Should the North be Allowed to Stay?

This is not meant to be an anti-north North topic. It is an honest question that is aimed at all Nigerians, aswell as those that are knowledgeable about the country. I have been doing a lot reading about Nigerian history over the last couple of days, and I can't help but find a correlation between Nigeria's problems and the existence of the North.

I am completely appalled at the current state of Nigeria, and I want her to get better. If that means kicking the North that has misruled the country for much of the post-independence period, so be it. It is clear that the North is only a part of Nigeria because it suits their interests. They do not abide by the same laws (see: Sharia), they are aggressive to the southerners (particularly to Igbos) and they have continually humiliated the country by coming up with silly excuses to reject drugs that are meant to improve the lives of the people (see: polio).

Have we not had enough?

Anyone that has lived in Nigeria would know that the people in southern Nigeria are closer in relation to the people in south Togo, southern Benin Republic, Southern Ghana e.t.c.

These Northerners are too different from us (from a cultural stand point). They do not appreciate diversity. They do not appreciate freedom of thought and speech. They are very intolerant of non-Muslims. They continually implement laws that are against our constition. This madness must come to an end. I am completely tired of this one Nigeria crap. I want the country to split, and I want it to split NOW. 

And by the way, Obasanjo is a moron if he thinks this one Nigerian crap can work. He is clearly another mis-guided southerner.

A split would go a long way in solving a lot of the problems. Remember, it was not the Northern ruling class that killed all those Igbos over silly dutch cartoons. Remember, it was with the support of the Northern people that the ruling class was able to implement sharia law (it is against our constitution).

Please, name one positive thing that Northerners are known for?

Heck, you are free to use a stereo-type if you would like. . . .

Danmasani, I am not a foreigner. I am a Nigerian from the south-west, and i have spent over 11 years in Nigeria. I know northerners in person. To be honest, the average northern I meet in lagos are very well behaved, but your culture allows for the rise of the dumbest, most ignorant filth I can imagine. That is why I feel it is best that you carry your wahalla go!

Besides, the fact that the North is the only part of Nigeria that is hell bent on remaining one is telling about your "national character." You are so quick to kill southerners over silly cartoons, but when those same southerners want to leave the union, you begin to chant "One Nigeria!"

Despite what anyone here would tell you, the average southerner does not like the North.

Yes Danmasani, thats a good Northerner. Why talk when you can merely strike down your opponets with your famous suya daggers, amirite?

Please Danmasani or whoever, read my original post and tell me if anything I said was a lie?

Edit: I can't help but notice that Mochafella is also a Northerner. No suprise that he too is for the one Nigeria.

Thank you for you sensible responce. (You could pass for a Southerner  )

Now that you have gone into a little more detail into the Northern mind set. . . . what can be done, and is it even possible to free the minds of these people?

Because, frankly, if they can not be freed, then they might as well be written off as a lost cause.

And I repeat, I am not the only Souther that feels the same way. While I am Yoruba, I spent a lot of times with Igbos when I was growing up in Lagos (My best friend is Igbo), and I am furious to see other Igbo continually get massacred and then scorned when they attempt to leave the union. It is not fair, and I will not stand for it.

Afeni

You said Northerners do not appreciate diversity. You are funny. where is the most diverse section in Nigeria. I am not Hausa nor am i a muslim ( a misconception about the north). You think everyone in the north is hausa and a muslim ehn? well there are the biroms, the gwaris,katafs,tivs,Idomas,Angas among others and these guys are predominantly christians. so u're talk about us been dissimilar amounts to nothing. You have stayed in Nigeria for 11 years and u think you know everything about her!
Then you talk about Sharia. Sharia is political. it is a non-issue. it is been exaggerated. Beer is sold in zamfara for God's sack, so whats the issue here? a woman hasnt been stoned nor will she ever be? Understand Arewa politics before you say shit.
Talking about Nigeria's image, tell me something Afeni? where are most 419ners from? Please can u be objective in answering that question. And what has that done to Nigeria's image internationally.
You say we produce idiots as leaders. How about you? Obsanjo,Olabode George, lamidi Adedibu,Ojo Madueke, Tony Anenih, Chris Uba, all this guys are saints right.

Remove the log in your eye before you talk about the speck in mine please!

And I do not care about Arewa politics. These people should stop dragging the nations name through the mud just so they can show the world that Nigeria has sizeable muslim population.

I don't know about you, but I will never willingly visit a place that practices sharia law, much less open up a business there.

I've read most of the replies here and I'D like to make some little input [please correct me wherever I'm wrong].

Why does everyone think Northerners love Sharia that much -- or that Sharia is bad? That is muslim law and peoplewho do not want to abide by it are always free to move somewhere else.

The rotten apples are from all over Nigeria although I know the North will do everything within it's power to ensure Nigeria remains united.

Why do I think so? Oil.

