Attahiru Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says northern leaders need to provide the region with good and selfless leadership.
Jega who made the statement at the Maitama Sule Leadership Lecture Series organised by the Coalition of Northern Nigeria (CNG) in Katsina State, said the North has had great leaders in the past, but is now plagued with bad leaders, as is reflected in the region’s development.
Jega blamed the situation on poor leadership, selfishness, lack of vision and ideas on the part of the leaders.
Whether it is poverty, unemployment, insecurity, infant mortality, out-of-school children, poor girl-child education, or even early marriage challenges…everything you can think of, the terrible statistics always come from the northern part of this country,” Jega said.
He described the late Sule, former permanent representative to the United Nations, as a selfless and patriotic Nigerian who served the country well and protected northerners.
Maitama Sule died in July 2017, aged 88.
Jega said erstwhile northern leaders like Sule led the country as youths and did well in protecting and developing the region and ensuring its integrity.
“But several decades later while cherishing these heroes passed memories of leaders, what kind of leadership qualities does the north have now,” he asked.
He called on the youths to develop themselves through active participation in politics in order to prevent vandals from destroying the economy.
Similarly, former Governor of old Kaduna State and elder statesman, late Alhaji Balarabe Musa, has said the North has always been the source of troubles in the country, and will continue to be until illiteracy is effectively tackled.
You know the position of educational development in national growth. This is the reason why the North is a troubled child and has never allowed Nigeria to have peace , unity and progress. It is not possible for the northern people with this unequal human capacity to participate actively in their affairs. They will always be the source of trouble, ” he said.
“We have had many presidents from the North but what benefits have they done to the North?” he added.
