Katsina delegates, resource control and national unity: An agenda
Global unity has been responsible for the mammoth economic and social development witnessed after the First World War. Before then, nations cowed by their individual prowess, elusive exclusive capabilities buoyed either by the military, natural resources or technological advancement, thought the advantage on their side was enough for them to conquer the world.
Soon after, and during the protracted global wars and further advancement in technologies, these hitherto arrogant nations realised they needed the world as the world needed them. In fact, it became obvious that they needed the world more than the world needed them; a global peace initiative was forced to come through and the era of unilateral decisions went under, the United Nations was delivered.
Despite the seeming avenue for unification of issues and global decision-making process, some countries were made to become more important than others. The fact that avenues for collective decision has become possible opened a world where peace, unity and collectivity proved more viable, more prosperous for a world growing in astronomical order; a new world order was then born.
It is this new world order that defines nations. Soon, restricted economic growth widens, markets open across seas, sands and lands and buoyant economic spheres force the world to become a global village where a simple sneeze by one country catches up with the rest of the world. Unity, peace and global justice become yardstick in measuring sustainability of nations. No nation lives an island, each one needs the other.
It was this same philosophy that forced African leaders to jettison the once comatose Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to adapt a more robust, unifying African Union (AU). The focus is to achieve greater unity and solidarity between African countries and the people of Africa, defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its member states, accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the continent, promote and defend Africa’s common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its peoples, encourage international cooperation, taking due account of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and promote peace, security and stability on the continent, among others.
Nigeria today is following these same footsteps of unification since the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Protectorates in 1914. Subsequent political developments, military rule and growing suspicion between the various components that formed Nigeria are today pushing the nation towards unprecedented unrest, internal strife, economic emasculation, social upheaval and confused leadership. So enormous are the challenges that proponents of the dismemberment of the nation, supported by the ruling elite, convoked the National Conference to discuss the future of Nigeria, a nation the same elite were busy celebrating its 100 years of existence.
It is within this context that the Katsina State government, under the leadership of Shehu Shema, mobilised its participants at the ongoing conference to debate, mobilise and garner support for the following: national unity, resource control, insecurity, employment generation, women empowerment, girl-child education and social inclusion.
These are not mere coincidences. The greatest ingredient for any nation to prosper is its ability to unify its people to pursue a common goal of social cohesion, economic rejuvenation and collective nationalism, and above all, becoming each other’s keepers.
These have been the greatest challenges facing the nation and have been responsible for the growing internal strife and economic emasculation. Despite the seeming lack of leadership direction on how to tackle these menaces, the agenda presented by the Katsina State delegates on national unity, resource control and others, are the foundation upon which the future of this country rests.
Presenting the agenda on behalf of the state’s delegates, Dr Talatu Nasir hinged the development of any nation on its ability to ensure unity. She said, “We from Katsina State are not in support of anything that would jeopardise the unity of this country. We know that through unity, selflessness and patrotism, we can achieve whatever we want to achieve as a country.”
She went further to clarify the state’s focus on what should be done in terms of resource control, saying the state supports the utilisation of natural resources wherever they are found, and such resources must be exploited and harnessed for the benefit of citizens of the country.
This, the state believed, would not only raise the revenue status of the country but would also reduce the growing tension over who should own what and how much. This doctrine of diversification of the economy, exploration and exploitation of the abundant but abandoned natural resources that abound everywhere in the country have been responsible for the bickering over resource control.
Nigeria has over 5, 000 different natural resources. No state has less than 100 natural resources lying untapped. The position of Katsina State is for the government to open, provide and ensure policies, enact or change the laws governing the exploitation of natural resources in the country. This will surely open up more economic activities, provide job opportunities, enhance revenue generation for both the federal and state governments, and reduce tensions related to idleness, bickering on resource control and its politicisation.
Other issues raised by Katsina State delegates are youth empowerment, girl-child education, women empowerment and tackling the crippling insecurity in parts of northern Nigeria. These are issues that Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema and the good people of Katsina State will like to see handled and tackled as panacea to the growing dilapidating social cohesion of the country.
Nagado wrote from Unguwar Dabino Dutsinma, nagado2000@ yahoo.com <mailto:nagado2000@ yahoo.com>