Which One is Northern Interest

Which One is 'Northern Interest?'

At its 2nd anniversary lecture held in Kaduna on Thursday, 28th March, 2002, the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, through Governor Attahiru Bafarawa, rolled out a strong diatribe against the President Olusegun Obasanjo- led government. Short of accusing the government of total failure, the ACF released the strongest viva voce invectives ever, against the person and government of President Obasanjo. The President was also accused of being a tribal jingoist, of tacitly supporting the OPC, of running down the economy and of systematically destroying the legacies laid down by Nigeria's past leaders "with brazen recklessness". Amongst other things, Mr. President was accused of "throwing out of job" officers "of northern extraction in the federal service". Against the backdrop of these mortal political 'sins', Governor Bafarawa urged all 'northerners' to close their ethnic, religious and political differences, interest'? Can ACF really be serious about talks of 'One North, One People, One Destiny'? made by the Middle-Belt, the ACF, the Ohaneze Ndigbo, the Afenifere and the SouthSouth at the last sitting of the Human Rights Violations Investigations Commission, a.k.a. Oputa Panel. I remember that as the lead counsel to the Middle-Elelt, I challenged General I.B.M. Haruna (rtd.), star witness to the ACF, on whether the ACF is capable of representing the whole of the defunct northern region. In other words, I pointedly challenged the vires of a central body in the mould of the ACF to claims that it is the voice of the 'north'. General Haruna conceded to the Middle-Belt, first, that there was no more a monolithic 'north' and further that the ACF was not representing everybody from that dead region. In his own words, if ACF was representing all 'northerners', "why are you people (meaning Middle- Belters) here with your own presentations".

It is significant to note that Chief Solomon Lar who led us to the Oputa Panel and who sat for hours that the devastating cross-examination of General I.B.M. Haruna lasted, again acted true to type on 28'h March 2002 when ACF was releasing its missiles against Aso Rock. For, Chief Lar was, at that same hour, leading some Middle-Belt Governors and other politicians from the region on a solidarity visit to Aso Rock. What a crack in the imaginary strong wall of ACF! Governor Adamu Abdullahi of Nasarawa State it was who last year, in the wake of OPC assault on 'northerners' sat on the seat Governor Bafawara sat on 28th March, 2002 and read the north's riot act to President Obasanjo's regional cancerous growth, the OPC. Last year, Governor Adamu told the whole world that the 'north' was saying "enough is enough". Today , governor Bafawara is re-echoing those words, but without Governor Adamu who first echoed them. What a twist of fate.

What then is, or whither 'northern' interest? I will vividly analyse Governor Bafarawa's speech in an attempt to proffer an answer. Governor Bafarawa started by eulogising the ACF. Hear him: "Today marks yet another milestone in our history. It is a day when the young and the old, men and women of all class (sic) in the entire North have come together, under one umbrella, to rejoice on and celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of the formation of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF)". He then thanked "the founding fathers of the ACF" (excluding, of course, absentee Vice President Atiku Abubakar who founded the Arewa People Congress, APC, precursor to the ACF) for constituting such a body. Tracing Nigeria's pre-colonial history, this Arewa henchman mentioned all the major political parties that dominated the regional scenes in Nigeria, but carefully omitted the United Middle Belt Congress UMBC, which dominated the central zone of Nigeria, particularly in the 1959 general elections. He praised to high heavens all past leaders of northern extraction (including, of course, the evil genius and the late wicked one). He told his audience that all three political parties had become dead due to intra-party divisions. Of more import was his assessment of the PDP. He said that the PDP "has been divided into PDP and PDM".

I will first of all say that Governor Bafarawa was acting out the script of some powerful, power-drunk retired (but not tired) Generals of the 'north'. whenever he wanted to mention the three political parties, he would mention the APP first. Also, to say that the PDP has a faction (the PDM) was just an attempt to pick on Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the indisputable leader of the PDM and one whom the 'north is obviously uncomfortable with. For he so-called core north has not found Alhaji Atiku worthy enough to be called a " northerner, because of his unalloyed loyalty to president Obasanjo. The vice president himself has admitted this on several occasions ferociously charging back at his accusers on most of such occasions. this has made the so-called 'north' to be factionalised, with the north-east lining solidly behind Vice president Atiku."Northern interest" in this narrow angle is , therefore, "north-western interest.

