PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE PEOPLE OF NORTHERN NIGERIA. PAGE3

PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE PEOPLE OF NORTHERN NIGERIA

(PART3. THE DISCONNECT)

             Written by: Suleiman A Gamawa


It is becoming a clear to notice that
Nigeria is a country with vast potentials which have remained unrealized due to socio-political and economic challenges of which dearth or scarcity 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.
Why? I will tell you why;

In northern Nigeria A disturbing overlooked dimension of this leadership conundrum or question however, is that leaders who ought to be responsible for identifying the problems and finding solutions seems 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. And still people with death heart follow them and they treat them just like a slaves.

The Problem is Divided into Five (5) :

1. MISPLACED PRIORITIES

2. CRITICAL PROBLEMS REQUIRING URGENT
SOLUTIONS

3. THE DISCONNECT

4. GENERATIONAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL
DIMENSIONS OF NORTHERN LEADERSHIP
DEFICIT

5. GOING FORWARD






3. 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. 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: for example in Ekiti state; free health-care scheme for pregnant women, children, the physically challenged and senior citizens. In Imo state; free education policy from primary to university level and also 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 because the citizens don't know their civic rights yet people suffer during the time trying to get Food for their families. As Boko Haram and Joint Military Task Force (JTF) slugged it out, further traumatize the already battered residents and size they're land. We wonder when and why the announcement of these negotiation meetings by our northern leaders, elders and islamic clerics to look at insecurity issue would shift out of focus from their perspective point of view, with the coming elections which is going to be dangerous if not put into consideration reported by International Crisis Group (ICG) and still nothing has been done why?

 There is nothing more important for the northern youth rather than argument on a controversial issues like; revenue allocation formula laid to rest or from endlessly whingeing about a conspiracy to “cripple” the North by others or the over-flogged flashback war or to a glorious era of atmospheric Northern agricultural period of decades past, with the Proud of the past heros without taking they're foot-step as their mentors etc;
Thus the 80% of the problems is from the northern leaders for Disconnecting with the people but when the agenda of these meetings would actually table viable blue prints for security and 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 announcement 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.




             Article By: Suleiman Gamawa


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