WE ARE NOT READY TO CHANGE NIGERIA -SANUSI LAMIDO
“My grandfather was a Northerner, I
am a Nigerian. The problem with this country is that in 2009, we speak
in the language of 1953. Sir Olaniwun can be forgiven for the way he
spoke, but I cannot forgive people of my generation speaking in that
language.
“Let us go into this issue because there are so many myths
that are being bandied around. Before colonialism, there was nothing
like Northern Nigeria, Before the Sokoto Jihad, there was nothing like
the Sokoto caliphate. The man from Kano regard himself as bakane.
The man from Zaria was bazazzage.
The man from Katsina was bakatsine. The kingdoms were at war with each
other. They were Hausas, they were Muslims, they were killing each
other. “The Yoruba were Ijebu, Owo, Ijesha, Akoko, Egba. When did they
become one? When did the North become one? You have the Sokoto Caliphate
that brought every person from Adamawa to Sokoto and said it is one
kingdom. They now said it was a Muslim North.
“The Colonialists came,
put that together and said it is now called the Northern Nigeria. Do you
know what happened? Our grand fathers were able to transform to being
Northerners. We have not been able to transform to being Nigerians.
The fault is ours. Tell me, how many governors has South West produced after Awolowo that are role models of leadership? How many governors has the East produced like Nnamdi Azikiwe that can be role models of leadership? How Many governors in the Niger Delta are role models of leadership? Tell me. There is no evidence statistically that any part of this country has produced good leaders. You talk about Babangida and the economy. Who were the people in charge of the economy during Babangida era? Olu Falae, Kalu Idika Kalu.
What state are they from in the North? “We started the banking reform; the first thing I heard was that in Urobo land, that there will be a curse of the ancestors. I said they (ancestors) would not answer. They said why? I said how many factories did Ibru build in Urobo land?
So, why will the ancestors of the Urobo people support her? “We talk ethnicity when it pleases us. It is hypocrisy. You said elections were rigged in 1959, Obasanjo and Maurice Iwu rigged election in 2007.
Was it a Southern thing? It was not. “The problem is: everywhere in this country, there is one Hausa, Ibo, Yoruba and Itshekiri man whose concern is how to get his hands on the pile and how much he can steal. Whether it is in the military or in the civilian government, they sit down, they eat together.
In fact, the constitution says there
must be a minister from every state.” So, anybody that is still
preaching that the problem of Nigeria is Yoruba or Hausa or Fulani, he
does not love Nigeria . The problem with Nigeria is that a group of
people from each and every ethnic tribe is very selfish.
The poverty that is found in
Maiduguri is evenworse than any poverty that you find in any part of the
South. The British came for 60 years and Sir Ajayi talked about few
numbers of graduates in the North (two at independence) . What he did
not say was that there was a documented policy of the British when they
came that the Northerner should not be educated. It was documented. It
was British colonial policy. I have the document.
I have published articles on it.
That if you educate the Northerner you will produce progressive Muslim
intellectuals of the type we have in Egypt and India. So, do not educate
them. It was documented. And you say they love us (North).
“I have
spent the better part of my life to fight and Dr. (Reuben) Abati knows
me. Yes, my grandfather was an Emir.
Why was I in the pro-democracy
movement fighting for June 12? Is (Moshood) Abiola from Kano ?
Why am I a
founding director of the Kudirat Initiative for Nigerian Development
(KIND)?
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