Northern rescuers are in the history books

The cries for leadership to rescue the North keep pushing me to revisit the wisdom of Sir Gawain Bell, Governor of Northern Nigeria, in his letters to the Colonial Office. His interpretations of the dangers of political stability in the North are prophetic today. Written more than six decades ago, Bell’s judgments are evident in […]

The cries for leadership to rescue the North keep pushing me to revisit the wisdom of Sir Gawain Bell, Governor of Northern Nigeria, in his letters to the Colonial Office. His interpretations of the dangers of political stability in the North are prophetic today. Written more than six decades ago, Bell’s judgments are evident in the present North as economic, security, political and social challenges persist.

In one of his quarterly letters to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Sir Gawain warned of the potential dangers facing Northern Nigeria, stating, “If anything were to happen to the Premier, Sir Ahmadu Bello—Sardauna of Sokoto, it is difficult to see who could possibly hold together the delicately balanced framework of chiefs, ministers, politicians and civil servants.”

The statement is significant today as the North struggles with leadership challenges. The problem we face today is that we lack leaders who emulate the leadership of Sardauna and his contemporaries. The era of the generation of elders who lived and worked with Sardauna is ending, and those replacing them are refusing to study the history lessons.

Bell was able to outline the qualities that held the North together under Sardauna, but these same qualities are visibly absent in today’s leaders. He noted Sardauna’s quickness of observation, cleverness and sense of humour. He also remarked that the Premier’s “willingness to make himself accessible to all played a significant role in maintaining the leadership balance. His personal needs and way of life were modest. His official house was constantly crowded with relatives, callers, petitioners, and beggars. They come with all sorts of demands, and none go away unsatisfied or empty-handed.”

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If we compare the accessibility and humility shown by Sardauna, today’s leaders barricade themselves behind walls of security, disconnected from the people they should serve. Politicians barricade themselves with security agents as they purchase yachts, limousines and jets. Their constituents do not have access to them as they try to avoid listening to their issues. Of course, there are a few exceptions that I could mention who adopt a modest lifestyle and are in constant interaction with people to meet the demands of their community.

The old Colonial Governor affirmed that Sardauna’s ability to manage conflicting demands was key to maintaining stability in the region, but he did not do it alone. Bell noted that the Premier and the Minister of Finance, Makaman Bida, worked closely together. They worked to form critical decisions that held the region together and, in turn, brought stability to the country. This is one of the reasons why the Colonial Governor admired Makaman Bida and even thought of him as the person who could replace Sardauna in ability, leadership and solid political qualities. He saw him as a man of quiet good sense and sound judgment. The new generation of leaders should be searching the history books to read about these great men instead of admiring quotes from American Presidential candidates.

Bell’s letters also touched on a broader issue that remains relevant today: the tension between tradition and modern governance. This tension between past and present leadership styles reflects a national crisis where modern governance fails to address the deeply rooted traditional dynamics. He acknowledged that the North’s methods of government might seem out of step with modern democratic principles, but he cautioned against pushing too hard for change.

“The best may be the enemy of the good,” he wrote, recognising that attempting to impose new governance models too quickly could lead to instability. The stability of the North is, by extension, the stability of the country. This issue is still evident as Northern Nigeria struggles to balance traditional leadership structures with modern democratic governance. This is an aspect that requires effort for this generation of leaders to understand. Some of them keep thinking that behaviour and traditions can change overnight. It is one of the misunderstandings that has yet to be bridged with the South, too.

For over a decade, Northern leaders, who should have acted as stabilising forces, have become the problems in the region and for the country, too. All they do is whitewash themselves and their political aspirations. They do not present anything to the benefit of the wider society that bred them. They spend a good amount of time finding excuses so as not to take responsibility instead of adopting the methods our founding fathers used in times like these. The former Minister of Communication was quick to distance himself from the current insecurity issues that led to the death of the Emir of Gobir. He claimed that terrorists can be traced using the NIN and SIM Registration Database, which he designed. But he forgot to mention the technology was unable to trace anyone when they were in power.

Obviously, the tragedy in the North is not isolated; the whole country also feels the impact of weak and disconnected leadership under Tinubu. It is a leadership that goes against the principles of our founding fathers—divisive, self-serving, and disconnected from the people’s suffering. The zero-sum mentality that pits one region’s gain against another’s loss has only deepened the divisions. Tinubu and the Southern leadership remain largely indifferent, viewing the insecurity and socioeconomic problems in the North as separate from their own interests.

The cliché that we are “sitting on a keg of gunpowder” cannot be exaggerated given the current state of the country as we face economic, political, and social challenges. In economic terms, high levels of poverty, unemployment, and inequality, particularly in the northern regions, contribute to widespread dissatisfaction. Politically, Nigeria is deeply divided along ethnic and regional lines, with ongoing conflicts between various groups and increasing resentment toward the central government’s policies. Security challenges, including terrorism in the North East, banditry, kidnappings, and communal clashes, add to the instability. The hope for people is almost lost.

And if you agree that the country is about to be lit up, then you will also agree with me that the North is already on fire. For a decade, we have had northern leaders who should have been firefighters but have instead become arsonists. These leaders do nothing but fuel the flames of unrest in their states and across the regions.

The recent public lamentations of the Emir of Katsina, who openly blamed politicians for the region’s crises, show the severity of the situation. This is not just a northern issue; the leadership represents the same failures on a national scale. It is rare for traditional leaders to speak out so boldly, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

As the Colonial Governor implied, strong leadership is needed to maintain stability in the North. But we are currently witnessing the consequences of its absence. The new generation of leaders must begin to learn about the history of our founding fathers; otherwise, the situation in the North and the country as a whole will only keep deteriorating.