Bleak future lies ahead for the northern states. This is no fluke. There is no attempt to disguise this statement because the precarious condition the north now finds itself is self-contrived and instigated. Only what has happened is that time has finally caught up with their years of follies! The north wants power at all cost and has indeed benefitted from that warped ambition. Instead of prosperity, today, they are beleaguered, pauperized and confused.
After years of petrol dollars, and having substantial control of the reins of government, all they can show is devastating poverty, insurgency, criminality, kidnapping, banditry and suffocating poverty. It is only karma that can do this to a people who are in control of everything from military, civil service to customs. Even at that, the nation is awash with different types of arms –all smuggled through the land borders—right under the nose of the northern controlled customs authorities.
Even prodigious attempts made by the southern authorities who happen to find themselves in power were subsequently reversed by the same oligarchic north—to their own detriment. The Almajiri is particularly worse hit. Millions of young children left out of school for years have now turned into their Achilles heels, wreaking havoc under the guise of Boko Haram terrorists. The elites in the north are no better. They pride themselves on having a monopoly of power, wealth; but that is all delusion.
Now they have no security, no proper healthcare, and the much-desired peace to operate—run their businesses. Suddenly, they now find their power empty, vain, and worthless. What do you do with power without infrastructure, amenities, regular power supply, and millions of unemployed youths roaming the streets? The north has been in power and yet the majority of northern states are as wretched as dwell in penury. Nationally, the country keeps moving in reverse gear.
Take for example the Volkswagen plant established at the cost of N11.5million in 1975; that company along with its counterparts in Kaduna producing Peugeot cars are moribund; the textile Mill companies are lying in comatose; the nation remains in darkness with consistent power outages; with $16 billion dollars allegedly spent to inject life into the electric sector, the malaise remains unsolved. Both Steel companies in Ajaokuta and Aladja established at the mindboggling cost of billions of dollars that ought to have employed 2-3 million Nigerian professionals rot away in paralysis.
They say they are practicing homegrown democracy; but that has only produced kidnapping, banditry, robbery, rape, and insurgency! the Oshogbo, Katsina, and Jos steel Rolling Mills are all lifeless. The complete collapse of Nigerian roads not to mention the huge debts being amassed daily tells the story of the northern continuous agitation to remain in power. If insurgents could twice round up hundreds of innocent students and escape with them, then, there is much question to answer. The leadership is not just there, so also the will power and motivation. Where is Nigeria drifting to?