This is the general feeling in the Middle-Belt. Otherwise, why did the so-called 'north' complain that it was not fairly represented when Generals Samuel Victor Leo Malu, Isaac Alfa, Ibrahim Ogohi, et al, were appointed into positions of authority by this government? When Malu and Alfa were removed, did the 'north' complain? If the 'north' is saying that its officers were removed at will, what will the Middle-Belt say of General Malu who was replaced by a General from the South-South, which officer again supervised the levelling of Malu's house and other sundry crimes against the Middle-Belt? What of Chief Abu Obe who was replaced by a core northerner as Head of Service of the Federation?

Can the introduction of sharia in the north, coupled with strident calls by the north's presidential hopeful, General Muhammadu Bahari, for voting along religious lines tantamount to 'northern interest'? Can the burning down of the Jos International Market, the sponsoring of sharia wars in the 'north', the sponsoring of destabilising tendencies in the Middle-Belt and Nigeria at large, be positive acts representing 'northern interest'? The answer is obviously no. That is why Governor Jolly Nyame has dumped ACF's mock peace proce$s and has resettled the displaced Tiv people of Taraba (but I don't trust him, too). Governor Adamu Abdullahi is doing a similar thing in Nasarawa State. Governor Joshua Dariye pointedly told ACF off last year and said he was for the middle-Belt,Governor Audu Abubakar of Kogi State said same in a more forceful manner and ditto, the then acting ( and substantive Deputy) Governor of Niger State Dr. Shen in Zagbayi. Of course, Benue State is a no go area for ACF and its tendentious politics.

The Middle-Belt has very strong reasons to believe that the so-called consensus candidate of the ACF will be a Muslim irredentist who will be bent on imposing sharia on, first the Middle-Belt, then Nigeria. Such a candidate cannot be welcome in the Middle-Belt. Even if the so-called candidate is a Christian or animist, as long as he is anointed by the 'north', we shall treat him/her with utmost distrust. After all, for obviously selfish and ego-based factors, people like Sunday Awoniyi (don't mind his fake reaction to Governor Bafarawa's speech being treated here), General Yakubu Gowon, General Jerry Useni e.t.c. belong to the ACF. These people are more Sultan than Alhaji Maccido himself. The north-east which has also been treated as a second fiddle would also, come 2003, openly disagree with the northwest which claims that it is 'born to rule'. In an earlier article, I had warned President Obasanjo that as long as he is not from the north ! west, he cannot please them. I still stand by that submission. If he can angrily react to statements credited to Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, Professor Sam Aluko and even the bereaved at the Ikeja cantonment, why can't he extend same treatment to people like Alhaji Abubakar Rimi and General Muhammadu Buhari who have made more damaging statements about this country? This shows that he is afraid of the 'north'. But the more he fears them, the more they attack him and destabilise this country. In any case, President Obasanjo does not have my sympathy.

On a conclusive note, while the mainstream Middle-Belt will not follow the "North" and its politics of consensus come 2003, the region will also not slavishly follow Obasanjo-Atiku in that years elections. President Obasanjo should be ready and willing to explain to the Middle-Belt why he has been passive and recently supportive of the sharia. He should explain why he has been treating the 'north' with kid gloves vis-a-vis the other regions. He should also be able to fully explain his actions in Zaki Biam, Gbeji, Anyiin, Kastina-Ala and environs, to risk not 1oosing the ten million votes the Tiv people are capable of giving him. Whether Governor Akume (himself, embattled) visits Aso Rock twenty times a day on solidarity missions or not, the mainstream Tiv of which I am a member will take a calculative political step come 2003. Whether Chief Barnabas Gemade attends adoption rallies at Ota twenty times a day or not, the position of Tiv land on Obasanjo will not change. Both ACF and President Obasanjo should take note of this. As for 'northern' interest, I say with all emphasis that there is none but that of the north-west. Even babes know this. Good night' northern' interest.

Au revoirre.

June 2002