The north is lagging behind in education, socially and in economic development. It was their choice and if the region was interested in promoting education among their people, they could have used the decades of hold on power to move the northern people ahead in education, socially and in economic development. But one area the north is ahead of the whole of south is political engineering, the politicians there are savvy, sharp and they can maneuver situations to their own advantage. When it comes to the interest of the north, you can hardly buy them over, unlike the Yorubas, Igbos and the rest who are on cash and carry basis and the politicians in the north latch on this.
An average Yoruba man thinks that so far he is on the thresh hold of economy, the rest does not matter, a stupid thinking because the main driver of economic process is the brand of politicking in motion and the Hausas and the Fulanis know this very much. The Igbo man is not perturbed so far you let him display his wares at Wuse or Yankari market, very naïve because a ban on particular item can send that Igbo man into suicidal mission. Take an instance of the petroleum development in Nigeria; who are the owners of juicy oil blocks and upstream activities, the Hausa hegemony while Kalabari man is in harmony with his canoe and fishing net; and as far as you allow the Ikwerre man to wear his chieftaincy clothes decked in expensive wrapper, carry his walking cane and settles with bush meat and whisky, there is no problem. The Ogoni man wanders in desolate farm land, setting traps to catch big rat for supper and everything will be all right. The Hausas and the Fulani’s are not done yet, they usually make move to secure exuberant contracts from NNPC and at the gate they dispose of them at a small discount price and the southern suffer head grabs them and does the hard work.
As a professional in management, change is the most difficult process for humans to go through and here the rubber meets the road. Now change is in the offing, the Niger Delta man is not what he is used to be, the table has turned and the Hausas and the Fulanis are on the verge of wearing the Niger Deltan’ shoes. Change is difficult to accept and what is going on in Nigeria is that the Northern oligarchy does not want to accept change and they can go at any length to preserve the status quo. The terrorist war in Nigeria is engineered by the people of the North and it is their way of saying no to change process.
The kidnapping of our young girls is part of the design to cause international outrage that Jonathan is not a fit president, and some people in Nigeria can be hoodwinked about this grand design and one can see, read and hear the statement credited to Kema Chikwe, the woman is right. It is ridiculous to hear and read some of the women asking Jonathan and his wife to go to the forest and search for the girls, and also a statement from and Hausa soldier asking Jonathan to go to the war front as a motivation for them to fight and free the girls. They just want this man, Jonathan to die in office just like Umaru Yar’adua. When did George Bush and Obama go to the Iraq and Afghanistan to fight the terrorists? Is this not enough tell-tale sign that the people of the north, the APC loyalists and even Sahara reporters want our president dead? Of late, a Sahara reporter, the online newspaper I admired and reverenced has become the mouth piece of APC Yoruba party. I am disappointed in my friend, Sowore.
My anger with President Jonathan is that he is treating what is happening in Nigeria with kid’s glove. This will not happen under Obasanjo’s regime. I know the military establishment in Nigeria is not equipped to handle this type of warfare. It is high time; President Jonathan sought the help of American in fighting these idiots called Boko Haram, sponsored by the few northern politicians. Nyanya has witnessed two bombings in two weeks and these politicians in war uniforms have no limit they can go to make sure that the northerners grab power, but it is impossible, unless they want seriously the disintegration of the country which will do nobody any good. If these people can use the innocent young girls for politics, what else they cannot do? Jonathan, wake up!! This is the time to declare total emergency in the three most troubled northern states and remove these governors who are enabling Boko Haram. Those who are against this move do not want you as the President of Nigeria and they wish Nigeria no good tidings. There is no way Boko Haram can be effectively fought with these governors in their offices. Even if it is constitutional violations, please do it to save the country from disintegration; we are in a senseless war.
By Chuma Iwuanyanwu
