Nigeria: The Northern Dilemma (2) - AllAfrica.com

Abba Mahmood

North is the place of tradition, faith and agriculture. Respect for tradition is not altogether bad for any society. People who could follow and detect an unwritten codification of behavior are easily made to detect the written laws of the country. A revolution in such as a society is unusual unless led from above. A traditional society is, therefore, not necessarily a inactive or retrogressive society. It can be a dynamical society if there is pizzazz at the top. But when the top fails, or is preoccupied with its ain well-being, the multitude go devoid of inducement for progress.

Most of the traditional establishments are merchandises of intellectual and Negro spiritual pursuits. Unfortunately, most of the current traditional rules have got not continued with the tradition of mind and piety. A batch of the current rules are well educated and experienced but they make not desire to compose books that volition outlive them like the laminitises of the dynasties. And many have got derailed from shunning worldly acquisition and maintaining their self-respect by not kowtowing to the authorities of the day. Respect begets regard and that must be very clearly known.

Religion, whether Christianity or islam, is a fact of life in the North. Perhaps, there is no portion of this human race that faith is practiced in its pristine word form like in Northern Nigeria.

Unfortunately, although every Godhead faith preaches peace, under the screen of religion, force is perpetrated. Another development is the usage of faith in politics, discourses by spiritual leadership in masjids and Christian churches are becoming increasingly political, with sedate danger for the polity.

It must be made known that Supreme Being created us in different word forms so that we may understand and appreciate each other. If the Godhead had wished, He would have got created all of us the same with the same culture, mentality and beliefs. But in His wisdom and mercy, He made us different so that the Africans are different from the Chinese who are in bend different from the Indians and Europeans. That is how it is and there is nil we can make about it.

Another issue related to this is the Shari'a. The recent politically motivated Shari'a "introduction" have done more than injury than good. It was wrongly packaged and was introduced by the incorrect people. No wonderment it achieved a incorrect result. Moral revolution with economical subservience cannot travel together. Spiritual regeneration and poorness make not travel manus in hand. Moral uprightness and elite corruptness are incompatible. It is practically impossible to realise the aims of moral life in this effete system under some of the most effete leaderships.

Agriculture is the pillar of the economic system of the North. Indeed, agribusiness is the chief subscriber to Nigeria's gross domestic product - about 40 percent. But, there is no manner we can accomplish nutrient security when agricultural policy is reduced to procurance of fertiliser and statistical distribution to provincial husbandmen annually. This have been happening for decennaries with no result. Why can't we cognize that it have failed and that we must change?

Through either harvest production or animate being husbandry, every Northerner is engaged in one word form of agribusiness or the other, either directly or indirectly. But there is no linkage to agro-allied industries; there is no efficient agency of storage and saving and there is no effectual marketing.

The husbandman is ultimately the loser. New methods, new policies, new enterprises and new inducements have got to be worked out if agribusiness is to stay attractive and lucrative. Even our delightful food, bites and drinks must be made available to the world.

Industrialisation, whether agro-allied Oregon others, will not be possible unless there is electricity. In this regard, some state authorities in the North have got taken the enterprise to begin powerfulness generation. But some of them, like Kaduna, are initiating gas turbines. That agency they will be relying on volatile countries for gas and there will be gas pollution. Are they not aware that the whole human race is going towards wind? Wind is abundant in the North; it is a renewable resource and is very environmentally friendly. The North also have abundant solar and hydro potentialities waiting to be harnessed. These are the best options for the North.

Problems have got to be spotlighted now so that redresses can be sought while a solution is still possible. To disregard these jobs is to allow their growing and to render them insoluble. Only catastrophe could follow such as a short-sighted course.

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Solving the jobs of the North and the quandary of Northerners is a certain manner to solving a major national problem. We cannot go on to feign that it is only in the Niger River Delta that job exists. If there is oil spillage there, there is desertification here. Unemployment and poorness is not restricted to only the South. Even the Central Depository Financial Institution Governor, Prof. Soludo, have said that poorness is a Northern phenomenon. So why are we keeping quiet and remaining complacent?

We have got to larn to understand the problem. We have got to cognize its basis, its proportionality and its justification. This quandary must be addressed. A solution must be found, an just solution which denies nil to anyone and yet gives the North its rightful place. This job must be enunciated, analysed and evaluated so as to enable us happen a solution. The job must be faced, and it must be faced now before it is too late.

We cannot go on to feign that lone the North is enjoying in Federal Republic Of Nigeria when the North is the worst in footing of every index of advancement and development. That is the practical manner for national harmony.