I am writing this post with a lot of caution and trepidation. I
have never subscribed to ethnic chauvinism and I actually
detest being labelled as a tribal bigot. I am usually very
careful because I have friends and colleagues from every
part of the nation and some of my best friends are not even
from my side of the country.
However, recent events are making me to have a deeper
reflection and I wish we- Southerners in this instance- can
have some kind of introspection. Out of 25 appointments
made so far, 18 are from the North, 3 are from the South
West, 4 are from the South South while the South East has
ZERO appointments. A tweet which I saw today stated that
“southerners are only competent when it’s time for elections
but northerners are competent in terms of governance” and
this made the following thoughts run through my mind:
1. Only Southerners have been accusing fellow Southerners
of corruption. Oshiomole has been attacking Ngozi Okonjo-
Iweala as if Ngozi turned down his marriage proposal. The
same Oshiomole tried to make nonsense of Akinwumi
Adeshina’s successes in the agriculture sector. Ambode
tried to pull Fashola down and successfully smeared him
with stains. Maybe that’s why Fashola did not get the Chief
of Staff role. I’m yet to see a Northerner accuse another
Northerner of corruption, even when they belong to different
parties. The closest a Northerner got was when the new
Kano State Governor attacked Rabiu Kwankaso but he
quickly sheathed his sword and even disowned previous
reports of attacks. Why are we like this?
2. Are Southerners the only ones who are corrupt? Were
there no northerner heading the ministries and parastatals?
Did the outgone Comptroller-General of Customs, Abdullahi
Dikko not have an alleged case of certificate forgery but he
still served out his tenure until he resigned voluntarily? I’m
not in support of corruption under any guise but the fight
against corruption must not be seen to be sectional.
3. How come it’s easier for the President to believe that
Sanni Abacha was not corrupt in spite of recovered loot
while it is so easy for him to believe Goodluck Jonathan is
irredeemably corrupt?
4. I still remember that aside from God, Tinubu made
Tambuwal what he is today. The same Tambuwal would
later call Femi Gbajabiamila ‘incompetent’ and rated Dogara
as more competent. The same Tambuwal was propped up
by Tinubu, a Southerner against a fellow Southerner, Mulikat
Akande. Obasanjo was very key to denying Goodluck
Jonathan a second term. A good number can still recall how
OBJ tore his PDP membership card in public glare. The
Northerners find it easy to support themselves but we are
always pulling ourselves down. Babangida Aliyu, Sule
Lamido and all the other Northern Governors including the
former PDP Chairman Adamu Muazu often times refused to
campaign for Goodluck Jonathan openly and many times
even espoused the virtues of the opposing candidate on the
rostrum!
5. Southern leaders and Presidents pull down Southern
business men but prop up Northern ones. How many people
still remember how Obasanjo ran Mike Adenuga out of town
but both Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan made Aliko
Dangote what he is today. No northern leader goes against
their own. I dare to put it on record that President Buhari will
never go against Aliko Dangote for any reason.
6. How come OBJ pardoned Salisu Buhari, the ex-Speaker
who forged his credentials and he later was given an
appointment as a Governing Council member of a University
and heavens did not fall- but when Goodluck Jonathan
pardoned Alamieyeseigha it became one of the major issues
counted against him? Is there one rule for some and another
rule for others?
7. We find it easy to raise our voices in support of the
deportation of Buruji Kashamu but have no qualms with
Atiku Abubakar strutting around the corridors of power.
8. Only Southerners find it so easy to abuse their elders
when they voice opinions not in tandem with the popular
opinion. We find it easy to diss Afenifere elders and call
them ‘Afenifebi’ while hurling expletives and curses at them.
We even abuse our kings and priests. Northerners will never
abuse an Emir no matter how unpopular what he said is.
Can you imagine any Northerner raising his voice against
the Sultan? In spite of Tanko Yakassai, Balarabe Musa and
Dangiwa Umar’s perceived support for Jonathan, northern
youths did not abuse them. But our own youths run down
our elders on social media while our educated elite also
support the act.
These are some of the thoughts that have been running
through my mind. I don’t pretend to have all the answers
and I do this at the risk of being labelled an ethnic bigot. The
point however is that Southerners have to get their acts
right. We have to put our house in order. The bickering must
stop. Let’s engage our emotional intelligence. Let’s not
allow others to exploit our tendency to self-destruct.

http://www.thetrentonline.com/the-article-every-nigerian-from-the-south-needs-to-read-click-5/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=socialnetwork

Good post, Unfortunately, our brothers from the south enjoy pulling each other down and will not see sense in this post. That is why one region will always see themselves as 'born to rule' at the expense of others and we keep playing into their hands.