Awareness: NIGERIA IN EQUAL DEVELOPMENT

Nigerians constantly debate the methods of positive change for progressive and cohesive living.

I had a real-life experience of the discontent of Southerners against Northerners.

An individual of the South-South remarked that the North’s domination over the South is evident in the development of the North.

To him, Sokoto an arid desert region has portable tap water while the South-South the centre of oil production lack drinking water.

In refutation, I mentioned a statement of Ngozi Okonjo Iweala that Delta State receives more revenue than other states.

The South should hold their leaders accountable for underdevelopment, I suggested.

My sojourn in Sokoto is revealing in various aspects on which I have published my thoughts.

One positive feature I noted was the paved roads. I was impressed.

Indeed Ndi Igbo, Ijaw, Efik, Itsekiri, Urhobo and all other ethnicities of the South and Nigeria need to question own elected leaders on use of funds.

Only when citizens have verified that funds allocated for the state are spent judiciously and transparently can they determine whether funds are insufficient.

Other grievances include:

1. Local Government Creation. I recall Lagos State had a similar standoff with Abuja.

While I oppose modification of the states – state creation, for instance, as it only opens more civil service jobs, a better option might be revenue sharing based on population of a state.

That requires accurate population census.

I caution though that with millions of Southerners in the far North, the North might still receive a higher share of revenue even when Southerners in the North benefit little or nothing.

2. North With More Senators. One should view composition of the senate as Nigerians and not in terms of North/ South.

I advise that each time one hears the name of a senator that one researches the person’s identity.

One will be surprised that many are of various ethnicities and lifestyles dissimilar to the Hausa-Fulani.

3. Academically Disadvantaged States. That definitely should be removed. If academic hardwork and excellence are valued in the North, the situation will improve.

4. Resource Control. Let us start by holding our state governments accountable for resource expenditure.

Even if each state controls 100 percent of own resources, politicians will still mismanage it and private citizens will still suffer.

The real solution for the future of Nigeria is for the youths to actively participate in societal development and governance.

The younger generation it is for me. That is the main reason I hope the All Progressives Congress ~APC will not field Muhammad Buhari as presidential candidate in 2015.

While elders currently occupy almost all positions of authority, they do not have rights that other adult citizens lack.

Every adult citizen of this marvellous nation has the right to expression and self-representation.

Therefore, while ethnic and cultural organisations vocalise ethnic sentiments as envisaged by elders, the younger generation equally express thoughts on national issues.

Young Nigerians are encouraged to disregard insensitive and inflammatory remarks of elders whose generation created and sustained the decay Nigeria face.

The youths should not blindly tread the trenches of elders, but should engrave propriety and conscientious living in the psyche.

I urge patriots to continue to point out flaws in the clamour for secession.

I was alarmed when I observed a petition lodged at the White House canvassing the assistance of the United States to split this nation. The same occurs via the social media.

We cannot afford to remain silent and ignore such attempts to distort and exaggerate events in Nigeria to obtain misdirected empathy of the west.

The west know little of the reality. We have to present that to them.

My writings on my website deal with various issues that are misrepresented to the west. Other patriots should do the same.

Allah bless Nigeria.