Danger looms in the North
• Gov Shettima raises alarm over poverty in the region
From TAIWO AMODU [who was in Maiduguri, Gombe
Thursday, May 10, 2012

Even as he acknowledged collaborative efforts between the Federal Government and his government to stem the tide of security challenge occasioned by the menace of Boko Haram, Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima has admonished the Federal Government to spare a thought for developmental institutions and agencies that will stimulate development in theNorth, just as it is doing for the Niger Delta region.

Shettima made the appeal when some members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party [PDP] National Working Committee, [NWC]
paid him solidarity visit in his office. The team had earlier met with Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwabo, in Gombe, as part of its condolence visits to the north eastern states under the siege of the Boko Haram sect.

While Shettima identified poverty as the basic reason for the pervasive violence in the zone, he expressed concern over what he called, a complete delink between the affected states in the North and the Federal Government:
“The bottom line is poverty. We have to work on it. I believe that the Federal Government would key into some of our agenda, because for now there is a complete delink.

“We have several programs for the Niger Delta; we have the amnesty. We have the Amnesty Program; we have a ministry for the Niger Delta affairs. We have a special adviser on Niger Delta; we have Niger Delta Development Commission [NDDC]. We have 13 percent derivation, seven different programmes, pandering to them!
“Yet, all the funds that accrue every month to the six states of the North East with a population over 20 million is not up to what accrues to Bayelsa State with a tiny population. The whole of Bayelsa is not up to one ward in Maiduguri metropolis! How can there be equity? How can there be peace and the nation is a continuum?

“Every Kuwaiti, has its own Iraq. We are all one and anybody who feels he is indifferent to the problems of Boko Haram or the problem of the North is just engaging himself in delusion. We are all one, we are one nation and what binds us together cannot be easily dismantled, or severed. I believe we can work as a people to find solutions to our common problem.

“I was reading a newspaper, one senator from Rivers State said no to dialogue with Boko Haram. Okay, let us review the dialogue we had with Niger Delta militants. Has he come here? Does he know our problem?”
Shettima warned that if there was no concerted efforts to stem the tide of violence in the zone by engaging the youth in gainfully employment, the zone would become practically inhabitable in the next five years:

“For now, we have to do it in our enlightened self interest, because nobody would stay in northern Nigeria, believe me in the next five years! Believe me, nobody!! None of us here is prepared to.

“Somebody was telling me that he went to greet the Sultan of Sokoto, when he came out the areas boys came and knocked on his car and were asking for money. If you refuse to give them, they will scratch your car. Another friend was telling me that his wife and driver were in his Prado jeep in Kano. Some boys came and broke the windscreen and
said, ‘you bastards, you are enjoying the comfort of an airconditioned car and we are suffering!’ So, the bottom line is poverty. We have to work on it.” Earlier, while receiving the team in Gombe, Dankwabo declared that his government was ready to dialogue with the sect for the sake of peace, security and development of the state and the zone:

“Lots of lives were lost which are irreplaceable, properties were destroyed and many more challenges. I want to thank you on behalf of the good people of Gombe State for the concern and to assure our party, the PDP, that we will do everything possible to shun violence. We would do everything possible to tolerate dialogue and call on whoever is ready to dialogue with us in line with the principle of PDP, to bridge the gap of misunderstanding, so that there would be peace, progress and development.

“I also want to assure you that some of the victims that lost their properties, we have taken measures to support them. But those who lost their lives, it is most unfortunate, lives are irreplaceable.” National Organizing Secretary of the PDP, who led the team to the two states, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, restated the call for dialogue with the sect, to find lasting solution to the violence threatening peace in the North:

“We believe security is everybody’s concern. Without it, there will be no meaningful development. Investors will never be encouraged to put in their fund and the unemployment trend will then persist, with its associated crime. So, we ask people of goodwill to come together and dialogue. Even during wars at the end of it all, people must come round and discuss and we believe that’s the only way out.

