|
2007 The South South Nigerian President the North Desires By Mohammed Baba Mustapha
In every political evolution the world over, there are
written and unwritten rules that guide the process.
Concessions are bound to be made here and there by
individuals, groups or region for the attainment of
the overall national goal. Here in Nigeria, as we
approach the 2007 general elections there is the
greater need for the interplay of compromise and
humility as we determine where the power equation
resides.
From the title of this piece that is unfolding, I do
not disguise the fact that power should go to the
South South in the next dispensation. It is my candid
opinion; now that negotiations are going on, the North
must concede some space to other regions. And I
strongly believe that we should stay aside from
political power in the next eight years which is not
asking for too much a sacrifice for the ultimate
survival of our nation. However, the North must be
able to extract a promise for their protection from
the South South before acceding the crown to them.
Again, the real crux of the matter here is who can be
trusted from among the plethora of aspirants from the
favoured region that would keep the agreement, whether
written or gentlemanly.
Besides, caution should be the watchword in choosing
who to entrust with our future. The next occupant of
Aso Rock must not be a tribalist or regionalist but a
nationalist of robust political consideration. One who
will not foist the ethnic/regional card and relegate
national consciousness to the background. Put
succinctly, at this stage of our nationhood, we do not
desire a promoter of the North-South dichotomy, but a
statesman that is capable of reconciling us, adding
essential balm to injuries such that by the end of his
tenure, Nigeria would be one close knitted entity
which will be the envy of others in the comity of
nations.
I also want to advise, and passionately too, that
whoever we are going to install as the next president
must be in line with global development, in age, in
qualification and in compassion to synergise. The
trend worldwide is the promotion of gerontocracy. This
is a generational shift of leadership from the old to
the young. Nations after nations are foisting upwardly
mobile youths propelled by some freshness in their
zeal and drive to succeed. And they are succeeding.
The corporate world is propelled by the youth. The
bureaucratic field too, even the religious sphere is
being powered by these gerontocrats. So, the political
spacecraft must be captained by them. This nation can
ill-afford to be left behind in a world being led by
the new generation.
One man of South South stock fits into this new global
trend of leaders. He is Mr. (you see what I mean, over
seven years in the saddle as governor, yet still
preferred to be addressed simply as Mister in a nation
so crazy about titles). Donald Duke, the Governor of
Cross River State must stand up to be recognized as
the next Nigerian President. We in the North trust he
can lead the country to El-Dorado. Why not? He has
been tested and trusted.
From a modest beginning after taking oath of office in
May 1999, Governor Donald Duke with the tacit support
of his amiable wife, Onari backed by divine power and
wisdom has been able to transform Cross River State
from nowhere to a model state that can stand its own
globally.
For starters, through his focused and aggressive
drive, Governor Duke has been able to successfully
position his state on the world tourism map, Obudu
Cattle Ranch and TINAPA are today on every lip of the
tourist and investors all over the world. Ditto! He
has instigated an agricultural revolution and foisted
a culture of environmental cleanliness making Cross
River State the place to breathe the freshest air in
Nigeria. In fact, with what the state was in the
preceding years, it will not be out of place to say he
made good out of a bad situation he inherited.
To be able to turn things around in Cross River State
and prove that he is in a class of the emerging
generational leaders universally, he has exhumed a
special kind of energy and charisma which he combines
well with modesty, optimism, personal charm and sheer
intelligence.
While his counterparts across the country are buying
private jets and yachts, exotic cars and exquisite
apartments as well as organizing Owambe parties abroad
or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro using state resources,
the young Governor is always restless trying to add
value to the lives of Cross Riverians. And he's been
able to achieve this much re-defining leadership by
promoting synergy between the leaders and the led.
Some keen watchers and analyst of Nigeria's democratic
experiment even believes he has taken this pragmatism
in his administrative style and conduct too far;
enough that people now feels the impact of good
governance and in appreciation have shown love to
their worthy son.
I took the pains to delve this far not because readers
themselves don't know these much about the
achievements of Donald Duke, it is for us to have a
foundation for the main topic of this discourse.
