…Where’s NNN, BON, G/Tafi Kwabo?
…ACF has outlived its usefulness.
…Alleges, “How Ahmadu Bello’s Arewa has been bludgeoned almost into extinction, in the name of governance or ruling by the new generation of Northern Leaders”
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Former Secretary-General of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Col. John IP Uba (rtd), has lamented the state of things in the region, saying that with the balkanization of north into 19 self-centeredly confiscated, and badly configured states, all cherished legacies and patriotic zeal of Sir Ahmadu Bello seem to have been swept into River Kaduna, except a negligible few.
Col. Uba (JP, FNIM), a Member of ACF Board of Trustees (BoT), representing Benue, also noted with dismay that, Sir Ahmadu Bello’s Legacies have been killed or selfishly mismanaged, while only lip-service is being paid to his memory.
The former Military Governor of Kebbi State made the assertions in a paper he presented to ACF BoT members during a Board Meeting held on Tuesday, 15th December, 2020, in Kaduna Headquarters of the Forum, obtained by our correspondent.
In the paper, titled, ‘Brief Comments by Col. John JIP Ubah (rtd),’ the author said that one could easily shed tears on how Sardauna legacies have been killed or selfishly mismanaged, especially Bank of The North, New Nigerian Newspapers, Gaskiya Tafi Kwobo and a host of others.
The brief comment reads, in parts:
“I have opted to paraphrase my thought on paper to the BOT Meeting so as to avoid wasting the valuable time of the eminent senior citizens.
“In case my thoughts swerve from the matters considered more relevant to the current realities and priorities of our leaders, concerning religion and the economy for the Northern and National interests, albeit, for the survival of humanity and society, cultural and economic stability as I see the contemporary trends,” he stated.
On religion, he said “How many religions did the creator establish for the well-being of human species?,” adding that Daniel Defoe, in his book, ‘Character of Dr S. Annesley,’ once said, “The best of men cannot suspend their fate – the good die early and the bad die late.”
The implication, according to him, is that no form of religion as present in human practice can guarantee salvation for any human soul, especially, if politicized, since it is universally accepted that “Religion is the opium of the people.”
“My perspective is that the onus is solely on this house – ACF – to tell Nigerians that ‘No Religion is better, holier or superior to the others.’ After all, Shaw (1898 P. vii) in the preface to his ‘Plays Pleasant and Unpleasant’ posited that “There is only one religion, though there are a hundred versions of it.”
“Also, after surviving so long in life in the crooked world, and as a Northern Nigerian, I am convinced that Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria is complete, simple, correct and capable of guaranteeing good governance with equity and egalitarian society, if ACF would make that its priority pursuit, and, if applied with Sections 23 and 24, on National Ethics and Citizen’s responsibilities,” he stated.
He continued, “But why ACF?,” stressing that “As the Secretary-General of ACF, we convinced all the Delegates to the 2014 National Conference that North Constitutes
about 80 percent of the entire country, Nigeria.
“Nigeria stands as the leading Nation, in terms of self-serving leadership, growing Insecurity and Management of the Economy by Deceit. With the North, now balkanized into 19 self-centeredly confiscated, and badly configured states, except a negligible few, all cherished legacies and Patriotic zeal of Sir Ahmadu Bello seem to be swept into River Kaduna,” he noted.
On the North’s economy, Col. Uba noted that “Sir Ahmadu Bello’s Legacies, if one looks around the north and reflects on how Sardauna of Sokoto singlehandedly managed his Northern Region, one could easily shed tears at how his legacies have been killed or selfishly mismanaged, while only lip-service is paid to his memory.
“Where is Bank of the North (BON)? Where are the New Nigerian Newspapers (NNN) and Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo? Where is any Arewa Hotel doing well today? Even one in Zamfara State was recently demolished.
“How well is Arewa Suites in Abuja, which was built by patriotic Military Administrators, less than half of whom were of Northern extraction, now doing? And how is NNDC doing with Arewa Textiles?
“All our elders can tell how Ahmadu Bello’s AREWA has been bludgeoned almost into extinction, in the name of governance or ruling by the new generation of Northern Leaders, especially those who claim to be ‘democratically-elected’ but remember no word of their Oaths of Office/Oaths of Allegiance.
“Only a set of them, led by the Talba Minna got themselves together and established a Foundation in the name of the Great Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello,” he noted.
He stated that, in his brief, “Let the BoT dwell only on my disappointment and grouse with the democratically-elected or party-imposed states helmsmen of the present northern region, concerning only two areas of economic mismanagement.”
ON NNN, he stated that “Nigerian Tribune newspapers, set up by Chief Awolowo, is still waxing strong. Is it not shameful that NNN cannot be kept alive and in circulation by the northern Nigeria governors?”
He stated that young northern journalists frustrated Obasanjo into handing over NNN back to the north when he could not manipulate or gag them, adding, “Now the majority of them are left at the mercies of southern media practitioners and proprietors of newspapers industries/prints media.”
According to him, when General Abacha was contemplating the setting-up of the Failed Bank Tribunal, the chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum Meeting was an Ijaw-born military officer, who led a delegation to Abuja to make a case for what he called “the survived of our bank.”
He also said c-in-c advised north to task themselves, the 19 states to beef-up the capital so that they would spare them, adding that the BON survived the axe of the Failed Bank Tribunal by complying to the advise, saying, after taken over, PDP governors competed in taken loans from BON to augment their budget. “Now it’s doubtful, if up to 5% asset of the remnant of the bank, in the name of ‘Unity Bank’ belong to any northern interest – what a shame?,” he stated.
Col. Uba’s disposition is that, ACF has outlived its usefulness since the dead spirit of the north created by Sir Ahmadu Bello’s dream, saying, the late Sardauna of Sokoto’s dream can no longer be revived due to leadership at all levels.
Nigeria’s leadership at all levels has brought the nation down to state where the British was, on 27th February, 1871, which made Benjamin Disraeli to cry out in the House Of Commons: “We’ve legalised confiscation, concentrated sacrilege and condoned high treason.”
He added that, “North has been polluted by polarised religious bigotry, and ACF seems to be helpless. The rate at which religion is being preached and practiced is likely to us, the entire humanity, to war that will end without enough people alive to bury those dead.”
Uba, therefore, urged the BoT to “prioritize and discuss few points and others, which may arise therefrom, or ACF needs to wind up.”