By Dr Doyin Okupe<\/p>\n
I read the presentation of His Royal Highness Emir Lamido Sanusi at the recently concluded economic conference in kaduna.<\/p>\n
I have also read many reactions to his statements and as usual, the Ngerian elitist attitude of ignoring the substance of the message and focussing on the messenger becomes profusely evident.
\nPersonally, and especially on this issue, I do not wish to take on any person neither will I attempt to justify the highly esteemed Royal father.<\/p>\n
Not too long after chief obasanjo became President, there was a religious crisis in kano and I was on the Presidential entourage.\u00a0 As we drove round the ancient city, apart from the widespread carnage, what struck me most was the teeming number of youths mostly males aged between 15 and 25 that poured out in thick awesome clusters . The sheer number was perplexing. In my estimation they must have been close to a million.\u00a0 Obviously not in any schools\u00a0 nor any gainful employment. Even then I envisioned serious danger to the society and the nation\u00a0 at large.<\/p>\n
It was\u00a0 not until several years later\u00a0 that my initial fears became firmly established.
\nSome six years ago I needed to attend a social function outside lagos so I left home at about 6 am. On getting to Berger area along the Lagos ibadan express, I saw trailers packed with hordes of young male northerners disembarking from them. Others who have already gotten down milled around with empty gazes and furlong looks on their faces. Sponta eously I asked my driver” who are these?” He said they are young boys from the just coming to Lagos from the North to ride Okada. I asked again “where will they sleep?” He replied, when we come back and u have time, I will take u to where they sleep.<\/p>\n
A week later, we left home at 12 midnight, and drove to obalende where I used to run a hospital. I was stunned. I counted a out 500 motorcycles, literring\u00a0 everywhere with many of these young Nigerians my Iying fully stretched on their bikes. Others\u00a0 not ready for bed\u00a0 were engaged in boozing and womanizing. 90% of them were younger than my first 6 children. I was sad and melancholic.<\/p>\n
From there my driver drove to an area along lekki\u00a0 express road. Situation here was different. There were several uncompleted buildings , some looked\u00a0 long an abandoned, but they were all filled to the brim including the souroundings (bare floor) with boys sleeping all over.<\/p>\n
I was convinced that some things have gone terribly wrong and if care is not taken or something done to ‘rectify the situation, we may all be sitting\u00a0 not on a keg of gun powder\u00a0 but on tons of missile bombs.<\/p>\n
This is why the alarm raised\u00a0 the emir is apt, candid, and constitute a matter of national emergency.<\/p>\n
It is a regrettable pity that Nigerian politics and the concern and empathy\u00a0 for the people appear sadly unrelated.\u00a0 Politics mainly over the years seem to be about elections and ‘re elections, sharing of resources and glorification of elected officials at all level. To this we are all guilty without exception.<\/p>\n
We as elites or members of the political class, wether\u00a0 notherners or southerners must as a matter of urgency\u00a0 \u00a0come together to seriously seek for immediate or palliative, medium\u00a0 and long term solutions to this potentially explosive social menace. This also must be\u00a0 bi partisan. We should also involve global agencies who have dealt with poverty issues globally for decades. The underlining issue here is not just being your brothers keeper but recognising that\u00a0 poverty anywhere\u00a0 endangers prosperity everywhere.<\/p>\n
Too much\u00a0 negativism, self centeredness, greed
\nSelf serving propagation of hatred,\u00a0 bigotry, ethnic chauvinism and archaic and unprogressive mindsets including feudalism and Prebendalism\u00a0 will neither help the masses nor develop the nation.<\/p>\n
At this point the northern governors as of necessity must reconsider their programs and redesign them in such a way that no less than 70% of their resources must be diverted towards improving their human development indices and fighting poverty.<\/p>\n
On a final note is the issue of the devastating effect of the destruction of the Northeast part of the country\u00a0 by the Bomo Haram insurgency.
\nThe governments of these region must open up the space so that all available resources\u00a0 especially human expertise which abound elsewhere in the nation can be harnessed to execute a Marshal Plan for the rebuilding of the region.<\/p>\n
If we are truly a nation\u00a0 then we must begin\u00a0 to share and jointly solve problems that are\u00a0 common and also unique to specific areas. Religion must essentially remain personal and private and the practise of it must be openly free and unhindered. It should not accord any privileges to any person’s or group of person’s and\u00a0 should not be a disadvantage to any citizen. More importantly it’s virtues ordinarily should not be exploited by the elites and leaders to incite hate against other religions or for it to constitute a hindrance to the socio economic well-being\u00a0 of the masses<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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