The level of intelligence of those who pose as our leaders has always been called into question. Their ranks contain the least educated amongst us, as the Nation has entered an era of certificateless leaders in our three tiers of government. Legendary Cuban leader Fidel Castro just passed away. Unlike the practice in Nigeria, there […]
Briggs: Facts not fiction or sentiment please!
The level of intelligence of those who pose as our leaders has always been called into question. Their ranks contain the least educated amongst us, as the Nation has entered an era of certificateless leaders in our three tiers of government. Legendary Cuban leader Fidel Castro just passed away. Unlike the practice in Nigeria, there is not one street in Cuba named after him. Not one University, school, ship, hall or army barracks. Not one statue has been erected to celebrate him and there is no law in Cuba to force people to display his picture in government buildings. Castro was a man who dedicated his life to the cause of his people eschewing all unnecessary trappings of office. Although we continue to blame our leaders, the problem isn’t poor leadership it’s poor followership. People who elect corrupt, incompetent or biased leaders aren’t victims, they are accomplices, because they believe all the untruths their leaders tell them.
Recently South-South leader and activist Annkio Briggs expressed a lot of sentiment but little in depth knowledge when she said that the North contributes nothing to the economy. She claims that while collectively contributing nothing, the North-Central receives 20% of Federal Allocations, the North-East receives 16% and the North-West receives 21%. According to her, every month Northern States receive a minimum of 57% of the 100% revenue to which they contribute nothing! On the other hand, the South-West receives 16% while contributing 3.97%, the South-East receives 11% while contributing 2.07%, and the South-South receives15% while contributing 91.64%. Ms Briggs also claimed that while Nigeria has 774 Local government Authorities the 19 States in the North have 419 LGA’s (ironic to say the least), while the 17 States in the South have 355 LGA’s. As far as she is concerned the Southern LGA’s receive 45.1% of what they contribute 100% of. She claims these figures were provided by the Federal Bureau of Statistics. Her analysis is both disappointing and unintelligent. It’s disappointing because while indisputably there is no equity, responsible people must stop planting the seeds of discord and fuelling regional hatred. It’s unintelligent because for someone to say that the North contributes nothing to Nigeria makes no sense.
In line with Ms Briggs warped analysis it’s difficult to see what the South-East is contributing that the North isn’t. It’s unintelligent for anyone to say that those who provide the food which feeds the nation contribute nothing. Although the North definitely contributes to the GDP (if not massively to Federal Government Revenue) it’s also true that all revenue from the sale of foodstuffs, cows and cash crops produced in the North is pocketed by private individuals. In the South-south however the money from sale of oil is paid into the national treasury for everyone to share. The path of fairness is to agree that oil really belongs to those whose land it is under and the proceeds from oil sales should be used first and foremost for the greater good of the region. South-south agitators feel justified in asking why government does not take over whatever is produced in the North and equally share it with the other regions? Also, why does petrol cost the same nationwide and yet cows cost more in the South than the North? South-South leaders feel offended by people asking them to account for the little that was shared to them. But answers are necessary. Only a few criminally minded Nigerians benefitted from the oil.
Although there is a problem with the percentage derivation to oil producing states, the bigger problem is corruption. One only needs to look at States like Rivers and Bayelsa which have amongst the most dilapidated infrastructure in the nation despite their huge monthly allocations. Ms Briggs was close to the disastrous Goodluck Jonathan regime and also a delegate to the jamboree called National Conference. She was unable to do anything about her perceived injustices because lest we forget under South-South leadership of Jonathan, Dasuki was distributing our arms funds; subsidy scamers were pleading the economy dry; Boko Haram was occupying most of the Local Governments in the North-East; his wife Patience was accumulating foreign currencies in multiple accounts; soldiers were running away from the battle field; Niger Delta warlords were receiving millions of dollars for guarding pipelines they destroyed; and Oritsejafor’s jet was used to carry millions of dollars in the name of buying arms.
As for south-south unity, official reports have it that executioners tried five times to end Ken Saro Wiwa’s life and it took him 30 minutes to die in agony. Not once while in power did Jonathan mention his name or make any attempt to honour him. Insultingly the same Jonathan honoured the murderous kleptocratic despot Sani Abacha with a posthumous award! Under Jonathan a generation of looters emerged from the creeks sporting bowler hats and riding private jets claiming to hate Northerners who they did business with. There is a joke circulating about discrimination against northerners in the South-South. An Ijaw girl told her father that she was marrying a Northerner and her father forbade her. When her mother asked who the boy’s father was she said Dangote, the father reversed himself and immediately gave his blessing!
