The former vice chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja (NOUN), Professor Abdallah Uba Adamu, Monday called on the leadership of the Northern Reform Organisation (NRO) to make concerted effort in saving the Northern part of the country from drifting in the face of the current dismal happenings permeating the region.
Delivering a lecture entitled, ‘The North, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’, organised by the Northern Reform Organization (NRO) which had in attendance notable gurus from the academia, technocrats, politicians and respected opinion leaders and held at Mambayya House, Kano , Adamu stated that unless a paradigm shift is effected, the North would continue to remain at the lower rung of the ladder.
He stated further that the most grueling challenge northerners were currently facing was to return to the days when notable nationalists of repute like the late Sir Ahamadu Bello and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa were calling the shots in the corridors of power.
He added that up till the end of their sojourn, they were seen as paragons of national unity and cohesion.
He pointed out that with its abundant treasures, the north is at an ample liberty to determine the fate of the country, taking into cognisance the nationalistic fervor of Sir Ahamadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa and others. He wondered why such an opportunity would not be properly used for the region to excel and appreciably prosper.
The university lecturer also chided the conventional media in the country for portraying the north in bad light either on reason of dancing to the whims and caprices of those who owned them or on tribal and religious sentiments.
He affirmed with the owners of the media engaging in such a negative spin, the cause of preaching the gospel of unity would be defeated.
Speaking in the same vein, a renowned elder statesman and politician, Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa, said leadership without credibility is a sham and that upholding public trust is what is most needed and expected from those calling the shots in the corridors of power.
He lamented that some leaders in positions of authority tend to relegate those who voted them to power to the background.
He stated that it is highly regrettable for those breaching public trust to be treated as heroes, forgetting that those who voted them to power are not slaves positing that there should be no master-servant relationship under whatever guise.
In his remarks, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, said the northern part of the country is in the grip of insecurity and hardship accentuated by the persistent exploits of armed bandits wreaking havoc on innocent citizens. He added that with collective effort, commitment and sacrifice, the spate of armed banditry would be drastically curtailed.
Speaking earlier, the chairman, NRO, Alhaji Gidado Mukhtar, said the organisation was created to come up with formidable innovations and blueprint aimed at addressing knotty issues affecting the survival of the region in every sphere of human endeavour .
He said with the caliber of prominent personalities running its affairs, it is poised to achieve the desired objectives.
