The latest “northern” group to be formed was christened
Northern Elders Council (NEC). This time, it is not an organization or
forum, but a “council”. It was formed by Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, a
90-year-old
renegade NEPU activist and a professional politician. Under that platform, Mallam Tanko is now a delegate to the “national conference”.
He first cut his political teeth when he joined Mallam Aminu Kano’s ultra-radical Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) in the First Republic. He later committed class suicide when he joined the conservative National Party of Nigeria (NPN) of President Shagari in the Second Republic. Since then,
he has been vacillating from one extreme view to another, occasionally issuing inflammatory statements from myopic prism – like a typical toxic papa.
It is now very fashionable for spent forces to wake up and announce the formation of an organization as a platform to gain patronage from the government of the day. The first and only time Tanko Yakasai’s organization had any outing, it came out with a position on 2015! Apparently, they are not even aware that Nigeria is slowly disintegrating, thanks to the misdeeds of its leaders such as Tanko Yakasai, and that you need a country for you to aspire to lead. The main theatre of war is the same “north” that Tanko formed a “council of elders” to represent.
From Boko Haram insurgency to ethnic and religious conflicts to farmers/herders clashes and the menace of almajirai and beggars everywhere in the northern states, the social fabric of the society is giving way under the pressure of these challenges. What have these elders done so far to address these problems, apart from occasional “condemnation” and “call for prayers”?
When Baga was attacked and the fishing community was almost completely wiped out in the crossfire between insurgents and the military, all the 19 state houses of Assembly in the northern states were silent. It was Lagos State House of Assembly that passed a resolution condemning it. Even after the recent gruesome murder of students in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, there was no peaceful demonstration to protest these killings in Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, etc, but in Lagos and Ekiti states. Where are the members of the so-called “elders council”?
Governor Shettima of Borno State is grappling with a lot of challenges, his state being the main theatre of the insurgency war. In fairness to him, he inherited these problems form his predecessor, Sheriff. In the course of briefing the president recently, he commended the military for what they are doing but painted a bleak picture. Instead of those who matter addressing the issues he raised, those misleading the president started attacking him. For goodness’ sake, he is the chief security officer of the state and his people are being killed daily; why wouldn’t he express his concern and frustration? There has not been even a broadcast from Abuja to sympathize with the people affected. Compare that with what happened in Kenya and Kenyatta’s response.
This issue is something that requires leadership. Leadership is not restricted to government alone but all others such as the traditional rulers, former heads of state and other opinion leaders. Since leaders like Mallam Tanko are not ready to give way for the younger generation to start learning from them, to gain requisite experiences as was done in the past and as others are doing in other places, they should be ready to continue to shoulder the heavy burden of the society. But these over- recycled and recurring figures who have been part of the problems in the past are never going to be part of the solution now.
The senseless killings in the name of religion and ethnicity, the insane murders in the name of farming and herding, the excruciating poverty and distorting illiteracy, the debilitating destitution and begging; the disturbing hunger, diseases and squalor; the alarming rate of unemployment, high rate of divorce and drug addiction by youth; the loud silence of religious and traditional leaders; bigotry and hate speeches by political actors; elite greed and personal ego are the real problems that people expect the “elders” to address, not the 2015 ambitions of individuals.
It is gratifying to see some concerned people trying to look at these issues in Kano earlier this week. There is hope if this noble effort can be sustained and solutions are ultimately found for these problems. It is so pleasing to see that there are de-toxicants who want to save the society from these toxic intoxicants.
The message being passed here is that there is failure of leadership at all levels across the north. Can anyone imagine if the despair, degeneration and decadence would have come to this level if experienced and respected administrators and real leaders like Sultan Dasuki were still in charge? Toxic papas have made the society most vulnerable. They do not know the interests of the people much less how to protect them.
But there is a day of reckoning for all and it is surely coming, either here or in the hereafter. History is on the side of the oppressed.
Leadership
renegade NEPU activist and a professional politician. Under that platform, Mallam Tanko is now a delegate to the “national conference”.
He first cut his political teeth when he joined Mallam Aminu Kano’s ultra-radical Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) in the First Republic. He later committed class suicide when he joined the conservative National Party of Nigeria (NPN) of President Shagari in the Second Republic. Since then,
he has been vacillating from one extreme view to another, occasionally issuing inflammatory statements from myopic prism – like a typical toxic papa.
It is now very fashionable for spent forces to wake up and announce the formation of an organization as a platform to gain patronage from the government of the day. The first and only time Tanko Yakasai’s organization had any outing, it came out with a position on 2015! Apparently, they are not even aware that Nigeria is slowly disintegrating, thanks to the misdeeds of its leaders such as Tanko Yakasai, and that you need a country for you to aspire to lead. The main theatre of war is the same “north” that Tanko formed a “council of elders” to represent.
From Boko Haram insurgency to ethnic and religious conflicts to farmers/herders clashes and the menace of almajirai and beggars everywhere in the northern states, the social fabric of the society is giving way under the pressure of these challenges. What have these elders done so far to address these problems, apart from occasional “condemnation” and “call for prayers”?
When Baga was attacked and the fishing community was almost completely wiped out in the crossfire between insurgents and the military, all the 19 state houses of Assembly in the northern states were silent. It was Lagos State House of Assembly that passed a resolution condemning it. Even after the recent gruesome murder of students in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, there was no peaceful demonstration to protest these killings in Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, etc, but in Lagos and Ekiti states. Where are the members of the so-called “elders council”?
Governor Shettima of Borno State is grappling with a lot of challenges, his state being the main theatre of the insurgency war. In fairness to him, he inherited these problems form his predecessor, Sheriff. In the course of briefing the president recently, he commended the military for what they are doing but painted a bleak picture. Instead of those who matter addressing the issues he raised, those misleading the president started attacking him. For goodness’ sake, he is the chief security officer of the state and his people are being killed daily; why wouldn’t he express his concern and frustration? There has not been even a broadcast from Abuja to sympathize with the people affected. Compare that with what happened in Kenya and Kenyatta’s response.
This issue is something that requires leadership. Leadership is not restricted to government alone but all others such as the traditional rulers, former heads of state and other opinion leaders. Since leaders like Mallam Tanko are not ready to give way for the younger generation to start learning from them, to gain requisite experiences as was done in the past and as others are doing in other places, they should be ready to continue to shoulder the heavy burden of the society. But these over- recycled and recurring figures who have been part of the problems in the past are never going to be part of the solution now.
The senseless killings in the name of religion and ethnicity, the insane murders in the name of farming and herding, the excruciating poverty and distorting illiteracy, the debilitating destitution and begging; the disturbing hunger, diseases and squalor; the alarming rate of unemployment, high rate of divorce and drug addiction by youth; the loud silence of religious and traditional leaders; bigotry and hate speeches by political actors; elite greed and personal ego are the real problems that people expect the “elders” to address, not the 2015 ambitions of individuals.
It is gratifying to see some concerned people trying to look at these issues in Kano earlier this week. There is hope if this noble effort can be sustained and solutions are ultimately found for these problems. It is so pleasing to see that there are de-toxicants who want to save the society from these toxic intoxicants.
The message being passed here is that there is failure of leadership at all levels across the north. Can anyone imagine if the despair, degeneration and decadence would have come to this level if experienced and respected administrators and real leaders like Sultan Dasuki were still in charge? Toxic papas have made the society most vulnerable. They do not know the interests of the people much less how to protect them.
But there is a day of reckoning for all and it is surely coming, either here or in the hereafter. History is on the side of the oppressed.
Leadership
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