In my last piece, I reviewed the remote and immediate cause(s) of the aftermath violence that trailed the recently concluded Presidential elections in Nigeria, where there were winners, losers and sore losers. I traced the blames and causes to the doorsteps of those that began the campaign of regionalism, ethnicity, religious intolerance and subversive elements in the society. I traced the blame directly to those that fanned the embers of the violence with their MISINFORMATION, MISGUIDED and UNSTATESMANLY comments, before and during the elections, which bordered on SUBVERSION, SEDITION and TREASON, and to those that elevated Religion to the level of Intolerance.
In my last piece, I reviewed the remote and immediate cause(s) of the aftermath violence that trailed the recently concluded Presidential elections in Nigeria, where there were winners, losers and sore losers. I traced the blames and causes to the doorsteps of those that began the campaign of regionalism, ethnicity, religious intolerance and subversive elements in the society. I traced the blame directly to those that fanned the embers of the violence with their MISINFORMATION, MISGUIDED and UNSTATESMANLY comments, before and during the elections, which bordered on SUBVERSION, SEDITION and TREASON, and to those that elevated Religion to the level of Intolerance.
I also traced the blame to those ‘Leaders’ of the North that see these foot soldiers, that I referred to then, as MONSTERS, given the level of their wanton destructions and senseless carnage, which involved the killing of many innocent SOUTHERNERS, CHRISTIANS and YOUTH CORPERS, who were mainly exercising their rights to dwell in any part of the country or were on National service for their country, as ready-made tools for destruction. I have no apologies for my reference to them as such. Or what else, or how else can anyone describe people who have no value for the human lives? To them, taking a life is like killing a chicken.
I blamed the so-called ‘Leaders’ for seeing these poor and abandoned youths as ready and willing tools, to use for their nefarious activities, and for turning them into MONSTERS, in the first place. I blamed them for preying on their poverty and vulnerability, rather than protect them and provide for them. I also often ask why these so-called ‘Leaders’ do not put their own children or wards in the forefront of the ‘struggle’, but yet misinform and incite other people’s children or wards to cause mayhem and destruction, and perhaps, come to harm in the process. Why don’t we ever hear of CIROMA’s, IBB’s, ATIKU’s or BUHARI’s children being in the forefront of their PARENT’S ‘struggles’? Rather, it is always the poor Almajiris and the Talakawas that are often used as their goons for their dirty jobs.
I blamed the ‘Leaders’ for CREATING these social and societal miscreants and for giving them no hope, and allowing their hopelessness to have pervaded and continued until this day. Also in my last piece, I asked why these social or societal miscreants or the Almajiris have been allowed to exist this long. Why no Government or successive governments have been able to curb or solve the menace or the problem of the Almajiris and provide for their welfare.
By successive Governments, I am not necessarily requiring the Federal Government to do something, other than to sensitise them and provide an enabling environment and a level playing field for all Nigerians, but I am referring to why their LOCAL GOVERNMENTS or STATE GOVERNORS have not been able to find lasting solutions to their situations and problems or bring to them the dividends of Democracy. As we practice FEDERALISM or a FEDERAL system of Government in Nigeria, GOVERNMENT has been brought down and closer to the people through the STATE and the LOCAL Governments. There is no need for the people to bypass their LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, the STATE GOVERNMENTS and their REPRESENTATIVES at the National Assembly and always focus or look up to the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT for their dividends of DEMOCRACY.
The Almajiris are seen or viewed as the down trodden or the Talakawas or the good for nothing, whose fate, befell them and has been so decreed or ordained by Allah. The Local or the State Governments have not seen them as their responsibilities or view their jobs or roles as responsible for looking after the poor, the weak and the down trodden. I have often described Nigeria’s Democracy as Government of the RICH for the RICH and by the RICH or what is often described as Government of cash and carry. For the poor man, he is on his own. For the down trodden, the Government is not for them. This explains why there are no visible programs by the successive Governments to end poverty or create poverty alleviation programs for the poor. This is the reason why there are no lasting STRUCTURES or well grounded INFRASTRUCTURES to reference as a program aimed at the poor, the down trodden or the Almajiris and the Talakawas. I am ignorant of any such programs, and how truly they have been embraced by the end users or whether they (the end users) are even aware that these programs exist.
