Moghalu: Selfishness of political class is major cause of poverty in the north

Kingsley Moghalu, presidential candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) in the 2019 elections, has accused northern elite of failing to address poverty in the region.

Speaking on Sunday at the Ra’ayi Initiative for Human Development (RIHD) annual lecture in Kano, Moghalu wondered why the region remains “the headquarters of poverty in Nigeria” despite producing most of Nigeria’s leaders.

He said rather than put in adequate measures to address poverty in the region, northern elite have been focused on their “selfish and political aggrandizement.”

Moghalu said selfishness of the northern political class remains the major cause of poverty and under-development in the region.

The former deputy governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said while “the problem with the north is the north versus itself”, efforts to reposition the north would begin with changing the people’s mindset.

He also urged northerners to prioritise human capital development, adding that there is a great need to fight youth unemployment, drug abuse as well as empower women in the region.

“The north must be modern. Nigeria and the northern Nigeria will not make progress until Nigeria is constitutionally re-structured,” he said.