“The PDP as a party condemns in totality, violence and terrorism and call on all those whose responsibility it is, to take all steps necessary to bring this to an end. We believe enough is enough. We have been saying that Nigeria deserves to be among the top 20 countries, by 2020 and this would be a mere dream, as long as peace is not with us.”

“Somebody was telling me that he went to greet the Sultan of Sokoto, w[b]hen he came out the areas boys came and knocked on his car and were asking for money. If you refuse to give them, they will scratch your car. Another friend was telling me that his wife and driver were in his Prado jeep in Kano. Some boys came and broke the windscreen and
said, ‘you bastards, you are enjoying the comfort of an airconditioned car and we are suffering!’[/b] So, the bottom line is poverty. We have to work on it.”

Hmm, it looks like the North is gradually getting to a point of revolution.
Where are my almajiri brothers in the North? I wish you God's speed!
It is time to topple the thieves who have been stealing you blind and ruining your future.
The time is now!

[qoute]
?..................The whole of Balyesa is not up to a ward in Maiduguri metropolis...........

[/quote]
could this be true

Raising alarm? Someone please tell him it's late and what the north has sown, it must surely reap bountifully. The revolution should start in earnest.

“We are all one and anybody who feels he is indifferent to the problems of Boko Haram or the problem of the North is just engaging himself in delusion. We are all one, we are one nation and what binds us together cannot be easily dismantled, or severed. I believe we can work as a people to find solutions to our common problem."

No, my dear Shettima. We are not one. You and I are not the same. We are different ideologically, in religion, in ethnicity, in way of life, in aspirations for the future.

Is it the FG that caused the poverty in the core-North or a wicked section of its elite?
Blame shifting is a dangerous game to play.

Onlytruth:

Hmm, it looks like the North is gradually getting to a point of revolution.
Where are my almajiri brothers in the North? I wish you God's speed!
It is time to topple the thieves who have been stealing you blind and ruining your future.
The time is now!

Unbelievable! No insults or calling them derogatory names? Did you have an epiphany? I really doubt it but it is clear their problems is thieving leadership that has stolen everyone blind, replaced hope with fundamentalist religionism while they enjoy everything they denied them of. It is the same in every part of Nigeria!

What has this Shettima guy done for the people since being governor or is he not one of the people alleged to have raised BH? What have you done with all the allocation you've been getting or you just want more while mismanaging the little you get now? Truth is Nigeria does not NEED any Federal Government more but LESS! Let all these states create and make their own money, progress and if they can afford it, merge with another state that is more serious and developing their human resources to help lift their state out of poverty.

FG do this, FG do that, for north! What are the state govs doing, for crying out loud?
Are they the only poor people in Nigeria?
Why cnat the north work itself out of poverty like the rest of us, with minima input from the FG?

How many jobs has he created? Rubbish

I'm delighted to see the North has totally crumbled and fallen on its knees.
When these pigs were looting the Onitsha market and declaring 'abandoned property', they didn't remember, shebi?
When the same animals were allocating oil blocs to themselves, they didn't remember we were 'brothers', did they?

Sorry, Shettima, but we are not and will never be one. I come from a clan (and ethnic group) that believes in self-reliance, self-determination and self-accomplishment, and all these, as you can clearly see, are qualities and ideals you and your backward race of camel-rapiing vultures will never have.

Let the suffering continue. You all brought it upon yourselves, after all.

"We have 13 percent derivation, seven different programmes, pandering to them!"

This guy is clearly a hopeless greedy bastaard. By right, should we only be getting 13 percent?

This is one of the many reasons I despise Northerners with all my heart.

I feel really sorry about the situation up north. I spent signifacant time there in Kaduna. What people need to realise and come to terms with is that first and foremost, we are all human beings. Calling them names just because you feel they are different or because of their era in our history when their elites were undisputed masters of the country is lacking in class and decency. Those guys aren't the ones in hardship and I tell ya, before they feel the brunt directly, it would already be a national issue. Life is becoming harder and harder up there to the point the normally docile northen masses are gradually turning on their elites.

