The North needs zonal, not regional elders

Apparently, the idea of monolithic North has been consigned to the realm of forgotten history. It eluded us since the demise of the great Sardauna of Sokoto and premier of Northern Region, Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, of blessed memory. Those who live in fool’s paradise by sticking to the past and floating Northern associations should think again as doing so isn’t benefitting the people as a whole.

These associations are many and varied, but mainly floated by elders and youths. They include Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Northern Governors Forum (NGF) and Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN). Others are Northern Youth Forum (NYF), Northern Youth Consultative Forum (NYCF) and a host of such other interest groups. The forums would have been more effective if they weren’t inhibited by primordial sentiments and distrust, which have so far remained unabated.

Despite their existence, particularly the elders’ forums, there is a general feeling that they haven’t been as manifestly successful as Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Whereas these two are ethnically-based and represent zonal peoples of the Southwest and Southeast, the Northern forums purport to represent the whole North comprising of three zonal areas.

But with the existence of about 150 ethnic groups in the North, divergent views and cases of conflict of interests are inevitable. Although the Northern people are predominantly Muslim, there is a significant population of Christians, traditional religionists and atheists. Thus, perceptions on issues and events are bound to cause confusion and misunderstandings. We have indeed had several of such cases, sometimes resulting in violent confrontations.

Consequent upon the disagreements, speaking for the whole North hasn’t been acceptable to all. This is because under the circumstances some people are always seen by minority ethnic groups as having dominated anything that is for the general benefit of all sections. This situation should not be allowed to continue if we desire to restore the past glory of the North, which was once serene and united.

Right now as a result of recent happenings there is a growing awareness in some quarters of the region on the need for the people of the North to be issuing demands for capital projects to presidential candidates who seek our votes. If all sections are to succeed in doing this it is imperative that we devise alternative means of getting maximum benefits for all our people.

As a testimony to this new feeling, these days one hears lamentations on how our leaders have failed in serving our interests while other regions have been doing so at our expense. Since the leaders still rely on old ways of doing things presumably to our detriment, the point should be made explicit that a new approach is urgently required. In point of fact, it is high time a new strategy that will guarantee fair representation of all Northerners was put in place.

Just before the February 23, 2019 presidential election someone expressed sadness in the social media about what he described as the “pedestrian mode of thought” in the North. He said the region has been facing elections without any blueprint to present to the presidential candidates as a bargaining chip. According to him, while the “Igbos and Yorubas… presented priority lists on social and economic development of their regions to both PMB and Atiku… Northern states are just competing in filling stadiums for the two presidential candidates.”

The man, who signed his name as Muhammad Muzdaleefa, surmised that in the final analysis when either of the two candidates finally won the election he would “surely be caged by power brokers from the South” who are more concerned about the socioeconomic development of their regions “at the expense of the North.” I couldn’t agree more.

In fact, it is common knowledge that the APC national leader Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his group have done that successfully during President Muhammadu Buhari’s first term. Having helped him to come to power in 2015 the group used its significant influence within the APC government to see that promises made to them were fully executed. Taking a cue from that example, the people of the North now want their leaders to adopt a similar approach. It is a good lesson that may have opened the eyes of many of our people.

In light of this therefore I submit that zonal rather than regional elders’ forums, a la Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo, may be the most effective means of realizing the objective. Hence our leaders should consider dissolving the common associations we have now and, in their stead, evolve elders’ forums for the Northwest, Northeast and North-central. Same applies to other interest groups that also don’t seem to command general acceptance. Let’s experiment with it and see how it goes.

In this regard however the governors’ forum may be an exception. Regional cooperation between state governors, particularly in the areas of social reforms and agricultural development, is still necessary and very much required for obvious reasons. Such cooperation may also be required by other groups such as students.

Hence from now on, beginning of course with the forthcoming second term of PMB, an understanding should be reached on the kind of infrastructural projects that should be executed in the Northwest, for instance, in the next four years. The appropriate group(s) in the arrangement should ensure that they follow things up to ensure successful execution of the projects.

As a corollary, the adoption of zonal groupings in the North has advantages that may turn around our political circumstances for the better. It may help to lessen tension, reduce rancor, and hence serve as a panacea for ethnoreligious conflicts. Nothing can be better than this in view of the turbulence that we have gone through in recent years.

Suspicion and the feeling of marginalization that have been our bane will gradually subside as the zonal groups strive towards satisfying interests that are peculiar to their areas. Each zone should use its voting power and ability to bargain with whoever wants to be in Aso Rock. If we can’t relive the unity era of the “monolithic North” of yore, it is my prayer that we at least manage to have a semblance of it. This is my opinion; Allah knows best.

Muhammad Editor-in-Chief,

Newspapers, Kano is former Triumph