By Abdullahi D. Mohammed
An orphaned child is literally, one who lacks the luxury of parental care through natural causes — death, or more implicitly, social causes — abandonment. In contrast, however, parental estrangement occurs when a child abandons his own parents, apparently at their point of needs.
The above analogy, aptly depicts the condition of northern Nigeria. The region which bred and moulded some of the country’s elite figures. From the academia to military, technocrats and business executives, the list is endless.
Since the birth of the Nigerian nation, and the demise of the region’s founding fathers, the northern elites have been feasting on the goodwill of the region, regrettably at the expense of the common man. The question is; what is there for the ordinary Arewa citizen, within the context of the Nigerian political space?
Unfortunately, Arewa is not only an estranged parent, but also a beautiful bride whose chastity is explored, beauty exploited and patience abused by no other, than the same circle of political vultures clinging to power at all means.
At every election cycle in the country, especially since the return to democratic system, in 1999, the region’s ruling class has always sacrificed it, in return for personal gains and clannish interest.
The most logical and sensible premise is, some basic demands of the region, should overwhelmingly form part of any discourse, on the future and outcome of the region, during any electioneering and political realignments. Security, Education,Drug abuse, infrastructure deficits, Agriculture and Power. These are doubtless key existential challenges staring down at the region, which should have been prioritized.
For instance, education, since 2018, UNESCO ranked the region as home to the highest number of out-of-school children, in the country. While in terms of insecurity, according to data released by Nigeria Security Tracker and Global Terrorism Index, over Two million Nigerians, mostly of northern extraction died due to unhinged insecurity, between 2015-2024. An additional 2,235,954 were kidnapped and a total of (N2,231,772,563,507 was paid in ransom.
Conversely, a northerner was president during the perilous period which saw the spike in the patterns of insecurity. The symbolic pseudo-Arewa champions went mute, since obviously they are somewhat insulated, and benefited from the status quo. It is quite instructive to note, the craftily organized crime against the region, is by no means, the making of the later day regional champions— the political elites. The “North” is a political gold mine. It is susceptible to manipulation by regional political elites, for personal gains, while pretending and gaslighting the common man.
If in doubt, there are about more than a dozen sub-regional sociocultural pressure group, working at cross purposes. Yet no substance. There is the premier or elite group, Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, Northern Elders Forum, NEF, League of Northern Democrats, LND, Arewa New Agenda, ANA, etc.
Whenever anyone’s ego is bruised, or he loses out, or had fallen out of reckoning in their high-up political machinations, intrigues or power play , he suddenly remembers the orphaned Arewa.
It is an irrefutable fact, the political elites in northern Nigeria hadn’t deemed fit to have a convergence of practicable ideas to get the region out of the precipice. In spite of multifaceted and urgency of the challenges, their mindset is solely fixated on grabbing power.
Never had we seen a situation where they excoriate on say, the prevalence of drug abuse amongst youths in the region. The scourge of drug and substance abuse remains the major enabler of most of the challenges confronting the region. On the flip side, in most cases, the youths become pawn in the hands of the elites.They provide illicit drugs to these set, in order to keep them perpetually subservient as political thugs.
Despite having a massive population, a vast landmass and fertile irrigable and non irrigable land, the region has been riled and called all sorts of names. From claims of being spoonfed, to parasitic and dependent on federal grants without contributing anything to the GDP. Such were some unruly remarks the region had to contend with, from our southern brothers. If we had a set of transformational leaders, with vision, and very passionate about the socioeconomic development of the region, the vast human and natural resources would have been harnessed, to fastrack industrial scale development.
If we had these individuals who benefit from the large—hearted Arewa, conceive, initiate and develop an independent power station, the region would not have experienced a 2-week regional blackout, last year.
The past few weeks had been a bloody one. Sorrow, tears and blood flowed freely across the region. From Benue, Plateau to Zamfara and Borno, gory stories of man’s inhumanity pervades the region.
Children, women and the aged murdered in the most callous manner.The system failed to protect them. Moreso, the political elites in the region equally failed to advocate, for a genuine workable solution to halt such senseless attacks. Aside mere rhetorics warped in duplicity, followed by the usual press statements and condemnation, nothing exceptional is put forward to end the spate of killings.
As a fallout of the attacks, thousands were displaced and forced to seek shelter in shambolic camps. Again, the political elites refused to leverage on a low hanging fruit. What would it take to organize and activate a humanitarian stopgap? Such that would be inspired by communality, purely on compassionate vestiges. At least, sociocultural groups, exist just for a day like this. Government must not be made to bear the brunt always.
The perennial playbook and hyperactive template of our political elites would be unleashed when they seek to reclaim a lost power. What is playing out right now, across the region, is a classic example. Alliances, coalition, realignments and merger talks, etc There has never an alliance or coalition against insecurity, hunger, deprivation, decaying infrastructure and several other challenges confronting the region, by the political elites.
In the buildup to the 2023 elections, most political elites from Arewa, who sold the Asiwaju candidacy, never advanced immediate (requests& needs )of the region. Rather, they were strategically placing themselves, their families and cronies close to the contours of power, of course using the region, as a launchpad. Today, they are unrelentingly angling to be recognized as redeemers of the region, obviously after falling out of favor. Sadly, these elements, most of whom were part of the last administration, where a northerner was president for eight years, yet our biggest single infrastructure, Abuja-Kaduna- Kano expreway suffered neglect, till this day.
Our political elites has an unquenchable thirst and lust for power. Meaning, they could toast just anyone under the bus, to get to the zenith. To do that, they need a sacrificial fallguy — Arewa. For decades, this trump card has been used, reused, played and replayed. The Arewa, has been the meal ticket for our political elites, when negotiating their (our) political future, without our inputs.
As individuals, we must rethink and critique rationale which informed certain sociopolitical decisions, especially with regard to our region and polity. We must question and hold accountable, elements who explore our collective sensibilities, while pretending to speak for us. We must not be aloof. Not anymore. As 2027 politicking gathers steam, we must “shine our eyes” The game is already on. We must discern what is in for us and who genuinely speaks for us. Because, scavengers are circling in, trying, yet again to trade off the region, for to their egoistical wishes.
Abdullahi D Mohammed
Is a Director with Initiative for Concerned Citizens Against Drug Abuse. He Writes from Kano
[email protected]