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We’re all victims of
colonisation –Sanusi
...Sanusi faults Olaniwun Ajayi on Northern domination
By DURO ADESEKO
Friday, November 20, 2009
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•Sanusi
Lamido Sanusi
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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The Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, surprised guests
present at the Musom Centre for the launching of the book of Sir
Lanihun Ajayi at the MusoN Centre in Lagos.
The book titled: “Nigeria, Africa’s failed asset?”
attracted many important dignitaries, intellectuals and some governors.
The argument by discussants centered on whether or not the colonial
masters laid the foundation for the problems Nigeria is currently
facing. Many argued that the British loved the North and that was
why it gave more than 5o percent of the National Assembly seats
to the North at independence.
Sanusi, however, stole the show when he spoke. His speech was anchored
on the plank that the British and Nigerian rulers are responsible
for the state of the situation Nigeria finds itself today.
Below is his unedited speech.
“Let me start by saying that I am Fulani (laughter). My grandfather
was an Emir and therefore I represent all that has been talked about
this afternoon. Sir Ajayi has written a book. And like all Nigerians
of his generation, he has written in the language of his generation.
“My grandfather was a Northerner, I am a Nigerian. The problem
with this country is that in 2009, we speak in the language of 1953.
Sir Olaniwun can be forgiven for the way he spoke, but I can not
forgive people of my generation speaking in that language.
“Let us go into this issue because there are so many myths
that are being bandied around.
Before colonialism, there was nothing like Northern Nigeria. Before
the Sokoto Jihad, there was nothing like the Sokoto caliphate. The
man from Kano regard himself as Abakani. The man from Zaria was
Abazasage. The man from Katsina was Abakani. The kingdoms were at
war with each other. They were Hausas, they were Muslims, they were
killing each other.
“The Yoruba were Ijebu, Owo, Ijesha, Akoko, Egba. When did
they become one? When did the North become one? You have the Sokoto
Caliphate that brought every person from Adamawa to Sokoto and said
it is one kingdom. They now said it was a Muslim North.
“The Colonialists came, put that together and said it is now
called the Northern Nigeria. Do you know what happened? Our grand
fathers were able to transform to being Northerners. We have not
been able to transform to being Nigerians. The fault is ours.
Tell me, how many governors has South West produced after Awolowo
that are role models of leadership? How many governors has the East
produced like Nnamdi Azikiwe that can be role models of leadership?
How Many governors in the Niger Delta are role models of leadership?
Tell me. There is no evidence statistically that any past of this
country has produced good leaders.
You talk about Babangida and the economy. Who were the people in
charge of the economy during Babangida era? Olu Falae, Kalu Idika
Kalu. What state are they from in the North?
“We started the banking reform; the first thing I heard was
that in Urobo land, that there will be a course of the ancestors.
I said they (ancestors) would not answer. They said why? I said
how many factories did Ibru build in Urobo land? So, why will the
ancestors of the Urobo people support her?
“We talk ethnicity when it pleases us. It is hypocrisy. You
said elections were rigged in 1959, Obasanjo and Maurice Iwu rigged
election in 2007. Was it a Southern thing? It was not.
“The problem is: everywhere in this country, there is one
Hausa, Ibo, Yoruba and Itshekiri man whose concern is how to get
his hands on the pile and how much he can steal.
Whether it is in the military or in the civilian government, they
seat down, they eat together. In fact, the constitution says there
must be a minister from every state.
“So, anybody that is still preaching that the problem of Nigeria
is Yoruba or Hausa or Fulani, he does not love Nigeria. The problem
with Nigeria is that a group of people from each and every ethnic
tribe is very selfish. The poverty that is found in Maiduguri is
even worse than any poverty that you find in any part of the South.
The British came for 60 years and Sir Ajayi talked about few numbers
of graduates in the North (two at independence). What he did not
say was that there was a documented policy of the British when they
came that the Northerner should not be educated. It was documented.
It was British colonial policy. I have the document. I have published
articles on it. That if you educate the Northerner you will produce
progressive Muslim intellectuals of the type we have in Egypt and
India. So, do not educate them. It was documented. And you say they
love us (North).
“I have spent the better part of my life to fight and Dr.
(Reuben) Abati knows me. Yes, my grandfather was an Emir. Why was
I in the pro-democracy movement fighting for June 12? Is (Moshood)
Abiola from Kano? Why am I a founding director of the Kudirat Initiative
for Nigerian Development (KIND)?
“There are good Yoruba people, good Igbo people, good Fulani
people, good Nigerians and there are bad people everywhere. That
is the truth.
“Stop talking about dividing Nigeria because we are not the
most populous country in the world. We have all the resources that
make it easy to make one united great Nigeria. It is better if we
are united than to divide it.
“Every time you talk about division, when you restructure,
do you know what will happen? In Delta, Area, the people in Warri
will say Agbor, you don’t have oil. When was the Niger Delta
constructed as a political enlity? Ten years ago, the Itshekiris
were fighting the Urobos. Isn’t that what was happening? Now
they have become Niger Delta because they have found oil. After,
it will be, if you do not have oil in your village then you can
not share our resources.
“There is no country in the world where resources are found
in everybody’s hamlet. But people have leaders and they said
if you have this geography and if we are one state, then we have
a responsibility for making sure that the people who belong to this
country have a good nature.
“So, why don’t you talk about; we don’t have infrastructure,
we don’t have education, we don’t have health. We are
still talking about Fulani. Is it the Fulani cattle rearer or is
anybody saying there is no poverty among the Fulani?”, he
said
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