58 Years Without Sir Ahmadu Bello: How The North Can Rise Again Part 2

Prof. Mansur Usman Malumfashi

It is now Fifty Eight Years after his departure to great beyond. A vacuum of good governance and a vacuum of quality leadership has been created. We would not be able to analyze the almost three decades of his absence without looking at the challenges from 16^th January, 1966 to date. For reasons of time. I will be sketchy and scanty. I must also pro pin point the enormous potentials, potential for growth and development. Northern Nigeria has whatever it takes to be a developed region. Arewa has the human and material, resource for growth and development. Arewa is the home of great people past and present. Such people like Usman Danfodio, Abdullahi Fodio, Muhammadu Bello, Nana Asma’u Wali Dan marna, Wali Danmasani, Kaura Hassan, DanWaire, Bayayida of Daura, Sarakunan Kasar Hausa irinsu Muhammad Korow, Muhammad Rumfa Muhammad Kwasau, Sarauniya Daurama, Sarauniya Amina, Sarakunan Daula Kanem Borno. Sarkin Katsina Dikko, da Ahalinsa, Sarkin Kano Dabo da ahalinsa. Sultan of Sokoto in particular Sultan Attahiru who insisted Colonial Conquest. Shehu Shagari, Maitama Sule, Adamu Chiroma. Shehu Shagari, Maitama Sule, Adamu Chiroma, Aminu Kano Kashim Ibrahim, Isa Kaita, Justice Mahammad Bello, Justice Mamman Nasir, Umaru Musa Yaradua, Shehu Musa Yardua, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalam Abubakar, Sani Abacha, Murtala Muhammad, MD. Yusuf, Ibrahim Commassie, Hassan Usman Katsina, Shettima Ali Monguno, Muhammadu shiwa, Yakubu Gowon, IBM Haruana, TY. Danjuma Jeremiah Hussaini, Domhat Bali, Joseph Garba and others. Too numerous to mention. Arewa  is also the home of Alhassan and his Dynasty, Dangote, Ndimi, Mai Deribe and the likes.

            Arewa is blessed in terms of landmass, Arewa has a Landmass of 660,000 Km mass. Which stood for 60% of Nigeria’s land mass, Utilization of arable land in Nigeria was 44% therefore 56% of the arable land was not utilized. The Nigerian agricultural land stood at 79 million hectares. In another development Nigeria has 267 Billion Cubic meters of fresh surface water and 58 million cubic of underground water with only 37million cubic meters stored, in dams in Nigeria. Majority of the dams are in Northern Nigeria. Northern Nigeria is also blessed to host the two major rivers of Niger and Benue. The North is also blessed with Kajian Dam, Lake Chad and other very important water bodies suitable for aqua culture and irrigation River Rima, River Kaduna, Hadejia/Jama’are River, Gongola River, River Dadin kowa, Yobe River, Kano River, in simple terms, our rivers and arable land are grossly underutilized. I must not forget Mambila Plateau and the Gombe Waterfalls. Yankari games reserve is another blessing for the North. Sambisa forest, Zamfara Forest, Rugu Forest, Falgore Forest and many more. The north is also the home of tin in Plateau, steel in Benue, Cement in Sokoto, Ashaka and Obajama, Solid Minerals and precious stones in Nasarawa and Bauchi States. Arewa as of today is from Ilela to Illorin, Maitagatari to idah and Gamboro to Katsina Ala.  Arewa was the home of Sokoto Chaliphate, Kanem Borno empire and the ancient Kwararafa Kingdom.

COMTEMPORARY CHALLENGES

            The ability and capacity to surmount the contemporary challenges facing the north is what would make it rise again. There is no doubt that the north is facing unprecedented challenges coming from all directions. Even Sardauna would not have imagined that such challenges would face the north he knew and love so much.

INSECURITY: if we want the North to rise again the issue of insecurity must be tackled headlong. Insecurity demands for collective resolve and collective actions. Insecurity is like a contagious decease. If one states works in isolation it will spread to neighboring states. I salute the courage of Katsina Governor for spearheading the more. Security is the basis of peace and without peace there will not be any development. In security has forced Borno, Yobe and Adamawa to Close 802 schools, 497 Classrooms were damaged but repairable in 2022 from the three states 4.2m children needed education as at July 2022 By UNESCO report there were 10.2m children out of primary schools and 8.1m children out of Junior Secondary School in Nigeria 12.7m children in Nigeria (5-14) have never attended, any school and 5.9 had dropped out of school Premararely. 55% of all this is in the north. This figure accounted for 15% of the global out of school children. It is  an understatement to that the North is sitting on bomb. How can the north rise again under this condition. UNICEF reported that Bauchi, Katsina and Kano States have the highest number of out-of-school children. In 2021 for example Bauchi had 1,239,759 children, Katsina 873,633 and Kano had 837,479 children. In Bauchi state alone: OSC by Gender stand at: 488,300 Males and 732,458 Females

            GOOD GOVERNANCE: I want to categorically say that the bane of our development in the north is lack of good governance. Where there is good governance there must be good fellowship. Our political orientation must be directed at service Dan Masani Kano one stated: people should be in politics to serve and not be served. Politics in Nigeria today is a commercial venture, you invest to make profit. We should have more Sir Ahmadu Bello in the North. He had no personal house in Kaduna. Our democracy is too expensive therefore we must reduce the cost of governance. To the bearest minimum. Let our assemblymen both state and national live on 50% of their wages and re-invest in security. Our security architecture must involve the indigenous leaders the emir, the district village head and other officials trade, artisan and other professions.

