A reminder memo to northern states’ governors

Through:The Chairman, Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF)Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliiyu, CONExecutive Governor, Niger State. Your Excellencies, Before You Meet GodIt is one year today when this column in its New Year edition on the first Saturday of 2013 wrote and published a letter addressed to Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF). That correspondence, which was serialized […]

Through:
The Chairman,
Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF)
Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliiyu, CON
Executive Governor,
Niger State.

Your Excellencies,

Before You Meet God
It is one year today when this column in its New Year edition on the first Saturday of 2013 wrote and published a letter addressed to Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF). That correspondence, which was serialized in two parts, was published under this column in this same newspaper, Weekly Trust, on Saturday January 5, 2013 and Saturday January 12, 2013 hereby refers.
Your Excellencies! Two reasons prompted this reminder. First, 365 days is a period long enough to assess prevailing socio-economic situations in the north; with a view to notifying members of the NSGF whether the deplorable circumstances that led to the January 2013 correspondence have changed and improved or yet remain as pervasive as they’ve been. Second, the past few weeks have been a season of letters during which the art of letter-writing enjoyed the patronage of Nigerian leaders (former and serving) and other public officers. The current stormy climate of politics in Nigeria suggests that the last of open or open-closed (i.e. ‘leaked’) letters may not have been read by Nigerians. But before another letter flies into and out of the Presidential Villa or the National Assembly, this column desires to keep members of the NSGF busy with this memo.
As it happened to the previous correspondence, reactions in any form to this reminder letter is least expected from members of the NSGF. This is because the message conveyed by it, contrary to traditions established by survival tactics, is far from singing the praises of any NSGF member including the kwankwasiyyah Governor of Kano state that appears to be reasonably doing better than many of you that have rather become huge political and economic burdens on their states. Your Excellencies! Given the critical nature of the socio-economic situation in most northern states, applauding any northern political elite today would be tantamount to celebrating failure. Personal indiscipline and collective irresponsibility brought the northern region of Nigeria to the very woeful though inexcusable state of rot in which it finds itself today.
To be honest, Your Excellencies, the pitiable circumstances decried in my January 2013 letter have all gone downhill. Indeed, they have gone from bad to worse; and in many cases, from worse to worst. If you recall, I explained in my previous correspondence how successive leaders of wicked extraction recklessly under-developed the entire region through bad governance; destroying the highly potential agricultural sector; ruining the once viable textile industry of the zone; subverting educational legacies; and thus, mortgaging the future of this richly endowed region.  Poverty and unemployment are still major challenges.
The shrunken industrial estates in major northern cities are still as desolate as tombs. Sachet water, block-moulding and street begging (except in Kano state where the last of the three was recently outlawed) regrettably remain the only extant enterprises of the north. In addition to the unskilled labour which the region exports through its teeming youths that serve as cobblers, gatemen, houseboys, wheel-barrow pushers, bus conductors, and motor-cycle (okada) operators in other regions of the country; a new destructive dimension has been added to the crisis bedeviling the north. It is about drugs. 
Your Excellencies! The disturbing dimension which the abuse of drugs and addiction to hard substances has lately assumed among children and youths in the northern states has put the political and socio-economic survival of the region under severe jeopardy; threatening to overturn the moral fabrics of our society. Because of the devastating influence of such drugs on the psyche of the youths; crimes including rape, kidnapping, armed robbery and other forms of defiance which were hitherto un-heard of in the north are not only on the increase but have all become part of the daily life of northern youths. This, Your Excellencies, is something to worry about if you sincerely have the love, progress and development of this region at heart. Except in Katsina state where a bill recommending life sentence for those found guilty of rape was recently passed, existing laws in the penal code which currently obtains in all northern states are not deterring enough to curb these crimes.
About this time last year, each one of you presented an appropriation bill for the 2013 fiscal year in several billions of naira. But today, 12 months after that annual ritual called budget, there is no commensurate development in the north to show for the huge sums that accrued to your respective states either as allocation from the Federation Account or Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Like I reiterated in my previous correspondence, the job done by the nineteen of you today was what the Late Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello (Sardaunan Sokoto) did alone as the Premier of Northern Nigeria. Sardaunan Sokoto was not providential to preside over the resources controlled by any of the nineteen states in the region today. But, because the human and material resources available at that time were prudently managed with the best of intentions that stemmed from genuine piety, there was no cause then in the entire region for lamentations.
Yes, we have (as I observed in my previous submission) more schools today though sadly and perpetually characterized with abysmal failure rate in school certificate examinations; more diseases to fight with limited access to healthcare facilities; more people to feed with few farmers and fewer tractors; and more population requiring clean water with public water supply jettisoned. Yet, the NSGF failed to address these challenges; choosing instead to prioritize corruption, impunity, self enhancement, tyranny, medical tourism, etc.
You may wish to remember, Your Excellencies, that the Day of Judgment awaits us all. May Allah (SWT) guide us all unto the path of righteousness, amin.
Yours Sincerely,

Philosofaith
Cc:
1. Chairman (ACF); Alhaji Aliko Mohammed
2. General Yakubu Gowon (rtd)
3. Alhaji Shehu Shagari
4. General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd)
5. General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd)
6. General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd)