Open Letter To My Beloved Arewa -By Labaran Yusuf

I write in pain being fully aware of happenings in my beloved region, Arewa (Northern Nigeria). Reading the saddening reports, watching the news, or surfing through the internet leaves one depressed these days. The recurrent killings, the audacious kidnappings, the increasing number of out-of-school children and idle youths prone to drug abuse, the outrageous statistics of people diving into extreme poverty, the dilapidated infrastructure, the moribund industries, the decadence of the social and moral fabric of communities all paint a bleak picture of how a once-prosperous region is sliding into abyss.

We haven’t yet recovered from the trauma of the Zabarmari massacre that saw the vicious Boko Haram group gruesomely killed at least 43 farmers in Borno State then came the tragic kidnapping of at least 300 school children by suspected armed bandits in Kankara local government area of Katsina state, even as the president was some 200 kilometers away in his native Daura holidaying. The schoolboys were released after almost a week of torture and starvation. After that came an attempted kidnap of Islamiyya pupils in Mahuta of the same Katsina although security forces and community vigilante group foiled that abduction attempt.

This clearly shows how his administration has failed in its primary responsibility of securing the lives and property of citizens and also illustrates the harrowing situation of communities held hostage in the North by these bloody criminals.

But what is more disturbing is the nonchalant attitude displayed by some to the plight of the communities affected.

I remember the time I visited Kano after the 2008 Jos crisis. Everybody I met at the time wanted to see the “survivors” from Jos. We were greeted and treated with extreme care and affection. As I would later learn, rumuors had it that we’d been “exterminated” from that part of Nigeria. The point here is, the bondage and brotherhood that existed back then is no longer here today. I mean people are being killed in the heart of Arewa and there isn’t enough outrage from the brethren.

We are no more the keepers and brothers of one another – regardless of affiliations. We don’t feel the pain of our brothers and sisters again, which aren’t just numbers but humans with loved ones and ambitions like every one of us.The sad reality is that everybody knows only himself and his close relations today. Gone are the days when people inquire about the situation of their neighbours: whether they were able to have their 3-square meal a day, sent their children to school, or buy them Sallah clothes talk less of trying to know the names of the latest victims of Boko Haram or bloodthirsty bandits.

While our children are being indoctrinated with all sorts of immoral attitudes in the movies they watch, their mothers too are not spared from the negative effects of Zee World TV series that tend to promote the alternate and fanciful reality of life. Some of our youths spent most of their time on social media or sports betting websites, while others are becoming undercover atheists. They hide under the guise of “wokeness” and “liberalism” to not only question the key tenets of their religion – the Qur’an and ahadiths – but to also spread suspicion and doubt in the minds of others.

Our egos have overshadowed our collective resolve as a people. The colonial masters might not be around today, but their divide-and-rule strategy is at work today in Arewa. Our leaders have perfected this art, and are using it against the masses.

Our sons at the helm of power have largely failed us. They’ve turned a once prosperous Arewa into a laughing stock.

The indices of out-of school children, mothers dying during birth, people living in extreme poverty, communities sacked by criminals among others are still grim for a region with great human and natural resources. I think if Aminu Kano, Sa’adu Zungur, the Sardauna of Sokoto et al were around, they would be ashamed of the pathetic situation we found ourselves in today.

If we are not careful, ours will be a region on the brink of economic and social decadence.

On a final note, the people of Arewa deserve decent livelihoods. So please the so-called Alhajis, Malams, honourables, and “Ranku ya da’des” – provide infrastructure, power, accessible healthcare, clean and safe drinking water, security, and quality education for your people. We know you know the problems and the solutions. So stop pretending and do something meaningful for your people, who I believe are more than numbers and electoral assets. Enough is Enough.

Labaran Yusuf writes in from Jos, Plateau State.