That being said, the North does not deserve any special treatment any more than any other part oif the country save for the niger-delta. The North is still quite huge even if you remove the sometimes hostile christian minorities from the equation. Why not back a conference of some sort, ask their representatives and the political claass in general to do a soul-searching and work towards the attainment of true federalism, freedom from the more stagnating aspects of religion...all in spite of the initial pain. The bottomline is that this would place them in a good state, preparations wise, for a possible dis-integration of the federal republic of nigeria. Otherwise, in the long run, the region would reclaim its proud position in a truly federal republic.

“We have several programs for the Niger Delta; we have the amnesty. We have the Amnesty Program; we have a ministry for the Niger Delta affairs. We have a special adviser on Niger Delta; we have Niger Delta Development Commission [NDDC]. We have 13 percent derivation, seven different programmes, pandering to them!
“Yet, all the funds that accrue every month to the six states of the North East with a population over 20 million is not up to what accrues to Bayelsa State with a tiny population.

This guys just don't get, and have refused to get it!

It's not about money, and more it it! It's education system, STUP!D!

Recently

Prof. Ango Abdullahi, said only 17, out of the 18,000 secondary school students who sat for the National Examination Council examinations in Gombe State, earned qualification for university admission.

The question here is why 17 students (perhaps southerner) out of 18,000 secondary schools students?

The answers, and solution to this puzzle is the future of the Core North. Fail to solve this puzzle, then get ready for bigger problem. To the assumption that we are one - I say Shettima is dreaming, if the burden of the North become too much and unbearable, [b]we [/b]will excise you! Best you put your house in order!

The north are begining to feel left behind! Uyo is developing fast, Lagos is in Cloud 9, Benin is waking up, PH is shining Green, Calaba is smiling to the Bank with tourism, Ondo is blazingly Booming up and the North? Hah! NOTHING? after years of looting the region dry, they've resorted to self pity and envy! I pity them sha, buh, i trust and believe in KAMA! U guys fed and nutured Boko Boys, better clean ya a.ss up instead of pointing 1 finger and forgeting where the rest are pointing to.....

How can a system that specifically breeds children to be destitutes develop?A system that embrace fundamental islam?

He who pelt another with pebbel ask for rock inreturn(Ola Rotimi).
let that load break their neck.


NB:we are not the same people,we're like europians before them.

Say bayelsa's population is nt up to a ward in maiduguiri might be right bt we need to ask him if we down south breed like rabbits like our northern people?... We do family planing and give birth to what you can train and cater for but up north the case is different, u will see a boy of 19 bringing a wife to his father's already packed house. Marrying upto four wives, divorcing 2 marry 2 more, when d man is just a mai ruwa.. How can u blame the FG for your carelessnes and ignorance... I dnt care if a household in maiduguiri is bigger than obio/akpor... U guys like to f**k nd breed so bear the consequences.

It is utter stupidity to create a ministry of Niger Delta. What stops the idiotic Nigeria from creating ministry of Jos Belt, ministry of Enugu Hill, ministry of Ijebu Ode farm, ministry of Ayaragu gardens, ministry of Osogbo timber and ministry of kano nuts?

I often hear people talk about the Igbos being greedy but I think greed exists far more in other parts of Nigeria. Igbos are not really into personal wealth acquisition like the Northerners. Puverty in the North is as a result of the greed of their super rich elite.

For example if Dangote was an Igbo man, he would have been less wealthy as Igbo culture does not condole excessive acquisition. He would have hired thousands of apprentice from his village and settled them with 10million each to start their own cement business and compete with him. The resultant geometric progression effects could create thousands of moderately rich men instead of single super rich Dangote.

okunboy: [qoute]
?..................The whole of Balyesa is not up to a ward in Maiduguri metropolis...........


could this be true

Gov. Shettima lied so as to butress his point.