Sani’s call for retrospection by past Northern leaders

By Taofeeq UmarFor the second time in nine months, Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has again called on past northern leaders in the last 20 years to do serious retrospection about the general backwardness of the region in almost every facet of human endeavor. All indices point to the fact that the region is lagging far behind its southern counterpart, deeply steeped in underdevelopment and multidimensional poverty. In a recent interview with Trust TV, Governor Uba Sani, argued that northern politicians have failed the region and should apologize to the people.

He maintained that the criticism being churned out against the present government at the federal and state levels were unnecessary. While he is well disposed to constructive criticism, he would not countenance destructive criticism coming from those whose major objective and goal is to gain political office. He reasoned that most of the critics had held public offices before in different capacities and challenged them to point to what they did with the opportunity for the common good of northern region, saying that criticism is not forbidden but it should be rooted in the interest of the people, and not driven by personal ambition that is fueled by the quest for political power.



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display('div-gpt-ad-1718806029429-0'); }); “Every democracy must allow criticism, but it must be constructive, and in the interest of the Nigerian people. That’s what we did as activists — not because we wanted power,” he told the interviewer.“But when you attack the government and you’ve been part of it.

.. Anyone — like I said — who is from northern Nigeria and held a political office in the last 20 years, we all need to look at ourselves in the mirror and apologize to the people of northern Nigeria.

We let them down.”Governor Uba Sani, who did not exclude himself from the system, said northern Nigeria’s challenges stem from decades of underdevelopment and neglect which he argued ought to have been addressed by all the people who had the opportunity to serve in government in the past 20 years. $(document).

ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); “I’ll say it here today — all of us; I was a senator in this country, and the problems of northern Nigeria didn’t start two years ago.

We’re talking about developments — or lack thereof — over the past 20 years; I can give you the data and statistics next time we meet.“I chaired a committee on banking, so I know the poverty index of northern Nigeria. I know how many people, as we speak, are financially excluded.

”Governor Uba Sani said despite massive social intervention spending under former President Muhammadu Buhari, the region grew even worse due to systemic exclusion.“Don’t forget, when Buhari was president — people forget this — he spent hundreds of billions on social interventions. But I’ll tell you why the north became poorer even after that.

Because 70% of the population in northern Nigeria — especially the masses — were completely financially excluded.“If you’re a former senator, a former member of the House of Representatives, a former governor, a former minister, or even a former vice-president from northern Nigeria in the last 20 years — you’re part of the problem. All of us.

”Governor Uba Sani appealed to political leaders to avoid deceiving citizens with dishonest claims, while expressing respect for critics who speak truthfully and uphold genuine ethical principles. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.

adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); “And that’s why I believe we must not deceive the people of northern Nigeria. We must not mislead them.

That’s why I said earlier, I’ve no problem with people criticising the government — people like Dan Bello Galadanchi. All those individuals, I can tell you, have the moral right to criticise this government. But those who were part of the rot and are now saying they’ve repented — please, I think that’s wrong.

”He stressed that protests and criticisms are of different colours and hues. “You see, protests or criticism can be interpreted in different ways, depending on who’s talking. Let me give you examples.

Take Professor Usman Yusuf, for instance. He is a progressive figure. If he is criticising this government, I’ll say he has every right to do so.

No one should harass him. Because people like that are not attacking government because they want political power. So for me, I have no issue with such individuals.

People like Mahdi Shehu, I’ve no issue with. People like Bulama Bukarti, I think he’s fine. Jafar Jafar, he’s okay too.

It is because these people are speaking with the people’s interest at heart. And every democracy must allow criticism, but it must be constructive and in the interest of the Nigerian people. That’s what we did as activists—not because we wanted power,” he expatiated.

Interestingly, this is not the first time Governor Uba Sani would be canvassing an introspection by past northern leaders for the purpose of refocusing programs and projects for the benefit of the people; alleviate poverty and serve the largely neglected poor masses of the region.Nine months ago, Governor Uba Sani had attributed the institutional failure and socio-economic backwardness in Northern Nigeria to decades of sustained neglect and failure of leaders of the region.He had argued that insecurity and poverty in the region could have been addressed about 15 years ago had leaders from the region and those who occupied different political and traditional positions demonstrated sincerity and true commitment to end it.

Governor Sani contended then in an interview on BBC Hausa Service that it was disheartening that decades after independence about 70 percent of the people living in northern Nigeria are multi-dimensionally poor and about 65 percent of them do not have any bank account. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.

adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); “Northern Nigeria has the highest rate of out-of-school children in the country with about 15 million children not attending classes. This is a failure of all leaders from the region in the last 15 years.

It is not only a sign of leadership failure but also the inability of leaders to come together and unite forces to address these problems.“Anybody from the North who has occupied a leadership position over the last 15 years is responsible for the sorry state of affairs in the North. We should stop deceiving our people.

“The problem is with all of us. We could have addressed problems of poverty, insecurity and education about 10 years ago but we did not and we are crying today.“Why is it that poverty indices and out-of-school children are at about 30 percent in the South and 70 percent in the North? Didn’t we have northerners who led this country?” Governor Uba Sani queried.

For effect, the Governor added, “There was no banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling in the Northwest in 2016. The concern at that time was to contain the terrorism in the Northeast. We are not late to initiate the process to alter the narrative,” he concluded.

Governor Uba Sani’s argument that former leaders of Northern Nigeria are responsible for the region’s backwardness and high levels of multidimensional poverty merits consideration for several reasons. Firstly, historical governance decisions have long-term impacts; policies that neglected education, healthcare, and infrastructure have stunted development. Many past leaders prioritized personal or political gains over sustainable growth, leading to systemic issues that persist today.

$(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).

push({})}); Secondly, the region’s socio-economic challenges are often rooted in a lack of investment in human capital, which can be traced back to leadership failures. By failing to address critical issues such as unemployment and education, these leaders contributed to a cycle of poverty.Lastly, Sani’s critique serves as a call to action for current and future leaders to learn from past mistakes, emphasizing the need for accountable governance and strategic planning to uplift the region and break the cycle of poverty.

This perspective encourages a focus on reform and development.• Umar, a Pharmacist and Public Affairs Analyst, writes from Abuja, NigeriaThe post Sani’s call for retrospection by past Northern leaders appeared first on The Sun Nigeria..