The rate of hypocrisy among the Northern elites and or leaders are alarming. Read this piece to the end and probably follow the link below to continue reading in Vanguard, then you will understand that rulers in Nigeria doesn't mean well for those following them. Hausa/Fulani people can allow their rulers to be treating them like animals but not Biafrans, that is why they want freedom and equal rights to everybody created of God.
A parasite will do everything humanly possible to ensure its host doesn't get rid of her
More than anything else, two things define Governor Aminu Masari’s relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari. Besides Masari being the governor of the President’s home state of Katsina, both are products of the same political party – All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview to mark the half time of his administration, Masari describes Buhari as focused on his determination to make the difference in the lives of Nigerians, saying the Katsina State government, under his leadership, is complementing the efforts of the Federal Government. He also speaks on the Biafra agitation by some Igbo elements and the counter-reaction from the North, among other issues of national importance.
One of the issues raging in the country at the moment is the agitation by some Igbo elements to take the South-East out of Nigeria. Where do you stand on the Biafran agitation?
It means we are developing. And agitations are bound to continue. Yesterday, it was Boko Haram trying to create an empire. Before then, we have the OPC (Oodua Peoples Congress). The Biafran agitation is part of the freedom of expression, and we don’t know whose turn it will be tomorrow to agitate. The average Igbo man, when you talk to him about Biafra, he will laugh, but Nigeria is bigger than Biafra, it is bigger than Igbo, it is bigger than Hausa, it is bigger than Yoruba. A marriage of over 100 years is no joke. We are human beings. Some people want to be heard either politically or in some other ways. Those who are arguing, you have even among them some people who want to levy war on another platform.
Some Igbo people, among them Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, are canvassing referendum to resolve the Biafra question while some other people say a National Conference is a viable solution. What do you think?
Referendum on what? If we are to have a referendum on Biafra, it will fail; even if it will win, it will only be in the South-East zone which has only five states against 31 other states. On conference, we have had so many conferences. I was in a Constitutional Conference during Abacha era. In that conference, some people were agitating for 8-state-structure, devolution of powers, this and that. There are certain aspects of devolution of powers and responsibilities that I support. I support anything that will lead us to the correction of the mistakes of the past. Forget about these people, they are agitating from the outside; when they come into conference, they do something else. We were there. Obasanjo had his own conference. Where is the report? Obasanjo should have made the report of his conference public. Jonathan should have made his report public. The Buhari government has not organised any Constitutional Conference, or have we done one? So, why are you asking us to give you what we don’t have? If we have done a conference, then it would be right for you to ask us to give a report. Why was it that Jonathan was not able to implement the report of his conference? Why was it that Obasanjo was not able to implement the report of his own conference? There are some people who make noise for attention and there are those who are sincere. But those who sincerely make noise are few. Go through the history of agitation and you will find a disturbing pattern in which agitators of today become the proponents of tomorrow. It all depends on the position in which you find yourself. If you are out of power, then the roof must collapse. If you are in power, you don’t want to lose it. It is a Nigerian bahaviour that once you are out of power, let the roof collapse. I think what we need to do is to work towards providing the basic necessities of life for the people. If you do that, all these agitations will significantly reduce. But we the elite who are opportune to be in the position of authority are using that to divide the people because once the people are united, they start looking at us. But if we create this confusion, then it is in the elites’ best interest. Look at the Niger Deltans, have they examined themselves? They are the richest people in this country. Name any institution, they are the owners. The Hausa man, what does he have? What do we have?
You (Hausa people) have the oil blocs even though the Niger Deltans have the oil in their soil.
If the oil blocs are owned by northerners, where are they (oil blocs)? Today, in North-West, we are the lowest in terms of the quality of education; even access, we are the poorest. In fact, if not for the Boko Haram insurgency, North-East would have been better than North-West. We have (in the North-West) the highest population and the highest rate of poverty as well as illiteracy.
So how do you justify that when you find that the North-West has produced more leaders for the country than most of the other zones?
Because the leaders led. They did not acquire wealth. We provide leadership, we don’t make money.
What is your take on the ultimatum by the Area Youths Forum to the Igbo to leave the North?
It is a reaction to an action. I think it is just a reaction to the pronouncement of the proponents of Biafra. They are just reacting to the action of another group.
But the reaction does not seem to promote the unity and oneness of the nation.
I think it is part of life. Under normal conditions, even if what you are doing is good, you will still find some people who are not pleased with it. I don’t take such comment serious because this group you are talking about, it’s members must be based either in Abuja or Kaduna. But is there any northern town that can be more Arewa than Katsina? Take it from me, it is mere pronouncement. It is a reaction to an action.
But when youths say something, they can be sometimes be volatile and carry out threats.
Have they (northern youths) been volatile? I very much doubt that. I think the only time the youths can be volatile is during election especially if their votes are stolen. I don’t think the northern youths statement is something we should worry about. There was an action and some people are reacting to the action. When MASSOB said people should not come out, many people came out here. This is part of national growth. When a nation is evolving into a mature nation,you are bound to pass through this process of development. Even in America, despite their advancement, there are still groups there that believe they should have their own freedom, you have some people hoisting the confederate flag especially when former President Barack Obama defeated Senator McCain. Some people still believe in Adolf Hitler. Where do you want youths to channel their energy if not on things like this?
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