Gora Albehu Dauda
“ There can be no delusion more destructive than self delusion “
Once upon a time in this country, there was the vox populi which suggested that the political North of this contraption called Nigeria particularly the North Western part that “ They are born to rule “. Because our History is not too long, folks from that part of Nigeria believed that rubbish, but are they to blame? The seed of this falsehood was planted not by bona fide Nigerians but by an itinerant and stateless bunch who ended up in the cause of their wondering found accommodation somewhere in the far Northwest corner of Nigeria in what is today Kebbi State pretending to be Islamic clerics.
These guys were to later exploit the inherent weakness of the local Hausa ruling local elite to executing a revolt which ended up in the overthrow of the Hausa leadership under the guise of purifying Islam. The claimed that the Fulani brought Islam to that part of today’s Nigeria as has severally been claimed by some later day Historians is untrue since the Islamic faith had been practiced many years earlier having been introduced earlier through the Kanem Bornu empire. Had the Fulani remained true to the dubious claim of cleaning up the practice of Islam and not digressed to the pursuit of political power using the mechanism of a Jihad, perhaps history would have been much kinder to then.
Prior to the arrival of the Fulani power seekers, there existed 7 vibrant Hausa Kingdoms identified to include Kano, Zaria or Zazzau, Katsina, Daura, Biram, Gobir and Rano. There were 7 other largely non Hausa Kingdoms regarded as not truly Hausa and were called Banza Bakwai States which included Kabbi, Kwararafa, Yoruba, Gwari, Nupe, Yawuri and Zamfara. The whirlwind of the Usman Dan Fodio led Jihad succeeded in putting almost all of the Hausa and Banza Bakwai kingdom under, not necessarily via the mechanism of ermed engagements but in many a case treachery and betrayal from within. In each case, Usman Dan Fodio supplanted the local leadership by appointing his own blood relations or trusted follower in their places it then became very clear that the so-called Jihad was simply a power grab. That was the situation before European explorers, Missionaries, Marchantilist arrived the scene.
The above paragraphs provide a veritable historical background to the basket case that the modern Nigerian State got into being. The colonizing British found it very convenient to making the Fulani administrative system known as the Emirate system the fulcrum of what became known as the Indirect rule. The currency of doing business in all of Northern Nigeria was the Indirect rule which directly subsumed the interests of the many ethnic nationalities under a feudal carpet. From that period, the largely Fulani leadership saw themselves as well above the others. Inspired over time by the erroneous notion that Usman Dan Fodio bequeathed not only the whole of what was the North of Nigeria but the whole of what became Nigeria in due time as a part of their WAR BOOTY. Any surprise therefore to the boisterous proclamations and claims that became the narrative of Fulani non State actors not limited to Miyetti Allah and MACBAN?
At no time did the dubious claim by the Fulani settlers become loudest than during the 8 wasteful years of Muhammadu Buhari. It became very clear even to the unsuspecting that an evil agenda would unfold in the course of the Buhari leadership. That agenda did unfold for unknown to non Fulani, a secret pact had been agreed under which Fulani tribesmen officially armed were unleashed on hapless farming communities mostly in the North. The security crises which ensued was not limited to the North but was extended to the littoral parts of this trapped political space. With the grand Commander of this evil plot entrenched in Aso Rock, effectively closing his ears and eyes to the suffering of the victim communities. The convenient cover up of Settler Farmers clashes was created to mask what was happening. The question that ought to have been asked was “ Why Fulani/Farmers clashes”? Who intruded into another’s territory or sphere of influence? The Fulani leaders knew the answers but chose to play the ostriches. Many innocent peasant farmers were put to the sword by the Fulani in the cause of defending their crops and farmlands yet the Nigerian State looked on without concern. This is how Nigeria fared during 8 years of Muhammadu Buhari as president of the Republic. Until the current leadership resolves tje.vexatious question nof open grazing, the clashes are set to continue. The question here is why must the herders be grazing their cattle within the proximity of people’s farmlands?
All along, the North of this country particularly the political Northwest has deluded itself that they are born to rule as claimed some years back. This was in utter disregard to the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution. Such claims have now been laid bare with the political state of affairs in Nigeria as things currently stand today. When Muhammadu Buhari was in power, all that concerned him was advancing the interest of his Fulani kinsmen. Now that power has moved elsewhere and he is now referred to once more as former this and former that, he must now believe in the transient nature of power. He must now be worried that some of the round pegs he forced into square holes will be pulled out as is already happening. The new Oga in charge has a duty to also protect the interest of the other ethnic nationalities in this country. It is well beyond the shred of the doubt that the Northern elites thought only what would benefit them and their immediate families but not the geographical North. I listened attentively to an online audio conversation now viral in which the current leader of the Federation was said to have lamented that the Northern elite were not concerned about the North. Their interest lay in which CONTRACT they were expecting to benefit from the present leadership. The currency president was referenced as having lamented that out of over 50 of such so-called Northern elites, only 2 made request to the president as to what they were asking on behalf of the North. What a SHAME!
It is now very clear that Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership was calibrated to benefit only his Fulani kinsmen. Almost every political and economic frontline was occupied by the Fulani. Most of those appointees did not disappoint because as it is now evident, they plunged themselves into plundering from the public till. Now that the Books are being opened, there will be no hiding places for the thieving former and possibly those officials remaining, at least for the present in their positions. If the present occupant of Aso Rock were to play the same ethnic card, the North will be the worse for it for very clearly the Muhammadu Buhari leadership was not fair to all Nigerians. To God Be The Glory.
