In Search of a Nigeria

Northerners Wake Up !!!

Samuel Peter Aruwan

One is being challenged to say something, regarding the religious and ethnic crises that occurred almost frequently in Northern Nigeria since the return of democratic rule in 1999. It is really sad and disheartening seeing our Northern brothers killing, maiming, and destroying properties worth millions of Naira of each other. My mind goes back to Yelwan Shendam crises which culminated and enticed the President to declare a state of emergency in Plateau State . This issue gave birth to many problems that are being debated daily by Nigerians. A lot has been, and still is being talk about regarding the saga. .On the one hand, many believed that the President was right, while, many also thought Mr. President was not sincere in handling the issue. On the other hand some say the due process of the law were not followed, anyway that is not the purpose of this piece. The purpose is to awake our Northern’ brothers and sisters on the need to dialogue, understanding, tolerance and live in peace and harmony with each other.

Within all these years of following events, one have discovered that, basically our problem is our insincerity in handling issues, we tend to be biased and turn blind-eye to pictures even blind could see. For so many years our people have been divided along religious and ethnic lines. In the process we kill and butcher ourselves, we burnt our houses, envied each other. We have done all sorts of things that goes contrary to our religion, cultures and values, yet we say we are worshiping God. Where is the Godliness in our dealings? It is indeed a pity for us, we see our young able persons with disabilities in all parts of Nigeria and beyond begging for alms, our people daily televised in TV stations seeking for financial aid in order to undergo one surgical operations or the other. At the same time, we see how our rich ones oppressed and denied us of what, they ought to do for our betterment. Is this not enough to tell us that something is wrong?

At a time Plateau was in ruins, the 19 Northern States Governors were only interested in the 2007 Presidency coming to the North before our very sighted eyes. Educationally, we are left behind, compared to other regions. Only of recent Chief Rochas Okorocha established a School in Kano for our region free-of-charge, the same for Gani Fawehinmi, who occasionally give scholarship to Northerners. What a manner of neglect and insensitivity! What even pained me most, is the role northern based media, are playing in exacerbating our problems. Instead of using the media to bring about peace and development, no, they connived with the elite to fuel the crises. Cite one instance where our southern media were found fermenting fracas among their people? They don’t balkanized their people; rather they rally round their people to chart their course to the end. No matter what it takes.

There is need for the poor Northerners to know that, the so-called elite are not with us, they are always together be them Muslims or Christians, they don’t have us in their mind, their children gets better future, but we the children of the common man have nothing at stock, absolutely nothing but garment of shame.

I know many will not be happy with me, but the truth is what one is saying. We should think of what is it that we have achieved within all these years of mass killings. It is our poverty that held us together while their riches cemented them also. We should respect one another, accommodate one another, embrace each other, think of how to change the present situation to a better one than this culture of hatred, injustice and inhumanity. Doing all this will once again would bring back our lost glories, which has been erased in our minds. Remember our destiny lies in our hands. The time to change is now or never, for opportunity comes but once

There is certainly hope for us seeing the likes of Rev. Father's Matthew Hassan Kukah, Peter Bauna Tanko, Paul Mamza, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Dr Jibrin Baba Adamu, Moses Tafarki and Prof. Steve Ogah Abah, who have been working towards the peaceful co-existence of our people. The time to act is now.