The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Northern Governor Forum and Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, has described the recent nationwide #Endbadgovernance protest as an “eye opener” and a warning that the north is “sitting on a time bomb”.
Speaking on Channel TV’s ‘Politics Today’ program, Sule said: “This protest that happened recently is an eye opener especially to my colleagues from the north. Even if anybody is not doing anything, it should not be governors from the north. We must do something urgent.”
He emphasized the need for northern governors to take action, saying: “We can’t be blaming other people for our problem. I can’t wait to tell my fellow governors from the north in our next governors’ forum that it is time to look at another’s face as governors from the north and tell one another the truth and say we must do something now.”
Sule also highlighted the issue of Almajiris (child beggars) in the north, stating: “During the last protest in Lafia, majority of those that came out on the streets were Almajiris. Some of them are five, six and seven years old. Lots of them did not even understand the meaning of the protest. When I spoke with them later, I discovered that some of them didn’t even know what they were protesting about.”
He acknowledged that previous efforts to address the issue of Almajiris had failed, but expressed hope that the recent protest would prompt action, saying: “But from what happened recently, I do not believe anybody will criticise the next actions that would be taken on the step to move forward, because as a time bomb, it will come and consume all of us.”
Sule identified education as a major problem in the north, stating: “One major problem in the north is education. When people do not have education and economic empowerment, they will continue to behave the way the Almajiris behave during the last protest.”
He emphasized the need for honesty and action among northern leaders, saying: “We must be honest with ourselves. We must face each another and say, sir marrying so so and so number of wives, having so so and so number of children when you cannot take care of them is wrong.”
Sule also commended President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to increase revenue allocation, saying: “No state can say that their revenue has not multiplied by two. In the past, the total revenue shared was around N600 billion or N620 billion maximum. Today, the total amount being shared stands at N1.1 trillion to N1.3 trillion. Every state, including the federal government, is receiving improved revenue. Thank you, Mr. President, for allowing it to happen like that.”