In my University days in the North, UniJos, precisely, in the 1980s, I saw the failings of the Governments (both Local and State) and the menace of the Almajiris being brewed then. I remember back in the days, whenever I left the University grounds or Campus and went into town, on Bauchi Road, multitudinous numbers of Primary School aged Children, numbering thousands, usually gathered around, and sometimes, loitered about the place. I used to marvel and wonder what future belied or befell this lot. At my young age then, I just could fathom what social menace they would grow to become, 10 or 20 years from then. I used to thank God that I came from the South, and I thanked God that the Leaders and the society in the south placed emphasis on Education, and especially in Lagos State, on free Education. This was so that there was no excuse for not getting education.
Likewise, in the Eastern parts, where there is a large emphasis on trading and artisanship, people were encouraged to go into apprenticeship, to learn their trades. While those that desired formal education and desired to go to school were also encouraged to do so. But there is no such clear program to encourage people in the North to either get formal education or some sort of apprenticeship or get them off the streets. Becoming a ‘Mai cigar’ or a ‘Mai guard’ does not require any special skills to require any form of apprenticeship. The ‘Leaders’ of the North abandon a large number of their people, except the few that are offered bursaries, to their own devices and to fend for themselves. The Almajiris and the Talakawas are simply abandoned as the forgotten lot. They are often given doles or handouts and they live only for the day with no future ambition.
This piece, is not simply about tracing the neglect of the Almajiris or the forgotten lot, but also about tackling and dealing with the menace. The first solution is for all the Northern ‘Leaders’ to rise up and live up to that billing or appellation, as true Leaders, and see this lot as a social problem and a menace that they have created, through years of neglect, by design or inadvertently. They must now, collectively, tackle and find lasting solutions to the menace and be creative in their solutions. They must not lie to the people that it is the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT that has abandoned them or play any form of blame game.
Far from the truth, enough Government votes, allocations and huge Budgets have been given to the Local and State Governments for the benefits of the people. These monies, if put to good use (and not shared amongst the rich only) can better and improve the lot of these people. Such money or resources is sufficient to create lasting and effective programs to improve the lot of the generality of the Northerners. They must also not use Religion to justify their condition as ordained by God or Allah. God did not create anyone to remain poor.
Besides creating programs and strategies, they must also review, assess and monitor or evaluate whatever programs they come up with, for effectiveness. The FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, on its part, can also do something. It can also help their lot, for instance, by encouraging (not force) the State and Local Governments to design programs for the people aimed at improving their lot. In a true FEDERALISM, unlike a unitary system, the Federal Government cannot FORCE the Local or State Governments to provide good governance.
The FEDERAL Government, through, redundant Departments and Ministries, such as the FEDERAL CHARACTER COMMISSION and the NATIONAL ORIENTATION OFFICE, can also do something about SENSITISING the people about what to expect from their Governments, from the LOCAL to the STATE GOVERNMENTS. They should show the Governments and the people GOOD PRACTICE. The FEDERAL GOVERNMENT should also create an enabling environment and encourage the Local and State Governments to create COMPACTS with their people. And the people can, in turn, hold their ‘Leaders’ accountable.
Lastly, the FEDERAL LEGISLATURE can also make Laws and prescribe minimum requirements for these Northern States Governments (and the rest of the country). These measures and others, in the long run, can curb the menace of the forgotten lot or the Almajiris, and empower them and equip them with a better future. A future where they are not so easily brainwashed and used. Where they too can reason and figure out between what is right and wrong. Where, if ever they are misinformed or incited, in future, to unleash violence, they would first ask the ATIKUs, the IBBs, the BUHARIs and the CIROMAs if their own children are also part of, or leading the ‘struggle’.
Where there is the will, there is hope. And where there is hope, there will always be a way or solution. The Governments have to have the will to succeed. And succeed they must.
Osi Okponobi
(Osi blogs regularly on SR).
[email protected]
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