RE: #BringBackOurPeople

And then a Kano State delegation, led by no less a person than a retired Brigadier-General and a Commissioner, was in Abia State to intervene. The delegation was not allowed to see Our People, and was perhaps very lucky not to have been detained, perhaps because Rank and File respected Officer. Then the news that […]

And then a Kano State delegation, led by no less a person than a retired Brigadier-General and a Commissioner, was in Abia State to intervene. The delegation was not allowed to see Our People, and was perhaps very lucky not to have been detained, perhaps because Rank and File respected Officer. Then the news that some four seniors of Our People from Port Harcourt who had gone to Abia State ‘to also intervene’ were held. And then this recent report: ‘Two people found loitering around Aba Prisons nabbed’! Their names? A Suleiman and a Mohammed. Now we can’t even ‘loiter’.
RILWAN JIBRIL ([email protected])
Salam. I have the privilege of reading through this Column “Bring Back Our People”. It’s very interesting and educative. To me, what makes it more interesting is the fact that you tried to point out the problem from all angles, which means that you are not in any way biased. And as for our leaders, they are responsible for everything that happens to these people, while it’s true that these ‘our people’ have their own faults, too. More so, the body language of these our people also compounded their problem. We pray that Allah will come to our rescue. But the truth remains that we must change this bad attitude on both sides.
If a state such as Imo, governed by a very Hausa-speaking governor who has benefitted from his age-old relationship with the North, and who belongs to a decidedly Hausa-Yoruba political party, can ask Our People to register and get ID Cards (like blacks in South Africa during apartheid), what would one expect the other states, governed by a pure-Igbo political party or a hybrid-South South South East political party, to think or do? A news report recently quoted the Eze Igbo of Kano, Chief Boniface Ibekwe, telling the media that “issuing of ID Cards is not proper because many of us [Igbos] are here in the North and nobody is issuing ID Cards to us…”
AISHA MAMMAN ([email protected])
Salam. Thank you very much for this piece. You have spoken our minds. In the spirit of resource control, all consumers of our products and services should come up North to purchase their needs themselves and subsequently transfer them to their various locations. In the spirit of ‘true federalism’, I think we will not be wrong if some excise duty is charged mutually on transactions on both sides, as we are after all different ‘ethnic nationalities’. ‘Idan ana ta barawo, sai ayi ta mabi sawu.’ Permit me to suggest that we must inject some change that will prevent our compatriots from migrating to even Abuja, talk less of Imo or Abia states. It’s time we worked out a strategy for functional Islamic and Western Education that will provide skills to our folks. If they are skilled, Northern Nigeria is a big enough market to engage all of us positively and profitably.
Kano has been Centre of Commerce for the North, while Onitsha has been so for the South East. To underscore this importance, not too long ago Aero Contractors commenced daily flights from Kano to Asaba (via Abuja) to connect these two commercial cities. This was welcomed by the many Igbo traders residing and conducting their businesses in Kano, and by the many Hausa traders who do go to the city of Onitsha to buy and sell. This goes to show the historical linkages between the North and the South in commerce and industry, yet in one-fell-swoop, politicians using the security agencies are scuttling and jeopardising all these socio-economic relationships. And it is a hope that, when Northerners arrive Asaba Airport, they don’t become the next batch of Our People!
FATIMA DIKKO ([email protected])
Salam Sir. I just finished reading your column. I really enjoyed it. It’s one of my favourites. Jazakallahu khairan. We hope they bringbackourpeople soon.
And then, on Wednesday, the news reports had these bold headlines: 50 BOKO HARAM SUSPECTS NABBED IN ENUGU. This time, it was luxurious bus of the Young Shall Grow fleet, owned and operated by Igbos themselves, which was ‘intercepted while conveying over 50 suspected members of Boko Haram at Obollo Afor in Enugu State.” The suspects were said to be headed for different parts of the South East and South South. Interestingly, none of the reports told Nigerians how and why such a number of suspects would take an Igbo bus as means of travel, and then travel on a Federal road. Inna lilLahi wa inna ilaiHi raji’un!
SAFIYA DANTIYE ([email protected])
Assalamu Alaikum. May Allah cure Our People of lack of pride and incapacity to seek basic knowledge and skills! You will see such Our Hausa People spending up to twenty years as a Nail Cutters, despite the fact that the Chinese have since manufactured nail clippers selling for ten-a-kobo. And that Nail Cutter would go about claiming he has a ‘trade’, a ‘profession’ the proceeds of which he uses to ‘feed self and family’! Haba Jama’a! What proceeds are there to be earned from Yankan Farce? There was once a newspaper feature on the Hausas and their Trades in Port Harcourt. The indigenous people of this South South city boldly stated that they always prefer a Hausa-man to be their Maiguard because hausa people are ambition-less and stay on the job for several years without visiting family back in the North. They will be there doing Maiguard and selling cigarette and kolanuts from their youthful ages till they are old. What thankless labour! One always thought Northern leaders – political, traditional, and economic – would do or even say something about this, but alas!
One argument we have heard over and over again since this debacle began is that there is now a demarcation between Northern farmers and Northern traders. At times in the past, almost all Northern traders were the same Northern farmers, and flew South in dry and flew North in rain. But why are these “Northern Birds” flying in the opposite direction?
HALIMA UMAR ([email protected])
In response to your article #bringbackourpeople: After reading it again and again, it sure makes sense. But please correct me if am wrong: why were those buses travelling in a convoy? And tell me, what are nearly 500 Northerners going to do in the South at the onset of the rainy season? Fisabilillahi fa! I thought when it is damina the traffic is the other way – returning to their villages in the North to farm? So why go to the East at this particular time? Please let us investigate this matter thoroughly.
So, now push has come to shove. It is the opinion of this Column that an urgent moratorium be called to stop ALL Northern travel to the South East and South until this matter is resolved. But the way we are going, travelling by Jigawa Buses or Young Shall Grow or even Aero Contractors is now fraught with danger to dignity. But who will lead this moratorium? Do we have the leaders?
Ali Musa ([email protected])
Assalamu Alaikum. Good article sir. Please don’t you think it is high time everyone goes their own way in this country? We ‘yan Arewa are better dead from poverty than continue to face this kind of daily insult. Let’s say enough is enough. Great article you wrote today as always.
And finally, we thank you for all your prayers at these our trying times. We seek more of your prayers. Hasbunal Lahu wa ni’imal Wakil.
And Welcome, O Ramadan!