Arewa: Orphaned by overfed elite
An orphaned child is literally one who lacks the luxury of parental care through natural causes — death, or more implicitly, social causes — abandonment. In contrast, however, parental estrangement occurs when a child abandons his own parents, apparently at their point of need. The above analogy aptly depicts the condition of northern Nigeria, the […]
An orphaned child is literally one who lacks the luxury of parental care through natural causes — death, or more implicitly, social causes — abandonment. In contrast, however, parental estrangement occurs when a child abandons his own parents, apparently at their point of need.
The above analogy aptly depicts the condition of northern Nigeria, the region which bred and moulded some of the country’s elite. From academia to the military to technocrats and business executives, the list is endless.
Since the birth of the Nigerian nation and the demise of the region’s founding fathers, the northern elite has been feasting on the goodwill of the region, regrettably at the expense of the common man. The question is; what is in it for the ordinary Arewa citizen, within the context of the Nigerian political space?
Unfortunately, Arewa is not only an estranged parent but also a beautiful bride whose chastity is explored, beauty exploited and patience abused by none other than the same circle of political vultures clinging to power by any means.
At every election cycle in the country, especially since the return to democratic system in 1999, the region’s ruling class has always sacrificed it, in return for personal gains and clannish interests. The most logical and sensible premise is, some basic demands of the region, should overwhelmingly form part of any discourse on the future and outcome of the region, during any electioneering and political realignments. Security, education, infrastructure deficits, agriculture and power. These are doubtless key existential challenges staring down at the region, which should have been prioritised.
For instance, education, since 2018, UNESCO has ranked the region as home to the highest number of out-of-school children, in the country. While in terms of insecurity, according to data released by Nigeria Security Tracker and Global Terrorism Index, over two million Nigerians, mostly of northern extraction, died due to unhinged insecurity between 2015 and 2024. An additional 2,235,954 were kidnapped and a total of N2.2 billion was paid in ransom.
Conversely, a northerner was president during the perilous period, which saw a spike in the patterns of insecurity. The symbolic pseudo-Arewa champions went mute, since obviously they are somewhat insulated, and benefited from the status quo. It is quite instructive to note, the craftily organised crime against the region, is by no means, the making of the later day regional champions— the political elite. The “North” is a political goldmine. It is susceptible to manipulation by regional political elites, for personal gains, while pretending and gaslighting the common man.
It is an irrefutable fact the political elites in northern Nigeria haven’t deemed it fit to have a convergence of practicable ideas to get the region out of the precipice. In spite of multifaceted and urgency of the challenges, their mindset is solely fixated on grabbing power. Never have we seen a situation where they excoriate on say, the prevalence of drug abuse amongst youths in the region. The scourge of drug and substance abuse remains the major enabler of most of the challenges confronting the region.
On the flipside, in most cases, the youths become pawn in the hands of the elite. They provide illicit drugs to this set, in order to keep them perpetually subservient as political thugs.
Despite having a massive population, a vast landmass and fertile irrigable and non-irrigable land, the region has been riled and called all sorts of names. If we had a set of transformational leaders, with vision, and very passionate about the socioeconomic development of the region, the vast human and natural resources would have been harnessed, to fast-track industrial-scale development.
The past few weeks had been a bloody one. Sorrow, tears and blood flowed freely across the region. From Benue, Plateau to Zamfara and Borno. Gory stories of man’s inhumanity pervade the region. Children, women and the aged were murdered in the most callous manner. The system failed to protect them. Moreso, the political elite in the region equally failed to advocate for a genuine, workable solution to halt such senseless attacks.
As a fallout of the attacks, thousands were displaced and forced to seek shelter in shambolic camps. Again, the political elite refused to leverage on low-hanging fruits. What would it take to organise and activate a humanitarian stopgap? Such that would be inspired by communality, purely on compassionate vestiges. At least, sociocultural groups, exist just for a day like this. Government must not always be made to bear the brunt.
The perennial playbook and hyperactive template of our political elite would be unleashed when they seek to reclaim lost power. What is playing out right now, across the region, is a classic example. Alliances, coalitions, realignments and merger talks, etc. There has never been an alliance or coalition against insecurity, hunger, deprivation, decaying infrastructure and several other challenges confronting the region, by the political elite.
Our political elites have an unquenchable thirst and lust for power. Meaning, they could toss just anyone under the bus, to get to the zenith. To do that, they need a sacrificial fall guy – Arewa. For decades, this trump card has been used, reused, played and replayed. Arewa, has been the meal ticket for our political elite, when negotiating their (our) political future, without our input.
As individuals, we must rethink and critique the rationale which informed certain sociopolitical decisions, especially with regard to our region and polity. We must question and hold accountable elements that exploit our collective sensibilities while pretending to speak for us. We must not be aloof. Not anymore.
As the 2027 politicking gathers steam, we must “shine our eyes”. The game is already on. We must discern what is in it for us and who genuinely speaks for us. Because scavengers are circling in, trying, yet again, to trade off the region for their egoistical wishes.
Mohammed is a director with Initiative for Concerned Citizens Against Drug Abuse [email protected]