by Cheta Nwanze

A new pipeline is in the offing, from Port Harcourt to Kano. Then three new power plants. One in Kano, one in Kaduna, one in Abuja. This comes as more resources are being devoted to the search for oil in the North-East, then there’s that 3% of VAT thing, that somehow Kano got itself involved in, despite a) not being in the North-East, and b) not exactly being victims of Boko Haram’s festivities.

There’s no hiding it. This administration has a clear agenda, and the North is front and centre of that agenda.

Many of my southern compatriots have complained, bitterly in some cases, about how we are constantly “shafted” by the North. I think different. To be honest, I can’t help but envy the almost laser sharp focus of the northern elite in cornering the resources of this ‘ere country for their purpose. Whether those resources are used properly is another matter. What matters here is the lessons to be learned.

First, it is true that the northern elite is ahead, only just, of the various factions in the South as the most hedonistic and self-obsessed group of people in this country, and those guys have managed to abuse noble concepts like Zakat for their own selfish purposes. But I’m a firm believer in the theory of enlightened self-interest, and as the resources available to share dwindle, and the population, especially in the North, grows, I believe that a leader will eventually emerge in the North, who will go beyond merely giving his people fish, but teaching them how to fish. When that happens, someone else will teach his people how to create a scarcity of fish.

Concurrently, what will happen in the South? Our own ‘leaders’ here are too busy feathering their own nests and not giving a hoot about building sustainable alliances. Within the South.

You see, one of the greatest victories of the Northern establishment is in the manner they managed to convince so many in the South that we must all have a “national vision”, yet if you look closely, many in the North, the intelligentsia, the common people, always promote the Arewa ideal. Are they wrong?

The answer is NO.

There is nothing wrong in advancing the interest of your section of the country. Where things start to get messy is when you advance your interests, and deliberately pull down others at the same time. That is what has been happening in Nigeria. Unfortunately, we have spent the greater part of three generations making it look like advancing your own interests is dirty, and as a result, abusing people, especially Southerners, who try to advance their own interests. This has to change, and what is important is the context within which it changes.

You see, if we make this change, but maintain the current context, we will be caught in an endless loop where the moment someone comes into power in the all powerful Abuja centre, only the “interests” of his people will be advanced for four years. Then when he leaves, the pendulum swings, and so on. That, is not sustainable.

However, if we have a situation where people are allowed to be creative within their own small enclaves, then pay Abuja an agreed percentage of their sweat, while keeping the rest, then we will quickly find that we can all advance the interests of our sections, and the interest of Nigeria.

Source: http://jtownonline..com.ng/2016/10/this-administration-has-clear-northern.html

Northern agenda or no agenda, make them put food on the table.


Nigerians are hungry

EastGold:
Northern agenda or no agenda, make them put food on the table.


Nigerians are hungry

Selling your birthright for a bowl of porridge?

nwabobo:

Selling your birthright for a bowl of porridge?

EPIC!

I love the last paragraph of the op..

You see, if we make this change, but maintain the current context, we will be caught in an endless loop where the moment someone comes into power in the all powerful Abuja centre, only the “interests” of his people will be advanced for four years. Then when he leaves, the pendulum swings, and so on. That, is not sustainable.

However, if we have a situation where people are allowed to be creative within their own small enclaves, then pay Abuja an agreed percentage of their sweat, while keeping the rest, then we will quickly find that we can all advance the interests of our sections, and the interest of Nigeria.

It's imperative that we arrive at this point and stop this central cooking and sharing especially when it's clear that the ingredients for the cooking and even the pot n fire are sourced from far flung areas, ferried away from site for 'preparation' and then redistributed. Too much is lost in transit both before and after 'preparation' and the sharing formula for doling out portions is highly questionable and this makes zero economic sense in the long run!

Some so called southerners claimed too learned but the north always use the in political cheese game, we are not ready for self emancipation

GEJ implemented his Southern agenda and we can all see where he lead us to, please allow Buhari too to implement his Northern agenda, we shall judge him after 4 years.

. . .

Noted

simpleseyi:
GEJ implemented his Southern agenda and we can all see where he lead us to, please allow Buhari too to implement his Northern agenda, we shall judge him after 4 years.

you have a point!!

Truly , we are not ripe for that kind of reasoning down south.

Majority of us still believe in one Nigeria and one method-fits-all. As such, it is what butters my bread not giving a hoot what the other person gets.

"When the come comes to become, and we all come to a close combat, then we shall all come out" K.O Mbadiwe.

I totally agree with the OP. You are on Point! 👍

The Yorubas want Oduduwa Zone certified but they are complacent and ambivalent in its pursuit. The Igbos(Ibos) want Biafra but greedy and very selfish in their ways and request for this. The Hausa/Fulani are not different in wanting Arewa Zone. They want to first exploit, drain and depress every resource wherever located in the South before they force their Will on the South. They are already in Control of the Banking Industry, The NASS, The Securities(Internal&Eternal) and The Resources, they will fight Niger Delta and everywhere there are resources to be exploited, to a stand still. In the end, they will leave the carcasses of State Lands for the South. So, If Gaddafi could prophesy that much about Nigeria being split into 2or3 Zones, and If OBJ could be so astute to rescue Mugabe from the Clutches of Lancaster Agreement, I honestly don't know what people like OBJ, GEJ, Shonekan, Alex.Ekwueme, WS, Prof.Nwabueze, The Yoruba States Governors, The Ibo States Governors, The SS States Governors, The Obas and Obis, Emeritus Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo, Gen.Ihejirika and many more are doing to show the coming generations their Understanding of what is going on in Nigeria presently. TIME IS TICKING.