Your Excellency sir, the Executive Governor and the Executive Chairman Northern Governors’ Forum.Your “Pan Northern Nigerian-ism” has never been in question or in doubt for that matter.
In fact your are in the class of persons like Major General Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, General Badamasi Babangida, Mr Anthony Sani of ACF, Dr Khalid of Sharia Council, Mohammed Haruna of Daily Trust, Dr Junaid of Council of Ulammas or even Sheik Abubukar Shekau of Jama’ atu Ahalu Sunna alias Boko Haram.
You are far ahead of your peers of Musa Kwankwaso, Ahmed Sani, Murtala Nyako and Danbaba Suntai.
You have grown progressively from being the governor of only Niger State to the Executive Premier of Northern Nigeria. I personally admire your new role as the defender of the Northern cause.
You have actually dwarfed the 2010 group of IBB and company who floated Alhaji Atiku Abubukar as the then Northern consensus candidate for the 2011 presidential election.
I took my time to look at your biography in Wikipedia; it seems you have a PhD in Education. Congratulations.
The essence of this my open letter to you is to make a special appeal and equally express my concerns and worries about the present day Northern Nigeria.
It is equally true that persons like you are very good in propaganda and blackmailing your opponents, challengers and perceived threat.
The Northern Governors Forums meeting prior to the Nigeria Governor Forum election on the 24th of May this year 2013 is still fresh in our memory.
Some honest and people with conscience like Mallam Isa Yuguda, Gabriel Suswam, Captain Idris Wada, Shehu Shema and even Alhaji Garba Umar have confirmed that it was you Babangida Aliyu And Musa Kwankwaso that nominated Mr Jonah Jang as the consensus candidate of the Northern governors for the chair of the governors’ forum.
To confirm the satisfaction he drove from the betrayal and back stabbing of Governor Jonah Jang, Governor Musa Kwankwaso said that he did that on purpose to teach Mr Jang and others political lesson.
There is no honour amongst Nigeria governors any more.
The gist of my open letter to you today is not about the lack of honour amongst you guys the so called Northern governors, but is about the multiple hydra-headed problems in our Northern Nigeria.
I have written about it last month not addressing it to anybody specifically. This time it is addressed to you as the Executive Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum.
I need to draw your attention to the following problems in Northern Nigeria which need urgent attention.
I expect that you will convene an emergency meeting of the Northern Governors Forum to deliberate on these problems after you would have received or read or your attention called to the content of this my open letter to you.
I always believe in the principle of better late than never.
The first and major problem confronting the whole of Northern Nigeria as at today is the Boko Haram insurgency and the endemic war of attrition between Fulanis and the other Northern tribes.
Virtually all the villages in Northern Borno and Yobe have been wiped out by Boko Haram. Towns like Damboa, Potiskum, Bama and Gwoza are perpetually under Boko Haram siege. From time to time, Boko Haram has infiltrated Kano State to cause havoc.
There has been a perennial war between the Fulanis and the indigenes of Agatu in Benue State. The crises in Jos may have subsided for now.
The Southern part of Kaduna is on fire.
Armed marauders are raiding Zamfara villages.
As if all the above are not enough problems, the highest number of children out of school are in Northern Nigeria. It took the special grace and magnanimity of President Goodluck Jonathan to establish specialised schools for the almajiri boys.
Poliomyelitis is still ravaging Northern Nigeria in the 21st century.
The Sahara Desert has reached Minna your State Capital.
Because of the ethno-religious bigotry in the academic institutions in Northern Nigeria, they are glorified primary and secondary schools including the once famous ABU Zaria.
The Northern States collect the highest allocation from the Federal government yet the Northern States are still the most backward in everything exception poliomyelitis and religious fundamentalism.
Your Excellency, the executive governor and the executive chairman sir, I can go on and on till infintum. I have mentioned enough problems to you which will warrant calling an emergency meeting of the Northern Governors for serious brain storming.
All the above problems are solvable problems if the Northern governors have the will power to confront them.
As it is now, what is needed is convening of the conference of all Northern Nigerian tribes big and small. From the small tribes of the Waga people in Borno and Adamawa State to the large tribes of the Eggon and Mada people in Nasarawa State.
From the large tribes of the Bajju people of Kaduna State to the Small tribes of the Koro people in Kebbi State.
Let us all sit down together and discuss our Northern Nigeria.
As it is now, the 2015 presidential election is a walk over for Dr Goodluck Jonathan for the simple reason that the Northern part of Nigeria is more divided than ever before.
Unfortunately some elders like General Mohammadu Buhari are not helping matters when the talk loosely making inflammatorily and unguarded statement.
Therefore your Excellency, it will be in the best interest of the North if you can call an emergency meeting of the northern governors first and then we convene a Northern Nigeria dialogue of all tribes and languages in the North.
At the last count, the North has over 300 tribes and languages.
Most importunately, the Northern governors can solve the problems of Boko Haram if they want and have the will, because some of them are the sponsors and supporters of Boko Haram. Otherwise ask Murtala Nyako and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Your Excellency, I rest my pen.
Ndiameeh Babangida Babreek.
ndidi90call@gmail.com