Our Correspondent
Kaduna
The former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa and prominent rights activist in the North, Naja’atu Muhammed have lamented over the plight of the region, as they urged youth to come together and reclaim it’s lost glory.
The duo condemned the decline in the political and economic fortune of the north since the collapsed of the first republican Government, as they advised the Northern youth to come together, and rescue the region from extinction.
Meanwhile, against the myriad sociopolitical and economic predicaments bedeviling the entire region, the two political figures have established a non governmental organization, Northern Star Youth Empowerment Initiative (NSYE) to boost the potentials the youths.
At a press conference held at Arewa House, Kaduna yesterday, the former Sokoto Governor, Bafarawa said, it is disheartening that, the Northern region which is the stabilizing factor of corporate Nigeria is at its lowest ebb in term of all socio economic indices since the fall of the first Republic.
He blamed the political, business, traditional, intellectual and security elites who sat and fold their arms while the region declined in it’s fortune, saying that this informed the reason the “initiatives to galvanized the youths to take a lead in returning the region to it’s past glory.”
Bafarawa said: “we understood the task is enormous and tedious but we will do whatever is humanly possible to see the revival of youths in bringing the region to what is right and best for the whole nation.”
He lamented on the attitude of many Northern elites whom through their attitudes over the years have shown indifference and “are only concerned with accumulation of ill-gotten wealth on the detriment of their own people and the region.”
The former governor then charged the youths to take the initiative with vigour, and all seriousness, saying, “so that, a torch ignited would light their path for Northern greatness irrespective of religious, ethnic or any personal sentiments.”
Besides, the Co-Chairman of the occasion of the launch of NSYE, Hajiya Naja’atu Mohammed said that the vision seeks to ignite a transformative era for Northern Nigeria.
She explained that the gathering is not just to announce the launching of an organisation, but to also declare a movement, “the NSYE as a rallying call to every young person in Northern region.”
Hajia Mohammed however argued that the movement is not a political movement and will at no point be used for political purposes.
The Co-founder further stressed that the current realities in region “extends beyond politicisation of security, social, and economic challenges for whatever purpose, hence our role as the elders of the North is to as much as possible give the young people a navigational pathway towards the progress and development of the region as a whole.”
“Leadership in any sane society plays a critical role in the education, mentoring, empowerment and engagement of the younger generation to ensure their effervescent energy and intelligence are channeled towards positive habits and results,” she said.
“This is a universal norm and we in North cannot be an exception Our region is today going through difficulties. We are at a crossroad faced with profound challenges,” she added.
Mohammed further said, “these challenges require bold and innovative solutions that will require significant contribution and collaboration between our leaders and our youth”.
Mohammed then spelt out the objectives which she admitted , “are clear , to galvanize and harness the mental and physical strength of every single individual across the Northern region for the purpose of achieving a common objective, which is the social and economic development of Northern Nigeria.”
She added: “on the face of it all, Northern Nigeria’s fast expanding population structure with a preponderant youths base is potentially an economic asset. It presents a leverage and an opportunity for the Northern leadership to put in place a reliable framework for harnessing this abundant potential for growth and sustainability “.
She further stressed, “its an opportunity for the most populous black nation in the world, that is Nigeria to become a global economic and political powerhouse, but sadly,64 years after political independence, we seem to have been squandering countless opportunities for greatness, leadership being the most to blame for all our visible failures.
