From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Former governor of Niger State, Col. Lawan Gwadabe (Rtd) has noted that Northern Nigeria is facing arrays of economic and socio-political problems 30 years after the death of the then military governor of Northern Nigeria, Major Hassan Usman Katsina, who died in 1995 as a Major General.
He said if the current crops of Northern leaders had imbibed the leadership style of General Katsina, the region wouldn’t have been backward economically and politically as it is now.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the death of General Katsina, Col. Gwadabe who is the chairman of a Non Governmental Organisation, New Vision Development Initiative, recalled that General Katsina believed until his death that poverty afflicting Northern Nigeria is not an accident like the slave trade or apartheid.
He added that the late General believed that the poverty in the North despite all the region’s natural resources is practically man-made.
However, Gwadabe said the situation could be corrected by the collective actions of the current leaders at the helm of affairs in the North, believing that these messages will merit their attention to move into actions.
The former military governor of Niger State also called for engagement of retired military men in the country to contribute to resolving insecurity and other issues across the nation.
“Post retirement, General Hassan devoted all his time mentoring our leaders, he set up court in his house in Kaduna, where it became the center of the agitation of ideas for the rapid development of the North.
“Everyday his house was jammed packed with all the Northern leaders that have served in all strata of the Nigerian society to the highest levels. There were always retired Generals, Permanent Secretaries, Captains of Industry, etc. There was never a dull moment at General Hassan’s Court.
“Every problem tabled was easily addressed by General Hassan he was fond of giving directives for action using his vast amount of contacts in the country. It was a culture of selfless service to the people and this was done daily until he died.
“Do we have this kind of listening leadership today in the North? Yes, maybe, but even they are few and far between. To General Hassan every problem tabled must be addressed that day, without waiting for tomorrow. It is the action of a truly caring leader.
“After retirement from public service, Gen. Hassan campaigned passionately for the eradication of the Almajiri system, that was acting as an impediment to the overall development of our children in Northern Nigeria. This campaign was sustained
by the General through visits to our Northern Governors and through relentless interviews and campaigns in the media.
“He was also constantly in touch with our religious leaders to help in reforming the Almajiri system. Gen. Hassan continued to fight and advocated for the Northern leaders to devote their energies for the fight against illiteracy, laziness and poverty.
“The highest numbers of out of school children which is scandalous are all domiciled in the North. Where are our Northern leaders of today? Why are they not at the forefront of imbibing the compassionate and patriotic spirit of General Hassan and other past Northern leaders who had passion for the development of the North?.
“Why must the North be backward in Education, given all the resources that is accruing to State Governments today?
“Gen. Hassan believed until his death that poverty afflicting the Northern Nigeria is not an accident like the slave trade or apartheid. That the poverty in the North despite all the North’s natural resources endowment is therefore man-made.
“This can be moved and corrected by the collective actions of the leaders at the helm of affairs in the North today. We sincerely hope that these messages will merit their attention and actions.
“The Almajiri system is also synonymous with out-of-school children. The system is a let down to the concept of Education because it is still rooted in primitive fashion. Most of the Almajiri eventually become part of the greater security risks afflicting not only the North, but the whole country.
“Children are sent to out of town Almajiri school without any preparation and parental care. The Schools are not properly organized because they are so over-crowded, they also don’t give the benefit and care of the school system. Often times children are sent to fend for themselves and also they become the beast of burden of their teachers.
“We remembered times without number that General Hassan will hold meetings with the Late Sheikh Abubakar Gumi and other Northern Elders harping seriously in trying to get a solution to the menace of the Almajiri system. General Hassan
always advocated education for all, because that is the key for liberation and the emancipation of the mind.
“Education is the only fulcrum of Northern Development in particular and the Nation in general. General Hassan was equally passionate about the encouragement of the Northerners to pay attention to farming. It is the key to the reduction of poverty among our people, and the generation of employment.
“We therefore believe that the philosophy of General Hassan on leadership and its responsibility to the Governed should be a priority for our Northern Leaderships. It is this humane philosophy of looking after our own that would re-kindle hope,
inspire and serve as an impetus to our leaders to galvanize them into action towards reversing the ugly indices that is militating against the overall socio-economic development of Northern Nigeria.
When the majority of our children are in
school their future is guaranteed. When the majority of our people are farming or they are enabled to be gainfully employed our security challenges will be reduced and there will be prosperity.
“Recently the Tinubu Administration created the long awaited and clamoured for National Commission for Almajiri and Out-Of-School Children Education. This was a welcomed gesture
that General Hassan was advocating for, throughout his life.
“This new Commission will help in the transformation and the rehabilitation of the Almajiri system of education and the plight of out-of-school children in the North. However, this
new commission has also been plagued with a lot of controversies and there is information that the Federal Government has not funded the take-off of the Commission.
“Without adequate funding for the commission to function, the Tinubu Administration may therefore playing to the gallery.This may also become just another political gimmick to placate the people of the North.
“The Northern political leaders should therefore rise to the occasion to demand and to ensure that the right thing is done for the commission not to become another moribund project.”
On the need to engage retired military men in socio-political issues of the country, Gwadabe said, “In other climes, leaders at all levels having served the Nation don’t simply fade away.
“There are mechanism put in place to keep engaging their expertise. Their contributions towards nation building even in retirement is always acknowledged and imputed into the Government’s decision making mechanisms.Thereby making them relevant to the Nation’s contemporary situations.
“The situation in our country should also not be an exception. We need these pool of expertise in order to sustainably develop as a Nation. We have a great pool of developed manpower in Nigeria just wasting away. This do nothing attitude particularly in the North, has promoted the emergence of pretenders as our leaders in the North.
“This is totally unacceptable and an amendment is urgently required going forward. Sadly also our experienced hands in the North are totally sidelined by our current political class. They are not
consulted on matters of which they are experts, nor are they recognized for all their sacrifices that kept our country together.
“We are therefore resolved based on the sacrifices and lessons of our past leaders, to create an atmosphere of doing something different to sensitise and galvanise our people to sacrifice for the development of the North in particular and Nigeria in general. So help us God!”
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