By Nosa Omorogbe

Let's be very frank with ourselves. Is there any longer, in real sense of the word, any geographical entity call the North in Nigeria of today? Sometime in 1998, a friend of mine argued that the North never existed, that it starts and ends in the mouths or pockets of those who invoke it. It was only when I reminded him of the days of the Sardauna (Sir Ahmadu Bello) that he reviewed his stance and accepted or recognized, even if grudgingly, the North. A few months later, I left for England for my postgraduate studies, returning to Nigeria, my fatherland, precisely two months ago. Upon going through past Nigerians newspapers and magazines, I stumbled upon an article published in Thisday newspaper, entitled Superiority of North over South by Mr. Nuhu Obaje, who I once encountered in Germany. In it, the man carpeted the South and painted the North, his North, in rich colours. On a deep reflection, I decided to equally write on those values that elevate the South above the North. In doing this, I deliberately choose not to directly join issues with Mr. Obaje. I am indeed relieved that in his write-up, Mr. Obaje has admitted that 'the North has its weaknesses', to quote him. To me, these weaknesses are really too many that one cannot explore or discuss them, except perhaps, in a book meant for that purpose, and which I am deciding to write.

My study of the matter has shockingly revealed that in the whole wide world, no society has exhibited as much dislike or even hatred for itself than Northern Nigeria. The statistics are there. Of the eleven (or twelve, if you want to include Obasanjo's second coming) people that ruled Nigeria, eight are northerners. Yet, that part of the country has got nothing to show for it. It parades the lowest literacy rate, lowest life expectancy ratio and breeds about all the beggars in the country. Dominic Oneya, a retired brigadier general and now chair. man, Nigeria Football Association, had cause to lament that of all the indigenes that came to him when he was governor of Kano State, all were begging for personal favours. None ever asked of something that the larger society could benefit from They were all feathering their nests. Even when it comes to economic looters, southerners are more sympathetic. A few years ago, a commissioner in one of the south-eastern states stole some powerful electricity generators. On inquiry, it was discovered that rather than selling or keeping them for his own personal use as many a northerner would do, he had taken them to his village and was supplying the whole of it with electricity.

How could anyone believe of one North when leaders of one part of the so-called North would criticize President Obasanjo for appointing indigenes of other areas of the same North, disregarding the appointments as being against northern interests? One wonders what these interests are or whom they represent.

The south is far ahead of the North educationally, not because of earlier access to education, but because the ich and the wealthy in the south contribute to community education, In the South, many government schools are financed by the community. This is aside from thousands of others wholly owned and maintained by the community. This is why in 1999, for example, only about 5,000 candidates applied for the J.M.E. in the whole north, when more than 45,000 applied in Ogun State alone.

A southerner in influential position in government could not be fully absorbed or accepted back in the community unless he advanced the cause of the society with his position. In the south, the amount of respect accorded one is determined by your contribution to nation building. In the North, same is determined by the number of beautiful mansions, cars and wives one has. I understand that in the North, some rich men spend millions of Naira to marry a beautiful girl, even when his parents and relations and neighbours are dying of hunger. A doctor friend of mine, a northerner, told me that every day, hundreds of northerners die in northern hospitals because they could not afford as little as N100 with which to buy basic drugs. Yet, I know of many rich northerners who would fly to European or American hospitals for catarrh.

Virtually all the Nigerians making breakthroughs in the developed world are southerners. This is simply because the southern rich are not myopic or selfish. They compete to out-do one another in the number of scholarships offered indigenes and the likes. In the South, our leaders do not allow us to die with our brilliant ideas. They make sure we realize our beautiful dreams. They do not pay lip service. They do not deceive. And if a rich neighbour sponsors your ideas or education, especially in foreign centres of learning as is common in the South, you would be in a position to equally sponsor at least your younger one in a few years’ time, This has made it possible that there is hardly a southern family that is not represented in Europe or America.

Such is the generous disposition of southerners.

In another vein, while southerners have the foresight and can take the risk to invest in invisible projects and industries, an average northern businessman would rather remain a trader by investing in commodity, selling rice and other provisions. If the South is more enlightened and civilized, it is because it has more schools, more media establishments and other means of sourcing information. These things do not just spring from nowhere. They are provided and jealously nurtured to fruition.

Today, the south easterners have managed to carve out a niche for themselves by being the most industrious people in the country, besides being business wizards. The south-westerners are the most educated and informed people in the country. What of the North? Power domination, as Maitama Sule (Nigeria's former permanent representative to U.N.) would say? Left to the North, Nigeria's rulers could be as repressive as they want. They could kill at will.

They could loot all the money in the land. No one would raise a finger. It took only the gallant efforts of southerners to stop Babangida and later Abacha at the height of their madness. Until the North, particularly its leaders and rich sons become more receptive to its teeming populace, there is no way the North can catch up with the South in any sphere of human development; not to talk of its being superior to South. The way things stand that could only serve a mind focused on self-deceit and idle thoughts.

Omorogbe is a Lagos-based medical practitioner.

Culled from Concern Magazine, May 2000.