Nationwide President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Council, Zaid Ayuba, speaks to MUHAMMED LAWAL on the financial hardship confronted by Nigeria, debate on the necessity to restructure the nation, amongst different points
What have been the Arewa Youth Consultative Council’s achievements up to now?
One of many basic issues we now have achieved within the northern a part of Nigeria since our creation in 2012 is that we have been in a position to create an attitudinal orientation for the northern youths throughout the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory. We created consciousness for the youths; we campaigned to enlighten the youths that lots is anticipated of them. Additionally, we have been in a position to obtain within the space of human growth the place we skilled 124,000 youths throughout the northern states in varied areas of talent acquisition like welding, barbing, tailoring, plumbing, and different issues that should do with human capability constructing.
Many individuals have been of the opinion that former President Muhammadu Buhari left a nasty economic system for President Bola Tinubu. It’s believed that that is the explanation Nigerians are going through the present financial downturn. Do you suppose the previous president is the genesis of those financial challenges?
This can be a political query, and we’re not a political organisation. Nonetheless, all democratic leaders in Nigeria from (Olusegun) Obasanjo, (Umaru) Yar’Adua, (Goodluck) Jonathan, (Muhammadu) Buhari to (Bola) Tinubu are all accountable for the financial issues of Nigeria, however since 2015 until date, among the financial insurance policies of the previous and this present administration are blunders. It’s because, as a youth chief representing the youths within the 19 northern states, a few of these financial insurance policies particularly throughout the tenure of President Buhari and the present authorities are the explanation behind the escalation of insecurity.
it not solely from the financial angle but in addition from social, non secular, and political angles, you’ll realise that the closure of borders with out the supply of different alternative routes for the citizenry will quantity to a number of issues and enhance struggling. People who find themselves complaining that President Buhari laid the muse of this struggling have each cause to take action. Throughout his tenure, a number of loans in billions have been collected and on the finish of the day, they weren’t accounted for. A number of insurance policies just like the naira redesign by Godwin Emefiele and the closure of borders have brought about loopholes within the nation’s economic system.
Many individuals imagine that there is no such thing as a non secular tolerance within the North. How do you react to this?
These are simply media speculations. No one can say that in northern Nigeria, there’s non secular intolerance. It is just a social glitch that occurs from time to time on account of political elements. The complexities and multidimensional nature of northern Nigeria influence this. Nonetheless, there’s relative peace in northern Nigeria. From time to time, in some components of Plateau, Benue, and Kaduna states, there was once glitches. It’s not true that Muslims kill Christians or Christians kill Muslims. What’s true is that politicians are creating pointless causes to breach the relative peace we now have in northern Nigeria as a result of they need to obtain their political achieve. As an illustration, in a state like Kaduna, you possibly can see that insecurity and spiritual disaster have fully stopped. There may be political insincerity to wipe away these crises. In Plateau and Benue States, if the political, non secular, and conventional leaders and stakeholders come collectively to agree on ending these challenges by the top of 2024, these points will grow to be a factor of historical past.
Some have stated that because the conclusion of the 2023 presidential election, there have been tribal assaults and ethnic chauvinism. Additionally, it has been speculated that northerners can’t vote for an Igbo presidential candidate. This was stated to have been demonstrated within the final presidential election. What do you say to this?
In case you comply with the antecedent of Nigerian political historical past, you’ll realise that within the First Republic, the northern a part of Nigeria was an ally of the South-East. It was the Igbo who alongside the road drifted away from the political nature of Nigeria. Politics is a wedding; you can’t afford to marry somebody who doesn’t have the identical ideology as you. The Igbo can produce a president in Nigeria; no person has ever stated they can’t. What we’re saying is that no person can grow to be the president of Nigeria with out the help of one of many three zones. For the Igbo to supply a president, they should present that they’re able to grow to be Nigerians, present patriotism, and put aside their agitations. All of us should proceed to be Nigerians as a result of we imagine that in our unity, there exists a selected energy. The northern Nigerians see the South-West as extra of a progressive ally that may obtain nationwide aspirations along with them. Now we have nothing towards them.
Do you help the agitation for restructuring because the North-Central (Center Belt) and different components of Nigeria have been calling for it?
We imagine geographically and politically there’s nothing just like the Center Belt; it’s North-Central, which is etymologically a part of the North. What exists is the northern a part of Nigeria. It’s some political parts who’re agitating for some sort of system. Restructuring is an excellent idea. Earlier than any Nigerian ought to name for it, sure issues should be put in place. Nonetheless, this should be carried out with all mandatory political readiness in order to raised the lives of their folks. United Nigeria and restructuring are good issues for Nigerians if sure issues are being carried out.
Is the Federal Authorities attending to insecurity and financial challenges the way in which it ought to?