ECONOMY: Apart from security and good governance, economy is the most important aspect of reviving the North. Efforts must be made in diversifying the economy. E-commerce, cashless society and vibrant fiscal and monetary policies must be embarked upon. Oil and gas, mineral resources, modern agriculture, aquaculture and livestock must be the concern of all Northern governors. Agriculture has the potentials to provide 70% employment if proper and right value chain is developed. Food security is of paramount concern. Farming at the local levels has been abandoned because of insecurity. We should not allow leakages in the revenue drive of the states.

HEALTH: it is said a healthy nation is a wealthy nation the country is loosing billions of naira in Medical Tourism because our heath Institution are nothing to write home about. Public Health Facilities are mere consulting clinics. Private sector has taken over with connivance.  By WHO report Nigeria has a ratio of one doctor to 8,000 people while the Global recommendation is one Doctor to 600 people. We need about 10 years to catch up if there is no brain drain. Currently Nigeria has only 24,000 Doctors for example India has 1:834, UK has 1:330, US has 1:330. In Egypt is 1:500, Saudi 1:320, Kuwait  1:312, Niger is 1:27,000.

            ENERGY TO POWER THE ECONOMY: the north will require whichever type of energy to produce electricity. Modern economy cannot function effective without electrity so also our industries, schools, hospitals, hotels and other domestics chores as well as airports, railway stations, ports, refineries etc. Nigeria has a generating capacity of 22,000 but the highest peak generation 154,600 MGW as at November, 2022. This is for a population of 200 million Nigerians. Nigeria need is 33,000 MGW. Conversely South Africa has a generator capacity of 59,000 MGW. The current population of south Africa in 2023 is 60,414,495 people. One MGW will be shared by 1,023 People in South Africa while in Nigeria 43,478 are to share 1 MGW. Ghana not long ago celebrated 12 years of uninterrupted power supply. How can Arewa rise again under this situation corruption has killed mambila hydropower while money was budgeted annually for it. Not even the site was cleared for commencement of the project. We refused to harneness solar energy is the north despite it abundance daily. The Bola Ige and Umar Yar’adua are clear cases of the rot in power sector. The wind mill power project in Katsina is an eye sore. The Kano to katsina dual carriage way is another.

            EDUCATION:  This is another very important factor for development. No amount of funding is too much for education. Prof. Jibril Aminu described the funding of education as a bottomless pit. Private enterprise has made in-roads into education leading to commercialization of education system would reveal the following issues in Nigeria and in particular the north:

·         Ovality of education.

·         Indiscipline

·         Relevance of Education

·         Politicization of Education

·         Poor parenting and Guidance

·         Lack of infrastructure.

·         Unstable curriculum and calendar     

·         Poor governance in education.

·         Enrollment and retention.

            Boko haram and banditry have seriously affected the provision and delivery of education. If you want to kill a society kill its educational system everything will crumble. If the north is to rise again, we must address challenges facing education. United Nations recommends 26% of national budget if must take its rightful position in our national life. I wonder which state in the north has allocated 26% to education. Strikes and counter strikes are the hall mark of education in Nigeria. Salaries of poor teachers were stopped with ignomity. ASUU is case in point.

            DEMOGRAPHY:  Nigerians population was estimate at around 219m individuals the projection of our demography might experience constant increase in the next decades. By 2050 the Nigeria’s population will grow to over 337m people. We should be able to turn our population into blessings just like China and India. There is no point producing children, we can’t cater for. Katsina with a population of 9,054,106 is likely to be around 25m in 2040 with a population growth rate of 2.7% For all planning and development purposes, we should be able to control our population dynamics, if the North is rise again.

            HARD DRUGS AND NARCOTICS:  Rampant abuse of hard drugs and narcotics in the North is very alarming. Now that married women and youth are involved in sells and consumption is not good for all of us. A useless youth is a hopeless man. More efforts to curve the menance is urgently needed for the north to rise again.

            Crime and criminality is on the increase in the north, young girls prostitutions and restiveness is the order of the days Children killing their parents is a common occurrence. We must save the future of our youth if the north is to rise again.

            Social upheavals in terms sodomy, lesbianism and same gender marriage is taking place in broad day light. Activities of Yahoo-Yahoo boys, raping, gang raping and kidnapping of young children is on the increase in the north. We must skill our youth otherwise the will kill us. We can reduce unemployment by giving skills to our teaming youth roaming the streets.

            I will salute the work of Katsina and Daura Unity and Progress forum for blazing the trail in providing skills and start-up-kits to our youth. This is the most vibrant non-governmental in Northern Nigeria.

            Poverty, misery and squalor is on the increase in the north. The poorest geopolitical zone in Nigeria is in the North. The poorest state with highest poverty index is in the north. Nigeria is African Largest exporter of oil and 9^th World oil Producer, yet it is the capital of Africa south of the Sahara.

            CONCLUSION:

            I do not have the monopoly of wisdom on how the north should rise again. What I did is to provide some food for thoughts. I am also confident that the north can rise again if the challenges are turned into opportunities for growth and development. With a leadership with a sense of responsibility, fairness, equity and justice Arewa can rise again. Honesty is not the only attribute needed by leader. Monitoring and evaluation of assigned tasks a duty on every leader. Every leader must account for his leadership role. We must all change for Allah to change for us.