By
Charles Ogbu.
This
one is not hear-say. This is from the horse's mouth.
President
Muhammadu Buhari specifically asked the World Bank to focus all their
developmental activities in the North.
Let
me quote the World Bank boss in his exact words:
"You
know in my very first meeting with President Buhari, he said specifically that
he would like us to shift our focus to the Northern region of Nigeria and we've
done that. Now, it has been very difficult. The work there has been very
difficult"
This
is from the World Bank Oga kpatakpata.
Monies
from NNPC are going to the north.
Firms are being compelled by the same NNPC to contribute 100million monthly to develop the North.
There
is NorthEast Development Commission fully funded with oil money from the South.
There
is a special percent of VAT kept specially for the North even as alcohol which
is a major source of VAT is banned in the Sharia North.
Rail-lines
connecting the North to even Niger Republic are ongoing.
As
I write this, president Buhari has signed the 3,050MW Mambilla Hydro project in
a strategic move to empower the North. In addition, the govt just re-acquired
the Ajeokuta steel plant to supply steel to the Mambilla Hydro project. The
local content participation in the project is almost 1billion United States
Dollars.
All
going to the North.
You
can make your own finding to confirm all these.
Don't
forget how much billions of dollars that have been borrowed specifically to
develop the North due to the boko haram activities.
How
much was borrowed to develop Ala-Igbo after the Biafran war even when 3Rs was
declared?
How
much effort has been made to develop the Niger Delta which is the main area all
those monies are coming from but which is unsafe for even non-living things to
live in, due to oil exploration??
Meanwhile,
a bill to gift Lagos state with a special status was killed in the National
Assembly by Northern lawmakers with the help of their fraudulently acquired
numerical strength.
A
bill to establish the Southeast Development Commission was killed by Northern
lawmakers with the help of their fraudulently acquired numerical strength.
Even
the Original Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) was killed by northern lawmakers at
the national Assembly. They only accepted the corrupt version of the bill when
they succeded in smuggling two Northern states as beneficiaries of special fund
known as "Host Community Fund" even when those two northern states
are not hosting even a litter of oil.
When
Buhari or any Northerner tells you that the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable,
this is exactly why. Nigeria as presently constituted, is their ATM.
Those
of you inaundating us with your rhetorics and verbal gymnastics about
RESTRUCTURING, you need to quit living in denial.
Telling
us the benefit of restructuring is like selling coal to Newcastle. Even Ikenga,
my two day old son knows the benefit of Restructuring. What he doesn't know,
like the rest of us, is how you guys plan on achieving that in the face of
Northern resistance.
Go
read El-rufai speech few day ago. He's the Chairman of APC committee on
restructuring. He made it clear that those saying they want to control their
resources are just being selfish and that such a thing will never happen
because it will not benefit other Nigerians. He advised them to think of other
Nigerians.
I've
said it before and it bears repeating now, those expecting any form of
RESTRUCTURING through the existing constitutional framework are either ignorant
or dishonest or even both. But there is another option: they are fans of the
status-quo who are simply using the Restructuring rhetorics to douse the Biafra
agitation.
To
restructure, you need to change that iniquitious document that calls itself the
1999 constitution. And to do that, you need 2/3 (not a simple majority) of all
members of the national Assembly as well as that of the state houses of
Assembly in the entire country.
The
entire southern federal lawmakers won't give you 2/3 even if you borrow 3 North
central states join them. And don't forget, some southern lawmakers actually
prefer the status-quo where they are getting billions just for going to the
NASS to sleep and snore.
YOU
CAN ONLY GET GENUINE RESTRUCTURING THROUGH A RADICAL APPROACH.
Hate
Nnamdi Kanu or love him, you cannot deny that he understands Nigeria problem
and the best way to solve it better than all these theorists.
For
weeks that we've not heard from Kanu, have we heard anything concrete from the
Restructuring group??
SOLUTION:
Niger
Delta boys, you all need to borrow yourselves some sense. Insist that no oil is
lifted from your region until you are allowed to control your resources. You
have the means to enforce this. You also have the bargaining chip. Stop selling
your dignity by collecting crumb in the name of amnesty. You are supposed to be
the giver, not the receiver. Look at your environment for crying out loud!
OHANEZE
NDIGBO, AFENIFERE and all Southern group, you people need to stop theorizing
and get real. So far, you all have been full of rhetorics. Nothing more.
Tell
your people the time-bound practical steps with which you plan on achieving
RESTRUCTURING in the face of Northern resistance. Do this and do it now. If you
can't, then shift one corner and allow the youths do this the youthful way.
I
am particularly disappointed that Ohaneze Ndigbo and Igbo elites, from
governors to federal lawmakers, all seem to be on a mission to end the Biafran
agitation by all means EVEN WITHOUT GIVING THEIR YOUTHS AN ALTERNATIVE. This is
quite disheartening. Very disappointing.
Buhari
and his gang are not here to develop Nigeria. They are here to implement a
northern Muslims agenda. This is a govt of the North, by the North and for the
North.
When
all this is over,
The
question will be, while the Daura born Northern irredentist was busy
implementing a Northern agenda, what were Southern leaders doing??
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