I feel the Federal Authorities is attempting its finest. The query of whether or not they’re responding the way in which they need to; no, they aren’t. For each honest nation on the planet, one of many basic issues they do is to attain a safe society. In a rustic the place there’s multidimensional inflation, one can’t even clarify the speed at which costs enhance – rice, trade charges, and a number of others. They’re attempting however they aren’t doing it the way in which they need to.
The borders are closed within the identify of what financial coverage? What financial coverage justifies that? Our safety system could also be offering arms, however when the individuals are hungry and the earnings per capita will not be in actuality with their survival, that’s to say, the federal government is losing its time. After they transfer one step ahead, they take three backward. For the safety of Nigeria, there’s purported to be efficient coordination amongst sure ministries of the federal government.
What is going to you say concerning the steady naira depreciation?
If you inform people who $1 is the same as N1,000, they won’t imagine you. At the moment, don’t be shocked that by the top of February, the greenback might attain N2,000. This is among the insensitivities of the federal government. How will you enable companies just like the Worldwide Financial Fund and others to find out something? To me and others within the North, they appear to be enemies of creating nations like Nigeria. How will Nigeria’s financial system enable the greenback to resolve on the naira? They want to return to former Presidents Yar’Adua and Jonathan’s system on how they received it proper. It’s a disgrace that the currencies that was once lower than the naira in worth at the moment are extra highly effective than the naira.
Do you see this (worldwide companies dictating insurance policies that Nigeria ought to embrace) as a type of colonialism towards the nation?
At the moment, the state of Nigeria is past colonialism; we’re going by means of essential imperialism. The one factor left for this nation is to deliver again the 100-year type of slavery to start out tying ropes onto our necks and dragging us to Europe. You’ll suppose the likes of the US and the UK will not be pleased with it; they’re. We’re rising their economic system whereas killing our economic system. However this time round, we’re fortunate to have some governors who will not be too previous and folks believed will develop the house economic system as a result of they confirmed doggedness and readiness. It’s so painful that we now have loads of alternatives to raised the nation with out making the most of these alternatives.
What’s your view concerning the Federal Authorities’s transfer of some departments within the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria and the Central Financial institution of Nigeria to Lagos State? Do you suppose it’s a plan to relocate authorities companies from the North to the South?
No one within the North anticipated that President Bola Tinubu would approve this sort of try. The Minister of Aviation and CBN governor have given their causes which have been tagged on reducing prices. What sort of reducing value is that? Previous to the Nineteen Sixties, northern Nigeria was the hub of all types of administration. So, how are you going to justify transferring FAAN and the most important models of the CBN again to Lagos State? Why did the President not order the relocation of the Nigeria Nationwide Petroleum Company again to Niger Delta and the entire Ministries of Agriculture again to Benue and Niger States as the most important producers of agricultural meals in Nigeria or the Nigerian Institute of Commerce again to Onitsha or Kano? That is purely political. There may be nothing administrative hooked up to the relocations.
We’re conscious of the South-West growth agenda which is part of the agenda to make the South-West essentially the most developed area in Africa and doubtless on the planet. We will develop not by crippling different components of Nigeria; we must always not try something that can cripple the existence of Nigeria. All of us within the North are indignant on the choice of the President, and if the President proceeds to maneuver these essential sectors, I inform you 2027 is close to, and no person will take it frivolously. Our conventional leaders, ladies, and youths are conscious that it is a political transfer, not an administrative transfer.
The All Progressives Congress has accused the opposition of sponsoring protests towards starvation and financial crunch. Do you suppose the current protests in Niger, Kano, and another states have been sponsored?
Every thing is feasible in Nigeria. Individuals is likely to be sponsored as a result of they’re hungry and there’s poverty within the nation. Nonetheless, I don’t need to imagine that they have been sponsored. Individuals themselves are starting to really feel the influence of a few of these insurance policies which are affecting them. There isn’t any method folks ought to bear the brunt of insufferable situations with out complaining and popping out to indicate their grievances. We’re residents of this nation, and we’re being represented by our mandate. Nigerians are drained and so they imagine they should communicate up as no person may give an account of the quantity of people that died on account of the elimination of gas subsidy.
In Nigeria immediately, many individuals are poor. Those that have automobiles discover it troublesome to gas them due to the hike in gas costs. Our non secular leaders will not be saying sufficient, and political leaders are sitting of their consolation zone and will not be doing sufficient. They’re all pretending as if the whole lot goes properly. Even the standard rulers are afraid as a result of they don’t need to come out and communicate up in order that they won’t be eliminated by these political leaders. The youth leaders representing varied youth organisations are hypocritical sufficient to maintain quiet as a result of they’re afraid of assassination, kidnapping, or political silencing. It’s apparent that Nigerians are getting drained and it’s excessive time the Federal Authorities began resolving these points and addressing them with out political situations.
