Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar says despite fighting a civil war the Igbo have been able to rebuild their region, but that the north still has mud houses.
He spoke on the background of the need for Nigeria to be restructured.
Addressing a coalition of youth groups under the aegis of Play Forum in Abuja, Abubakar said those afraid of restructuring were lazy.
He said every region in the country should be allowed to control its resources.
Advertisement
“Left for me, I will ask every part of this country to take charge of its resources while the federal government should handle defence, foreign affairs and immigration among others in the exclusive list,” he said.
“It should not be complicated to start with all the recurrent items in the constitution. The president can dialogue with the governors or the national assembly for states to take charge of the roads, hospitals, schools and such other items in the concurrent List while the federal government will continue with items on the exclusive list.
“I would not have gone to school if I were born today. My parents were so poor they couldn’t afford to send me to school. I was born during the era education was free, food was free for me, I was sponsored from primary school to the university. There was even a job waiting for me before I graduated. Yet, there was no oil boom then. I am certainly not a product of oil boom Nigeria.
Advertisement
“So, I don’t know what those who are against restructuring are afraid of. Those afraid must be lazy. We fought the civil war with the Igbo. Today, the Igbo have been completely rebuilt, but we still find mud houses in the north. Is it the fault of the easterners that the north is like that?
“I think that what is most important is the devolution of powers and resources with the various governments whether states or regions. How do the people hold those in power accountable for the resources handed over to them?”
5 comments
Mr Atiku is very correct in his views and comments, as regards the civil war and the development of the north of Nigeria vis-a-vis the Igbo people. Northern Nigeria is a region of darkness, and underdevelopment, as far as Nigeria and the world is concerned. Many factors may explain this, including over-population, such that resources/funds from the central pool are overstretched;ignorance and refusal to imbibe modern ways of thinking, and working, in the ignorant believe that it would be anti-Islam, not minding that even Prophet Mohammed had encouraged his follows to seek for knowledge; the mischief of northern politicians, for the purpose of self-aggrandisement; and also, if I may add, a curse over the region, for all the atrocities its people have committed, in this regards, the wanton shedding of blood of innocent compatriots and people of different religions. Indeed as regards the underdevelopment in northern Nigeria, Emir Sanusi of Kano has recently called for a change of attitude by the people of northern Nigeria. Whether his call will be heard and accepted, is what we need to wait and see. I personally as a Nigerian, feel very sorry for northern Nigeria and it’s people, including their leaders. They must wake up to the realities of the modern world, and accept that change is inevitable, if a society is to progress. The refusal of northerners to accept restructuring that is currently called for in Nigeria, is reflective of a myopic mind-set that will do no good to the country. Thank you.
If mud houses are the basis for measuring development, the south south region would have come second after northern Nigeria. Atiku is free to articulate and play politics the much he wants, the truth hinge on the fact that people like Atiku are never honest. The north east has an unprecedented amount of illiterates, what magnamity has Atiku showed in this regard. Education first, mud houses are by choices. Mud houses are a protection from the severity of weather. Emir Sanusi hinges his arguments on edication , here we have Atiku talking mud houses. From ancient Benin kingdom to Bayelsa and Rivers capitals,cascades of mud houses litter the landscapes. Transit through the largest city in Africa, Ibadan, mud houses, rustic corrugated roofs etc litter the city. The likes of atiku , whose actions run northern region down and a larger Nigeria, should not be taken serious.
Mud houses are just a metaphoric analogy
Exactly!!! Thank you. But we must be honest with ourselves though, oil money has made us really lazy, all of us, very few that are doing so well have legit businesses. No one what’s to work but we want to ride the latest cars, wear designer shoes, bags, wrist watches, name them. We don’t earn we want to get rich over night, we must our orientation and complain less. Let’s all own up to shortcomings.
in 2030 which is just 13years from now our oil which the north want to kill themselves over will be almost useless. All the advanced world are going green, here we are rather than think and articulate how to create our survival path as a country which restructuring clearly presents to us , rather some lazy bones who hates Nigeria so much and think they love it still parasitically wish to continue business as usual. Nigeria should restructure now or die, no tow words about it.