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Northerners, Obasanjo and Orkar’s Agenda (National Dialogue) By Audu Zango auduzango@yahoo.com
The recent meeting of Northern leaders to plan a common approach on the issue of lopsided appointments to the National confab and general marginalisation of Northerners in all affairs is a right step in the right direction. The Northern leaders are only responding to the cries of the common people in the North who are yet to recognise the illegal government in power. Northerners and in particular Muslims have a right to protest, because it was a deliberate agenda of emasculation, divide & rule, which should be condemned and resisted at all cost.
Since May 1999 when he was illegally imposed on Nigerians by Ibrahim Babangida and Abdusalam Abubakar (in order to cover up their corruption and maladministration) Obasanjo has been pursuing an agenda of total destruction of the North in all spheres of life. However in fairness, he was helped in his agenda either deliberately or otherwise by some so called Northern leaders, leaving the brunt of the suffering to the Northern masses and unemployed graduates.
Obasanjo and his henchman Danjuma embarked on unfair retirement of Muslims and Hausa-Fulani from the army, out of blind hatred. Still under Danjuma’s tenure at the Defence Ministry, Tivs in Zaki Biyam were mercilessly massacred and their houses destroyed by the army while pursuing the Tiv militia that killed nine soldiers.
Then followed nepotism in the federal civil service and important agencies like NNPC, NEPA, whereby Northerners especially Muslims were cleared from top positions.
In terms of infrastructure, while new dual carriageways, big bridges, power stations, water plants, gas plants and cassava plantations are being developed in the South West, the North and other parts of the country are neglected. Added to that privatisation of economic infrastructures was skewed to favour the South West.
In terms of security, communal clashes were instigated by agents of the government by deliberate negligence for e.g. the miss world riots would have been prevented had agents of government like Jerry Gana not lied to the contestants that it was okay to host it in Ramadan in a predominantly Muslim town. The contestants were quite embarrassed to be used for political goals especially when the issue lead to loss of lives. The aim it seemed was to divide the masses in the North for political advantage.
The massive rigging in the 2003 elections had annoyed the masses and they still considered this government illegal. The traditional rulers added salt to injury by falling on one another to congratulate Obasanjo on gaining power illegally. At that time they ignored the anger of the masses. The Northern masses are yet to forgive their traditional rulers on this. Those who cared should listen to the lyrics of Northern singers on the 2003 elections.
The Northern leaders only woke up from their selfish slumber with the ethnic cleansing of Muslims by Joshua Dariye, the blood thirsty kleptocratic governor of Plateau state.
I believe the Northern leaders have exercised responsibility by alerting Obasanjo on the lopsided appointments to the illegal national conference. If elder Saidu Dogo of CAN, can come out in a press conference to support a blood thirsty kleptocrat like Joshua Dariye or the fact that through out IBB’s and Abacha’s years we have witnessed clerics from CAN trooping to the government house to make sure that Christians were fairly represented in ministerial appointments, then members of the Supreme council of Islamic affairs and other Northern leaders in all fairness have a right to genuinely demand for fairness and equity. It is only hypocrites like Abubakar Umar and Sanusi Lamido or a biased and myopic cleric like Mathew Kukah that condemns them.
The current national confab is in reality an attempt to put Orka’s agenda in shape.Gideon Orkar was a misguided army officer who had dislike for Babangida(rightly or wrongly), but in addition his mentors have unfair blind hatred of a section of the North. He even announced a wicked idea (on behalf of his mentors) of excising some Northern States from the federation. Allah in his infinite mercy has destroyed Orka’s and his mentor’s wicked plans.
The most unfortunate aspect of it is that some members of the Northern leadership who are intoxicated by selfishness are quick at forgetting that there are still some misguided Northerners as well as some enemies outside our great region who are still biting their lips and bent on destroying the North especially by strangling infrastructural development and also using religious victimisation to provoke communal conflicts. These misguided Northerners are so fanatically deep in their bigotry that they are willing to endure decaying services, hardship and poverty once it also hurts their imaginary enemies. They probably need psychologists to help in healing their hearts from blind hatred and bigotry. However, even at that they should face the law when ever they are caught committing crimes against humanity.
Currently, Obasanjo said he is under pressure to go for a third term. The predictions of all sane people in our country is that , this guy wants to use the illegal national conference to bring an illegal idea that would lead to an illegal referendum culminating in an illegal alteration of the constitution that would usher him in to another illegal term in office. He made sure he under represented the section of the country that would stand against his illegal ambition.
In conclusion the Northern leadership (Emirs/Chiefs, Clerics, Technocrats and Politicians) should repent and change their ways. They should stop supporting those who acquire power or wealth illegally. They should as a matter of fact not side with Babangida because he plotted the destruction of the North so that he can enjoy power for ever, fortunately he may not regain such power again. They should also boldly remind Obasanjo that he rigged himself to power and his tenure remained illegal until he is cleared by the courts. They should also react to situations proactively rather than retroactively.
Northerners and indeed all Nigerians should remain calm and vigilant, but should reject any attempt to illegally tamper with constitution of the country for selfish ends.
Yours faithfully,
Abuja, Nigeria.
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