….Says current leaders have failed zone
FROM LUKA SHEKARA, KADUNA
As stakeholders from thee northern zone of the country strategize to regain power from their southern counterparts, Major Hamza Al Mustapha (Rtd), a former Chief Security Officer to late former military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has stated that many leaders would be hurt to ensure that the northern zone of the country is returned on track and to get it unified once more.
This is as the former CSO blamed the current Leaders of the zone for the predicaments that have befallen in, even as he described them as failures
Major Al Mustapha, who made the claims while peaking to journalists at the sidelines of an event in memory of the slain former Premier of Northern Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello, said they cannot sit idly and allow the North to decay as it is currently going
He emphasized that to bring back the North on the path of progress, “we know we would hurt people.”
The event which took place in Kaduna, was organised by the Rebuild AREWA Initiative for DEVELOPMENT (RAI4D)
He said, ” It is better to hurt people and get it back on course for us to achieve what we desire, so that the country at the final end, would be the beneficiary of the unity in the North.”
The former military strategist noted further that “institutions that are in the 19 Northern states, are either weak or not there at all. We are seeing gaps that are responsible for the social ills bedevilling the North.
” Therefore, identifying the problems and rather than seeing succour, we would always continue to see crime rate been on the increase which is a capital shame.
“We cannot sit and say, we are from the North and continue to see institutions decay, crime rate on the increase, leaders indifferent, younger ones in disarray, and we believe that is the right environment to be.”
“That’s why when you allow wounds to get bad, definitely in the process of healing, there must be pains.
“So without mincing words, we are calling for processes of healing. Not only calling, we are part and parcel of it. We may say one or two things, that may disturb segments of leadership, old and young, it matters not.
“We intend to get the North back on track and to get it unified. To do so, we know we would hurt people. It is better to hurt people and get it back on course for us to achieve what we desire, so that the country at the end, would be the beneficiary of the unity in the North.
‘If there is, the economy would be affected, security, social problems, the politics in itself, politics and polity, democracy would be healthier, and then I can see other parts of the country would also copy.
“So we are starting here, not only to speak, the speaking is to get the leaders and the younger ones awakened, for us to now march forward, outline plans. I learned by February 22nd, that there is another meeting coming up in Bauchi, I deliberately intend to be there, identifying some of the vibrant associations, what is left for us is to garner what’s necessary to get them involved.”
He alleged that incumbent leaders from the region were directionless and did not care for their states.
“When it comes to sitting as 19 Northern Governors, to chart a course where they can have think tanks, on social development, developmental programmes, education, security, welfare, the wellbeing of the citizenry,we don’t see any of such been at the centre,” he alleged.
“There is today not a single joint central fund in developing educational development in the North. There is no programme as such. Power, industrial growth, loans to the poor,and poverty if we see from whichever direction, you look at the North. The most unfortunate thing is that you see everywhere are traces of poverty, shamefully. I’m a Northerner, that’s most shameful.”
He assured that there would be a follow up to the Kaduna meeting, adding that it would not end there, as there would be numerous other things that would be going on
“There are people whom we believe, steps like these are hurting them because they enjoy if everybody is in a directionless attitude within the environment. But unifying the North is all that matters.
“It may be bitter for them to hear, but that is the fact,” he said.
Recall that Al Mustapha had in the company of former governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir El’ rufai and others met recently with the leadership of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP), a meeting which analyst have linked to a possible political merger or alliance that could shape the events leading
to the upcoming 2027 general elections