NORTHERN ELITE: PROFITING FROM NUMBERS, SILENT ON LIVES LOST

By Comrade Muhammed Ishaq

The persistent kidnappings and violent crimes in Northern Nigeria have left the region feeling helpless and vulnerable. While other regions, such as the South West, have taken proactive measures to address security concerns through initiatives like Amotekun, the North is still waiting for the federal government, plagued by corruption and ineffectiveness, to take action.

Truth be told, the persistence of insecurity in the Northern region, despite eight years of governance under President Buhari, who is a core northerner, raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of the federal government’s efforts to address the issue. Hence, to continue relying on the federal government to solve this problem would be nothing short of myopia, naivety, and self-deception. This realization highlights the urgent need for alternative approaches and solutions to tackle the root causes of insecurity in the North.

The establishment of organizations like Amotekun in the South West is a testament to the region’s commitment to self-preservation and highlights the stark contrast between the North and other parts of Nigeria. The lack of similar initiatives in the North is a clear indication of the region’s failure to prioritize its own security.

The recent trend of crowdfunding campaigns on social media to pay ransom for kidnapped families is a distressing development that underscores the gravity of the situation. This highlights the fact that Northerners are forced to take matters into their own hands due to the inaction of authorities and anybody that matters.

The Northern elders and leaders often use the population of the region to negotiate personal gains, but they remain silent when innocent lives are lost. The North is home to a plethora of selfish politicians, mercantile clerics, ostentatious traditional rulers and egoistic entrepreneurs whose voices are only heard when their interests are affected or threatened.

Last week, Nigerian entrepreneur Femi Otedola donated N1 billion to the Lagos State Security Trust Fund to help in improving security in Lagos State. It is worth asking what Northern entrepreneurs and billionaires have done to address the insecurity crisis in their region. What proactive initiatives have Northern governors come up with to tackle this issue? Apart from campaigning for politicians on pulpits and collecting favours from unscrupulous public officials, what have our clerics done to address the issue of insecurity?

We, the youth who are frequently dubbed as the future leaders, have fallen short in coming up with groundbreaking measures to compel our authorities to enhance the security situation in the North. Instead, we have succumbed to the label of being corporate beggars under diverse platforms that bear the name Arewa, and we have become sycophantic to the elite who prioritize their self-interests and those of their families over ours. Our traditional rulers, renowned for their grandeur and flamboyance, have also not done enough. They hide behind the useless adage that says ‘kings are known for silence.’ In fact, anyone who claims or feels that they are a stakeholder in Northern Nigeria should be ashamed of themselves for their failure.

The masses of the region are too subservient, blindly following their so-called leaders who do not prioritize their interests. People can survive with poverty or illiteracy, but they cannot survive with insecurity as it claims lives directly.

In synopsis, Northern Nigeria is facing a crisis of insecurity that requires urgent action from all stakeholders. The elders, leaders, entrepreneurs, youths, traditional rulers, and masses must all take responsibility and work together to find solutions. Failure to do so will only lead to further violence and loss of life. It is high time that Northern Nigeria took a proactive stance towards addressing this critical issue.