Very few states like Lagos and Cross Rivers do not explicitly depend on 'revenue allocation' from Niger-Delta oil. The Igbos always try to rope in these black-gold-rich regions when drawing the map of Biafra. The North said they were 'greedy' when they demanded a higher percentage of the proceeds from their land, and so on.

If the North doesn't get power, they're bound to lose -- and that's because the economy is situated in te South. Access to the coast, oil and commerce centres are all in the south. Is it any wonder then that naturally, they'll fight tooth and nail to ensure they're not 'denied'?

I'm sorry if it seems I'm only attacking the North but as mochafella rightly said, the North needs more education. If more states were self-sufficient, and we ran a capitalist system, I'm sure we'D be able to make it -- that is, if we don't put more rotten apples on the ruling shelf.

mochafella, how long must we wait for the North to become educated? Honestly, how long?

This madness must come to an end. There is no reason that people should be killed over these silly foreign Gods. I have had it. And, as far as I am concerned, once you are an adult (18+), with the exception of a mental disorder, you are completely responsible for your actions. So, while you might to excuse the actions of those that killed those Igbos, I will not accept it. Enough is enough.

The North needs to leave. And carry your goddam Sharia, and Allah inspired riots with you. 

Cmon Seun, this is a different thread. It actually tackles issues. It is not as vague as the "Nigeria should be divided forum."

Thanks to the north, Nigeria has virtually been brought down to her knees.
Those who contributed to our present status:
Gen gowon
Alh Shehu Shagari
Gen Babangida
Gen Abacha

Why is the North predominantly opposed to the third term agenda (TTA)? Are they suddenly born again democrats? why were they silent when June 12 was being fought for? Why were the oppositions against babangida and abacha mainly a southern based rebellion?
Who are those who never fail to tell us they are "born to rule"?
Why do we have so much northern opposition to resource control?
why has the north constantly kicked against a federal system of government?
Why do we have JAMB, quota system and Federal character and to whose benefit have they been?

http://www.nigeriavillagesquare1.com/Articles/Alaran/2004/11/nigeria-governance-politics-and-oil.html

Post civil war, the Northern region has used dominance in national politics to ensure that region has disproportionate access to oil revenues. Their efforts led to the national capital being moved from Lagos in the former Western Region to Abuja, within easy access of the Northern power base. Significant oil revenues have been spent on building Abuja from near-virgin forest to a "federal capital city".

Under the guise of "national quotas" (a form of proportional representation), the over-centralisation of government has also ensured that Northerners gain control of the national budget (70pc of which is funded by oil revenues), government spending (mainly by award of contracts), the civil service (the largest employer in Nigeria), and the military forces.

http://www.voanews.com/uspolicy/archive/2004-07/a-2004-07-16-4-1.cfm (Politics of polio eradication in nigeria!)

Nearly three hundred new cases of polio have been reported this year in Nigeria, with most of the suffering taking place in the predominantly Muslim northern states.
The World Health Organization was on track to eliminate polio altogether from Africa by this year or the next. But local officials in Nigeria's north stopped their vaccination program in 2003. They cited claims that the vaccine was part of some mysterious Western plot to render Muslims infertile.
At present polio in Nigeria represents 79% of all polio in the world. In other words, 79% of all children paralyzed since the beginning of this year by the polio virus are living in Nigeria. In addition, the spillover from Nigeria into the rest of Africa, has made Africa have 88% of all children who are paralyzed [by] polio in the world.

The main problem we have today is the inability of southerners to rally around each other like the north does which has made it very difficult to defeat northern resolutions. If southern officers had backed the Gideon Orkar coup of 1990, we won't have had goons like Babangida and abacha ruling us today and i daresay no southerner would have welcomed Obasanjo in power, we would have had people like obafemi awolowo, bola ige and olu falae!
Based on southern votes alone, the likes of pat utomi, gani fawehinmi and others would be president instead of obasanjo! Southerners understand the value of education and are less likely to vote along money lines unlike their illiterate northern counterparts.

Imagine were we would have been today if awolowo had led us in place of the intellectually deficient Shehu Shagari who along with Dangote and umaru Dikko completely ruined our external reserves and plunged us into debt!

Irony is that Gideon Orkar is himself a northener from the Tiv people of Benue state.

And just like others have said in various fora similar to this, Nigeria will co-exist irrespective of what you guys say.
People exposed to western ways and democracy like you tend to accept objectivity and look pass issues like nepotism,tribalism and religious sentiments as they strive to achieve in life. However you two (afeni and davidylan) have embraced bigotry.

Well boys, i don't have much to tell you,just that everyone isn't stupid as u think!

Danmasani, while not every northerner might be stupid, the ones that are Stupid do a great job in painting themselves and fellow Norherners as such. And no, I do not consider the people of the middle Belt as being Northerners. You know what groups I am refering to when I say North. 

Middle belters are not northerners, the core north - Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara and co only rope them in when they need numbers!

You are funny. There is no middle belt. All that is some nonsense you hear. I am from southern Kaduna (which is said to be middle-belt!). There is a one North- nothing more.It extends from Kwara to sokoto!