COULD AREWA EVER SUCCEED?Ali Abubakar Sadiq

After two decades of identifying, analysing and proffering practicable solutions to the myriads of problems of this region, I am beginning to wonder, are we ever going to succeed as a people in terms of meaningful development?

That may sound pessimistic, but it is a reality we are living on a daily basis. I am also beginning to conclude we are the worst kind of people living in today's world. Forgive my conclusion and follow my reasoning.

Our singular and most destructive attitude is recently portrayed in Dan Bello's startling revelations about how former Governor of Zamfara state, AbdulAziz Yari cornered 1.7 trillion of the state's money into personal accounts. Lest we forget, Zamfara, for over a decade had been the epicenter of insecurity in the Northwest region. Yet, instead of outcry and outrage by our people to demand just an investigation and transparency over the allegation, it appears Dan Bello was somehow forced to delete the video from his page and lament about the people, in whose benefit, he is exposing his life and security, are the ones paid a token to fight him off. No matter the gravity of an elite corrupt allegation or charge, a band of crime/criminal apologists are in the waiting to defend them, simply because for decades, we are brainwashed into worshipping our elites.

That is just the tip of the iceberg of our complacency in persecuting our saviors as we praise our destroyers. The saying and defense of truth in Arewa had become archaic. We were all living witnesses as Buhari wasted 8 precious years destroying the economy, politics, judicialiary and fight against corruption. But even in death many of us defend his ineptitude because of ethno-religious sentiments.

I have never seen cruel elites as our own, as they scrambled in looting our commonwealth as if there is no tomorrow, death or even God himself. They flagrantly display ill-gotten wealth in mansions and plazas, petrol stations and exotic cars, while the hungry and downtrodden cheers them on. Our Cleric so shameless, could depend the most bizarre issues or glaring corruption quoting scriptures. The so call elders in the region are only capable of releasing long, empty communique in time of crisis, only to convene again for another round of tea-sipping gathering to formulate another ineffective communique.

There isn't a single politician without a prize tag, ideology is none existent anymore, solidarity to voter nil, accountability to oath zero. Public funds are licenced to be looted once you are voted into office.

Houlier-than-thou politicians, riding on fake people oriented populist campaign are proven to be equally corrupt as the next person. Cross-carpeting had become the norm as politicians chases elective offices.

The North, as the poverty capital of the world, illiteracy and unemployment, despite having some of the best arable lands, river systems, over 50 dams, platinum, gold and lithium underneath it's soil, yet becoming one the poorest and most insecure patch of land on the whole planet with swathes of ungoverned spaces. Millions of almajirai roaming our streets as Fulani bandits ravaged the land, while our governors are riding in 600 million Naira jeeps. Only the brave or without alternative venture to ply our highways in fear of abduction while the elites turns to the air. 

Trust our social media warriors to come up with, in most cases useless and unworthy trending issues that last (at most) one week, before fading away and giving way to the next one. The only issue we are most concerned are religious and entertainment (especially gossip). If I post something very crucial and important on my wall, it averagely reach 1000 people but the moment I posted something that has religious or gossip connotations, it could hit 50,000 or even 100,000 views. Doesn't that tells a lot of who we are?

Truth and justice are past fading out of, not only our vocabulary but our psyche, being replaced with ethno-religious sentiments alone as a yardstick through which we based all opinions. Imagine the rise of Hausa-Zalla advocacy, wrapped in hateful campaign.

The Hausa-Muslim people's Hallmark of magnanimity and generosity has been replaced by Rowa (niggardly) and Kwadayi (Greediness). We beat our chest for having the richest people in the country and continent, yet without a trace of investment in their state. Zakat as a pillar of Islam, the greatest means of redistribution of wealth is not even discussed let alone implemented. Politicians siphoned billions, but cannot invest even a fraction of it in manufacture or industry.

Even your own child and wife, frowns at you telling them the truth, let alone a neighbor or someone on the street. Women have destroyed the family unit by their myopic need to compete, thus pushing men towards greediness and turning them into unappreciative slaves. Morality has been relegated to the backyard as immorality forced it's way to the front door. I have never, in my wildest imagination, ever thought our people's moral compass could degenerate into something like this. Collapsed education and/or economy may be revived, but collapse of morality is very difficult to revive.

Wherever you see a group of youth, they are either talking/arguing about artist, celebrities, politic/politicians, football or religious arguments. Their top ambition is get-money-quick without industry. Education and industry are dead, manufacture in coma, agriculture threatened.

What is it exactly that Arewa is missing? In articles, papers and conferences, I always reiterate my belief that Arewa has no issue with poverty, and solutions to all of our problems are at the palm of our hands. Yes, our greatest curse isn't bad leadership, but despite having good people amongst us, we woefully failed in uniting on a common cause to challenge the evils confronting us in bad leadership, ethno-religious differences and societal decadence. We prefer amplifying what divided us more than what united us. Evil will continue to have a free reign, unless and until good people are ready to fight and checkmate it equitably. A glaring example is in our political sphere, where in 2023 an opposition commanding comfortable votes of almost 14 million, were defeated with a paltry 8 million votes. The worst part, 4 years down the road, they are still making the same mistake due to sheer self centeredness and lack of collective consciousness. 

With our God-given twin gifts of democracy and social media, we can turn around the fortunes of the North, if, and only if the good people among us can unite and pursue reforms. No nation, society or civilization ever succeeded without think-tank, those who think and rolls out, short and long term development plan. We can learn this not far from home, as the Southwest is currently repositioning itself in becoming one of the fastest growing economy and development areas in the continent. 

Unless we do that...we will not only be seen by our brothers in the south as unnecessary baggage slowing down their development, but our rollercoaster approach towards doom would surely come to pass.

Lest we forget, we are no better than the Libyans, the Iraqis, Syrians, Yemenis and Sudanis. Today all those societies, far better than us in all aspects of development, have now been destroyed in front of our own eyes. When destruction comes, it doesn't separate between those who challenge evil, those complacent about it or those who perpetrate it...the destruction mowed all and sundry, regardless of where we stand.