Much more than any tragedy, not even
the life- sapping subsidy removal, the
current insecurity pervading Northern
Nigeria is one challenge that calls for
the contribution of all Nigerians who
desire that the nation continues as we
inherited it from those who led our
independence struggle. There was this
saying that: the efforts of our heroes
should not be in vain.
Time they say is a great healer. It
may also be a great destroyer. A
Northern icon, the late Sardauna of
Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, died in 1966,
forty six years ago. Many today in the
region cannot take inspiration from
stories extolling his achievements.
Although Chief Awolowo survived for a
longer period than Sardauna, it may not
be his values that are driving Western
Nigeria today.
But why is Northern Nigeria in turmoil
today? The reader may want to say that
it had been in turmoil for quite a long
period. Are Muslims still struggling
against the fact of colonial occupation
fifty two years after independence? I
raise this question due to an analysis I
came across over the internet while the
motivation behind the acts of Boko Haram
was being discussed.
One does not need to be a PhD
researcher to understand that many in
Muslim North feel that they can do
without Western education. The facts on
the ground support their reasoning. The
richest people in Muslim North, besides
the political class and some thieving
civil servants, are those who did not
pass through formal Western education.
Though uneducated in the Western sense,
they can become international merchants,
going even up to Far East to import
wares.
But one thing is certain: the
challenge to secular authorities cannot
come from this particular class. For
trade to flourish, you need peace and
predictability. The Intelligence service
of Nigeria has its job made easier for
it. Hardly would this terror
organization come from civil servants.
Hardly will it come from factory
workers. One would hardly expect a
farmer who planted crops either during
the rainy season, or dry season farming
neglect his crops in order to go and
throw a bomb into a Church, or destroy
the shops of non-indigenes.
Those who can become terrorists are
those who have no stake in the present
system. Terrorism in Nigeria’s case must
recruit from the jobless. The terrorist
who will target the state must be Dan
Boko, meaning one who received
Western education, however little. If
not, he must surely be under direction
from one who has received Western
education, however little. I have been
to Abuja numerous times, I received
western education up to university
level, but I do not know where the UN
headquarters is in Abuja. How come an
Almajiri knows?
Modern governments in Africa are doing
great disservice to their subjects. With
the transformation of societies from
rural to urban setting; with geometric
rise in the movement from rural areas to
towns, it is highly suicidal to say that
you do not need to organize such
societies. How can you be comfortable
that millions will earn living driving
motorcycles? And how can you be
comfortable that you do not know the
percentage of those who leave school and
are unemployed? And you also do not care
even if someone decides not to go to any
school at all!
Education to my understanding is the
most effective tool to use in order to
run and shape society. Why then doe sit
lead to unemployment? Unemployment may
come from a disorder in the economic
system. The product of Tsangaya, (traditional
Quranic School) was not prepared for
either the office or factory. He thus
does not know about the labor market. He
may be a laborer to many, for many
years; but his goal is to raise capital
and engage in a trade.
Many a times he does not
marry till he builds his own house. The
civil servant, if he is honest, must
have to wait for gratuity after 35 years
of service before being able to buy a
house; not in the area that he has lived
all his life! This is what is called
achievement. This is Boko Halal.
But in their preoccupation with winning
elections at all costs; in the unjust
distribution of the spoils of office; in
total disregard to the welfare and the
dignity of the citizens and the nation
respectively, the current political
class cannot make the addressing of the
afore-mentioned problems a priority.
The current insecurity is
after all a payback. It is the fruition
of many years of neglect, of lack of
planning, and of diabolical politics. A
handful of people, employed by any who
does not wish us well, (within or
outside this country) can, with
determination unbundle this nation. One
has great respect for Chief Ezeife,
former Governor of Anambra state for
trying to dissuade the Igbos from
reprisal; but for how long? If you are
sitting on a chair, and a protruding
needle keeps on pricking you with every
move you make, you must ultimately get
up from that chair.
Addressing the issue of
Boko Haram is a national emergency. Now
is not the time to deregulate the
petroleum sector. Now is not the time to
introduce new electricity tariff. Now is
the time to sack Ngozi Iweala. When the
survival of a nation is at stake, it is
not the time to listen to IMF.
Everything must be put on hold, till the
Nigerian nation is secure. And in order
to secure the Nigerian nation, Dr
Goodluck Jonathan may write his name in
gold by also putting his ambition to
rule Nigeria forever on hold. Gorbachev
is today a paid lecturer in an American
university; he was lured away from the
leadership of an empire!
Abdullah Musa
557, K-Nassarawa
Published
January 8th, 2012
