Ibrahim Garba Wala
Please read this wonderful piece by one of Northern Nigeria's youth leaders who has been representing the voice of the Northern youths who wants a new direction for the region and Nigeria in particular
It is now obvious that if you will want to live in the Northern Nigeria you must have a good head on your shoulder, simply for security reason. If all days could be like the days of the PDP convention when peace was relatively good in the north, no bombs no guns, not even a threat through out the period. Suddenly, the bombs and the guns again.
My post is not about the the threats, the few attacks & the uncovering of explosives across some states in the North, but the way forward or out of this quagmire. Let us all assume that the Dr. Ahmad Datti's committee have resume work, and hope they will see the light at the end of the tunnel soonest.
Hence, the committee need to take into cognizance, the genesis of the Boko Haram crisis which cannot be disconnected to injustice meted to the youths in the Northern States particularly, Borno & Yobe State. Permit me to briefly take us back, when Yobe State was created out of Borno State, the celebration by the youth was strictly for appreciating the arrival of development in the two states, meaning they were envisaging the huge opportunities that could come to their doorsteps. Many of them tok to the streets in jubilation because new schools and employment opportunities will be created for them directly. Others smiled thinking there could be better life in their state without going out to search for greener pasture across other states. If not for political gains, all the youth have dreamed of were nothing but mere dreams. In essence, Yobe State creation did not add any value to the youth & has not helped in reducing the redundancy of the youth in former Borno State. I can substantiate my argument by looking at the huge resources deployed from the federal government to the 2 states over the years compared with physical structures, new institutions, the standard of human & capital developments within the 2 states. What happened to all the resources? Ask the politicians, or ask one of the richest individual hailed from Borno State & that was a governor, without any record of farming, exportation or importation, not even a friend to Dangote, how he came about his wealth. It is also worthy to note, individuals in Borno & Yobe are the most richest in the Northeast, contrary to the old system, where you can find business men & women that made their legitimate money from businesses across the Chad & Cameroun borders, the new billionaires/Millionaires are government workers & Politicians, how & why? Let's not forget that, Borno & Yobe are Muslim dominated states with tribes that their cultures permit marrying more than one wives, a reason for the fast growing population in those states, apparently does not tally with the few opportunities on ground.
The youth in the states are left on the mercy of any influence that could favour their desires, unfortunately, many of them innocently took the religious paths to seek for God's intervention not until destiny took charge of their lives.
Therefore, why are we all bent on blaming the federal government on the issue of Boko Haram, when we are aware that the states at which Boko Haram originated have not in anyway come forward to give their best. Are we all saying that the state government cannot in anyway seek for ways to dialogue with the Boko Haram? Is the state not in a position to even grant the Boko Haram amnesty without the interference of the Federal Government? If the federal government is not willing to interfere simply because, they are misguided & manipulated, the states should be left to handle the issue appropriately.
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