say, painful to bear or even drastic for the truth sayer but still needed to be said”. ALISON.
