₦airaland Forum

tiwasiaife:
by Bayo Adeyinka
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.
Bayo Adeyinka is a journalist. This article was
originally published on his blog, Bayo Adeyinka.
Connect with him on Facebook .
The opinions expressed in this article are solely
those of the author.