As a man, the North can do business with, his
antecedent testifies to this fact. In the heat of the
agitation by the South South region which culminated
in the upheaval of the National Political Reforms
Conference, Cross River State under his able
leadership was not in a hurry to take the front row
even though he had the capacity to galvanize them to
assume the driver's seat. But he didn't do that.
Reasons, obviously being that he was sympathetic to
the North because of his long time affinity with the
region having schooled at the Federal Government
College, Sokoto and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria,
the calculating governor also felt the agitation was
unnecessarily over-heating the polity.
So, as the search for the number one citizen of this
great nation intensifies, I would humbly and with
every available conscience in me advise the North not
to search any further. It should rather marshal its
energy at this point to endorse Governor Donald Duke
as the consensus candidate of the North. He is our
own. What should bother us now is how to align with
other interest groups to market him for the
presidency. I'm however confident he would be a
'cheap' sell. We in the North earnestly need him
because he stands out as one who would consider our
feelings, buy into our agitations, and ultimately,
harness our God given natural and human endowments for
our greater benefit.
Of course, at this point of our development, we must
pray assiduously to God to bring forth a man who would
show us sympathy, believe in us, protect and defend
us, one who will uphold our constitutional rights and
not upturn it. And like Oliver Twist, give us more
than is provided for us in the statute books even.
This is where it is pertinent again for us to file
behind Mr. Donald Duke. It is painstaking to list the
aspects begging most for attention in the lives and
existence of the North. I will endeavour to mention
just a few. Further enunciation of the items on the
list is a topic for another day. But for now, it is
apparent the development or tangible sectors like
tourism, economy, agriculture, education, health, good
road network, good drinkable water and power supply
etc. needs to be encouraged. From the intangible area
are such issues as social, political, the traditional
institutions as well as the religious spheres among
others which are in dire need of improvement also.
I would like to single out tourism as a potential
industry in the North waiting patiently to be
harnessed. Tourism contributes about 900 billion
dollars in foreign exchange to global economy
annually; with Donald Duke in the saddle, the North
has the potential of being a major player in the
industry. And wait for it, the region might even begin
to agitate for resource control with the enormous
wealth that would accrue to the national purse. It is
unarguable that a tourism 'expert' like the Cross
River State Governor would deploy the magic and zeal
he has used in turning around Obudu Cattle Ranch and
building the TINAPA project into developing and
bringing up to world standard the abundant tourism
points in Northern Nigeria and they are countless.
Some of those that could be transformed into serious
tourism destinations are the Yankari National Park,
Gumpti Gashaka, Farin Ruwa Falls, Zuma Rock, and the
various durbars, Kano Dye-Pits and the Kano ancient
Walls and Gates amongst other tourism delights. I know
he is also capable of reviving the cotton and
groundnut pyramids of old across the region.
For agriculture which is presently the mainstay of the
North, just like he has achieved with his highly
agrarian state of Cross River, the young Governor Duke
would cause a revolution that will improve the sector.
Together with the development of tourism, agricultural
boom would definitely signal the beginning of the end
of dominance of oil as the nation's economic brew
under the Donald Duke's administration at the centre.
Another area that is of paramount interest to the
people of the North is the traditional institution. It
is indeed dear to their heart because most of the
traditional rulers especially the Muslims double as
spiritual leaders of their subjects. Donald Duke as
president will upgrade the institution and uphold its
virtue and importance as a vehicle to upliftment the
Nigerian state. The North will definitely gain more
from the recognition that would be accorded the royal
fathers and mothers by the Duke government since it is
predominantly a monarchical society.
Ultimately, Nigerians must be ready to demonstrate the
ability to learn from past mistakes and chart a new
course by placing the Cross River Governor as the
torch-bearer of the emerging revolution. Once more, I
make bold to say he is implicitly qualified to take
the North, and indeed, Nigeria to the next level; even
faster than it should be.
And if mere mortals were to decide, I'd requested that
we begin to clink glasses and celebrate the
enthronement of President Donald Duke. But only God
gives power.
Mohammed Baba Mustapha, a media consultant and human
rights activist based in Kano can be reached on Email
address, |