Northern Nigeria Problems: The North Is It’s Own Enemy -By Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim

The Northern Nigeria is battling with much problems that it can’t control, manage and solve because of the interior motives generating from different sections.

The North is no more an entity, the centre is loosed and uncontrollable from all parts. To say it point blank; the Northern Nigeria is divided in religion, ethnicity and the bonded unity is shattered by the venom of sentiment. The predicaments boiling the North are fueled by the fusion of egocentrism that destroyed the sacrifices made by Sir Ahmadu Bello Sardauna, Sir Tabawa Balewa and the nationalist military president: Yakubu Gowon. These people ruled without bias but with the concern to sow peace, unity and harmony among Nigerians, but in just 60 years, almost all the efforts made had effectively aggregated on the Northern part.

Among Muslims, there is no unity because of religion sectarianism. Religion sectarian divided the people and make others praying for doom and mayhem to befall another. Some even dashed hellfire to others for no tangible evidence. This issue is the lizard that penetrated the North walls.

The insecurity bedeviling the North is romance by the people of the North. Many are benefiting from the warfare. From the army officers, the traditional leaders, the government and among the settlers have been arrested as part and parcel of the North insecurity problems, and nothing changes.

The North keeps mum on killing of innocent people by the name of mistake by military officers during raid. Mistakes happened many times, yet it continues to happens. No fewer than 50 people severely injured following a bomb mistakenly dropped by troops of the Nigeria Army on a group of religious adherents during a Maulud celebration at Tudun Biri, a community within Igabi local government area of Kaduna State, and yet the military termed it as a mistake, and because the North is divided religiously the pain will only be on the affected people and the sect. May be other sect will come out expressing happiness on this casualty and may even tag the incident as the invocation of god. Even though, Nigeria Air Force denied the bombing in Tudun Biri then does it reached to the length where terrorists in Nigeria use helicopter to bomb people? But there were many bomb mistakes in Katsina and Niger state by the Nigerian Air Force.

The North is divided that the leaders rule in ease, the North has been torn into pieces in the hands of the gluttons of power players, leadership brokers, money mongers and religious fanatics, only the few that do good for the reward of God exist to save the people.

One can ask, why for over 15 years the North is on fire of Boko Haram, banditry and eight years of kidnapping? Former Niger State governor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, stated that corruption is the mainframe that eroded Northern Nigeria values and continue fueling the insecurity in the North. Aliyu stated this in Kaduna while speaking as a guest at the annual lecture and General Meeting of the Kaduna State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) on 2nd December, 2023. Also, he explained how he used his capacity as the Governor of Niger state to tackle Boko Haram from building camps in the state, and Nigerians can testify the efforts of Governor Umaru Zulum of Maiduguri in fighting insurgency in the state.

The North is the enemy of it’s own media, despite the fact that the Nigerian media is faced with challenges but the most deteriorating place in Nigeria is the Northern part of the country and the problems are created by the people. The North hates itself, it fights itself and draw itself back for others to move forward. The North thinks nothing good comes out from it and that is why it never cares to patronize it’s own.

In films; the Northern people insult the producers, the artists and never promote their course even though the people sacrifice their money, time and endowed talent to promote the culture, values and nurture the heritage of the region but they appreciate Indian and Chinese films more, even though they can’t understand their languages. With local language translations of the foreign films now, Nigerian movies are diminishing and the country is losing.

Unlike in the foreign country a producer can be famous, rich and gets honors for producing less than 10 films but in Nigeria one can produce more than 50 and continue to struggle with food. This is why the industry dies and the film makers beg even-though their films penetrate outside the country.

Something could be done to allow Nigerians promote their values. Foreign films should not be allowed to take the places of Nigerians’ opportunities. Film constitute to Nigeria’s GDP, provides work and used for instructional teaching. There is a good need for government to do something about our Northern films because they are important to the growth of the country.

Our print media extinct because they lack patronage and subscriptions. The papers are the voices and identities of the North, they are the cannon of information and the power of the people and when they die is like the North die.

The North population is a blessing while many see it as disaster. Countries like Sweden, Austria, Bulgaria, Italy and Germany are paying their citizens to born more children to sustain their workforce. Politicians in the North are the beneficial of Northern population mostly during political campaigns and elections. If the people will be equipped with skill the region will be very productive.

The North is suffering and needs help from all quarters. The politicians must adjust to the decorum and heal the worm that eats the integrity of the region for peace, harmony and progress to reign like before. The religious, traditional and community leaders should have the people in the heart and put themselves in the shoes of the people as the gain of this world never last forever.

Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim is a lecturer of Kaduna Polytechnic, Department of Mass Communication and can be reached on auwalahmed@kadunapolytechnic.edu.ng