| A Response To Governor Abdulkadir Kure |
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| Thursday, 25 May 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By South-South Peoples’ Assembly of North America Our attention has just been drawn to a publication in ThisDayonline of May 24, 2006, in which Alhaji Abdulkadir Kure, the Governor of Niger State, derided the caliber of presidential candidates from the South-South political zone of Nigeria. While the South-South Peoples’ Assembly of North America (SSPA-NA) does not subscribe to the concept of power shift or power rotation of any elective political office, we are however compelled to respond to the uncharitable remarks of Governor Kure toward the people of the Niger Delta states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, Delta, Edo, and Rivers. Recognizing Governor Peter Odili of Rivers State as a potential presidential candidate form the South-South, Governor Kure queried: “But then, who is Odili?” In answering his own question, he opined: “Yes, he has been a governor since 1999. But then, what is his performance?” It is interesting to note that Governor Kure does not question the performance of his Northern colleagues who had declared their intention to contest for the presidency. In his view, there was no suitable candidate from the South-South to occupy the presidency as evident in his question: “Who from the South-South, who?” We operate from the premise that only qualified; credible and incorruptible leaders should be elected and/or appointed to positions in government and industry. But we condemn the arrogance of anyone, including Governor Kure, to make the type of remark he has made about Governor Odili and the entire South-South political elites. It is this type of posture, anchored on xenophobia that has done so much damage to the fabric of Nigerian politics. Given his esteemed position, particularly as a governor of one of Nigeria’s minority states, we expect Governor Kure to be able to rise above such level of politics. We welcome his position that Nigerians “should insist on the right person under any given condition leading the country,” but wonder at his postulation when he declared: “But if we agree to what I said, I assure you that the next president will come from the North, the one that will follow will also come from the North, and this trend will continue because it is a game of numbers coupled with the disposition of the people.” There is no argument about politics being “a game of numbers.” It is however instructive that, while Governor Kure is hiding under the alleged numerical superiority of the North as its guarantee to producing future Nigerian presidents, he fails to concern himself with the key qualities needed for the presidency. That to him is secondary. His view that the North will rule Nigeria eternally is remarkably consistent with the agenda of prominent Northern politicians and ruling elites. Muhammed Adamu had expressed this grand Northern design in 1997 (see “Nigeria: Hausa-Fulani must always rule: Rotational Presidency is Bullshit,” Sunday Concord, Lagos, April 13, 1997), when he argued that the Hausa-Fulani had the “tacit approval of God” to rule Nigeria. “No apologies to the Yorubas and Igbos,” he said. And “thank goodness,” he declared, “the minorities are not in doubt about this matter.” He further dismissed the Igbos and Yorubas as mere “followers.” Adamu’s thesis and Governor Kure’s postulates underline the position of the Hausa-Fulani oligarchy in its quest for hegemony in Nigeria. Ahmadu Bello, the then Premier of Northern Nigeria, and the Sardauna of Sokoto, once stated in mid 1964 that the Otman Dan Fodio empire will extend to all parts of Nigeria - from the Sahara to the Atlantic. From the Saduana of Sokoto to Muhammed Adamu to Governor Kure, we have a consistent policy of the Northern elite vis-à-vis its strategy on the acquisition of political power. The architects of this strategy and their supporters are not concerned with the prerequisites of good governance and the construction of a genuine federal polity in Nigeria. No. They just want power for the sake of power. They will continue to use their alleged superior “numbers” to impose a leadership on Nigeria, irrespective of the quality of that leadership. For Governor Kure and his Northern group, the debate is not about federalism, jurisdictions of the federating units, policies, programmes, etc., but electoral NUMBERS. To base the construct of a federal democratic polity on this element is a disgraceful commentary on the caliber of leaders in contemporary Nigeria. By relying on falsified electoral numerical strength as a determinant for political power, rather than on the qualities of good governance responsive to the demands of the population, Governor Kure and his sponsors are emphasizing the reasons why Nigeria is regarded as a failed state. The position of Governor Kure is representative of that of the Northern ruling elite. It is precisely because of this position that we will continue to demand for the re-structuring of Nigeria as a truly federal polity, where the independence of the federating units will be recognized as fundamental to the survival of Nigeria. Those that resist the re-structuring of Nigeria seem contend with keeping the people of the Niger Delta entrapped in a forced political system. Not until the federating units exercise exclusive jurisdiction over their natural resources under a genuine federal system in Nigeria, the instability of the polity will remain inevitable. O. Igho Natufe, PhD. Chairman, SSPA-NA Clement Ikpatt Secretary, SSPA-NA
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Posted by Robot| 25.05.2006 19:49