Agenda for Northern Governors (2)

Northern governors and their people must begin to depend less on the fortunes of the “Southern Lady of means” not only because of her increasing infidelity to her “poor, Northern’ husband but also because her foreign exchange commodity is increasingly being shunned by the markets and its prices falling. This means that the North must […]

Northern governors and their people must begin to depend less on the fortunes of the “Southern Lady of means” not only because of her increasing infidelity to her “poor, Northern’ husband but also because her foreign exchange commodity is increasingly being shunned by the markets and its prices falling. This means that the North must not only make judicious use of what it currently receives from the federation but must as well think of new ways to grow revenue for development purposes.
Despite the perennial wicked attempts by Dr Alex Ekwueme, Professor Ben Nwabueze, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Chief Edwin Clark and their collaborators like Dr Femi Okurunmu, Olusegun Osoba, Ameh Ebute, David Jang, etc, to balkanise us, Northern Nigeria has remained basically united in political outlook. Over the years, the above mentioned characters have played varying roles aimed at breaking the solidarity among our people. The high point was Jonathan’s desperate but misguided N7 billion-National Conference which main agenda was to disunite Northern Nigeria. Two of its anti-North recommendations were the abolition of Local Government Councils as third tier of government as well as the rotation of the presidency among the so called six geo-political zones. The shameless imbalance in the conference’s representation was a foretaste of the unbalanced country Jonathan wanted to create. It was a conference built on ambivalence, denial, hypocrisy, inequity, insincerity and false assumptions and definitely the pages of its so called recommendations will soon be used to wrap akara for the good of Nigeria! Only a united North can guarantee a united Nigeria.
The North is making progress; from “counting cattle” to add to its huge numbers to “mobilising under age children to vote”, it is becoming increasingly clear that the North indeed has something to count on. That’s why we must get our kids off drugs, off the streets and into functional schools. That’s why we must mobilise our women so they can contribute to socio-economic development. The North has never accepted the teaching that the only way to salvation is a Shekau caliphate that keeps the girl child ignorant. That’s why our governors must govern with the fear of God; lead the way in planting and nurturing trees and getting all government officials to do so, not every year but every six months so as to preserve our environment and get our people to lead healthy lives.
The Northern Governors should put up a united request to President Buhari to build the Mambilla hydro-electricity dam without delay. With a promise of more than 3000MW, the Mambilla dam remains a strategic project in the overall drive of the country to ensure self-sufficiency in electricity production. The continuing lack of gas supply has overshadowed whatever gains that could have resulted from the electricity plants built under the Niger Delta Power Holding Authority. Let us obtain electricity from Mambilla and Zungeru hydro projects by 2019. Let the North provide electricity from dams while the South does so through other means. Equally, we must consider solar energy supply in the light of the abundant sunshine in this part of the country. Nothing stops a group of states from undertaking joint investment in order to derive maximum benefits from solar power. 

The Northern Governors should also prevail on President Buhari to move quickly to open the mines in the North. With proven reserves of solid minerals all across Northern Nigeria, mining can provide plenty jobs for our people and help broaden the economic base of the country.
In terms of transportation, there is the need to expand and complete the dredging of the rivers in the North. Now is the time also to articulate a railway system policy that connects Birnin Kebbi, Dutse, Katsina and Sokoto, among other places. With our huge population, agricultural and potential solid minerals production, a well developed railway system can provide a cost effective means of moving people, goods and services.
Those states that share borders with neighbouring countries must also take steps to obtain maximum advantages conferred by their locations. In association with Benin Republic, Cameroun and Niger, we can further develop commercial relations with people all around the boundaries and also provide social amenities for citizens in order to retain their loyalty.

The Northern Governors have President Muhammadu Buhari as an inspiration. He is the best leader in the North and in the country today. The whole world is agreed that Buhari is an austere and accountable leader who has consistently shunned immorality. Buhari’s magnetic connection with the Nigerian masses is assured.  The Northern Governors have Buhari to learn from and if they can replicate just one or two things he does, the North will be the better for it. The Northern Governors must not remain indifferent to Buhari’s avowed and implacable resolve to combat corruption. In this regard, they must back him to the hilt and their starting point must be a judicious use of all the resources at their disposal, all geared to one purpose: improving the material well being of the masses and lifting Northern Nigeria from the deep morass it’s currently steeped in. We hate a situation where our governors will play hide and seek with CCB, EFCC and ICPC in 2019 or 2023. We want our Governors to be able to account for every kobo received by the end of their tenures in line with All Progressives congress (APC) manifesto.
This set of Northern Governors has just four years to make a difference; many of them are still young, well educated and exposed.  The North expects them to relentlessly push through its development agenda and for this reason; they require a muscular and fully functional Secretariat. There is a great expectation they will succeed. They have no reason to fail.
Twitter:@Comrade Abubakar