When we in the South say that the Hausa people of Northern Nigeria are our enemies, we really ought to be aware that we are just playing into the divide and rule strategy of the oligarchs who have been the powers behind the throne in Nigeria for decades and who want the North and the South to be suspicious of each so they can play one side against the other and continue to dominate us to our detriment. Now if you are a Southerner, ask yourself, who are these so called Hausa people that are dominating us?
Of the thirteen Prime Ministers, heads of state and Presidents that have either ruled or led Nigeria since her independence from Great Britain in 1960, not one of them have been Hausa by tribe. Tafawa Balewa, our first prime minister was from a small minority tribe called Gere in Bauchi state, known in the singular form as Bagere.
Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi was Igbo by tribe from Abia state.
General Yakubu Gowon is Angas by tribe from Plateau state.
Murtala Mohammed was Fulani from Kano state and President Olusegun Obasanjo is Yoruba from Ogun state.
President Shehu Shagari is a Fulani from Sokoto state.
President Muhammadu Buhari is a Fulani from Katsina state while President Ibrahim Babangida is a Gwari from Niger state.
Ernest Shonekan is Yoruba from Ogun state and Sani Abacha was Kanuri although he claimed Kano as his state because he was brought up there.
Abdulsalami Abubakar is the only Hausa leader we have ever had. Yet was he a dictator? Was he domineering? Capital NO.In office, he was a God-fearing ruler who treated every part of Nigeria equally and ushered in the Fourth Republic which has been our longest democratic experience ever. Abdulsalami is, and was a good man.
Does his image fit the stereotype of the mean and monstrous Hausa man? No! Abdulsalami is more humane than some people who even call themselves clergymen! If he had wanted to stay on in power, you and I would not have been able to stop him. More than President Obasanjo, General Abdulsalami Abubakar is our own Mandela!
After him we had the second, Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration which was succeeded by the Umaru Musa Yar’adua administration.
President Yar’adua was a Fulani from Katsina state. He was succeeded by President Goodluck Jonathan, a minority Ogbia (a minority clan within a minority tribe).
He has been succeeded by President Muhammadu Buhari who is a Fulani from Katsina as previously noted. From the above, some persons may want to adjust Hausa domination and make it Fulani domination, but that again is another Myth! Of the four Fulanis who have either ruled or led Nigeria, two of them were reluctant Presidents. President Shehu Shagari, whom I have met physically, never wanted to be President of Nigeria. That is what he meant by the title of his own autobiography, ‘Beckoned to Serve’. All he wanted was to be a Senator. He was prevailed upon by the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) to run as its flag bearer. He was a reluctant President.
Ditto for the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua. He never wanted to be President. He wanted to retire as a chemistry lecturer in Katsina. He was persuaded by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to be the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and even during the Presidential campaigns of 2007, President Obasanjo campaigned for Yar’adua more than Yar’adua campaigned for himself!
Now of the remaining two Fulani leaders, President Muhammadu Buhari tried three times to be Nigeria’s President and three times he failed because he largely depended on the Hausa-Fulani (there is really nothing like Hausa-Fulani, it is a creation of the Lagos-Ibadan press. You are either Hausa or Fulani). The fact of history is that in 2015, the then candidate Buhari’s victory depended on God who used two Southwestern Yoruba men, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In other words, what the North could not do for President Buhari was done for him by two South-westerners. So ask yourself who is dominating who?
And in fact, Hausa is more of a language than it is a tribe. It is a language that connects the people of Northern Nigeria.
A lot of these people that we in the South view as Hausa are not Hausa. They have their own individual ethnic nationalities.
But when we in the South resist them and band them all as Hausa, they have no choice but to fall back on that identity and unite on it to also resist us in the South.
You cannot expect people you do not like to love you. And government cannot force us to love each other. Government cannot legislate patriotism.
You and I must learn to understand each other and grow to love each whether we are from the North or South. When the oppressed people of Nigeria unite against their oppressors, it is then they will know that the masses are the only dominant power bloc in Nigeria. Until then, enjoy your imaginary Hausa enemies!
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Omokri is the founder of the Mind of Christ Christian Center in California, author of Shunpiking: No Shortcuts to God and Why Jesus Wept and the host of Transformation with Reno Omokri Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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When people that are well read talked u ll know, thank u sir for your brilliant analysis though am not Jonathan follower but I love the way u approach issues.
ReplyDeleteReno, I really don't know why you are trying desperately to divert the attention of Nigerians from the real issue at hand which is "RENO PLEASE SHOW US THE MONEY!!!!"
DeleteYou have since all these days never been able to give an adequate account of your Oga's stewardship. Once again "RENO PLEASE SHOW US THE MONEY!!!!"
PLEASE WHERE IS ALL THE MONEY WE HAVE MADE AS A COUNTRY SINCE YOUR OGA BECAME OGA AT THE TOP!!!!
"RENO PLEASE WHERE IS THE MONEY, PLEASE FOR THE SAKE OF GOD THAT YOU PROFESS, SHOW US THE MONEY!!!!"
You all conspired and callously looted and plundered the Commonwealth of Nigeria and everyone of you absconded abroad and now adding more insults to our injury by engaging the services of unpatriotic and criminal minded youths like yourself to be engaging in all sorts of attempt t distract us.
Well sha, since in Nigeria we know say curse dey work well well, by this, I agree with the contribution that says;
1) This Change shall work indeed work for Nigeria by that special grace of almighty God and to the shame of everyone of you sons of Belial.
2) May God complete the deliverance of Nigeria from utter backwardness in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
3) May the Lord continue to frustrate and reduce to oblivion all the known and secret enemies of Nigeria in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen and Amen.
4) May the Lord erase all the known and secret enemies of Nigeria like human fart in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen and Amen.
TOO WATERY! The narative of the polity among the elites or educated people outside the then Northern Nigeria or in what is today known as northern geo-political zones has never being that "Hausa People" have dominated others. Omokri, you got it wrong. The correct statement, as per the way it has always been said is the "north" or "northern" has dominated others...May be the "Hausa domination" has always been a subconscious thing to you. So when the people are saying something like '' northern domination'' you assume in the subconscious mindset and take it as Hausa people. Or it is that you were not properly schooled in this matter of line of divide and it's terminologies. Secondly, I need to remind you that the major tribes in the southern Nigeria; the Yoruba and Igbo people are very much aware about the ethnic diversity in the north. They are also aware that the major language in AREWA is Hausa. They are also aware that when the north has to take a common stand on national issues, everybody comes together, but you will see a reflection of the culture (language and dressing and by extension religion) of the major nothern ethnic groups, that's the Hausa-Fulani. One thing is sure and that is what you have
ReplyDeleteshown by your piece. You people from the south-south have very little knowledge about the Nigerian naratives until the last six years of Oga Jona
By David from Kogi state
Next time, pay attention to what people say when discussion like this holds and you'll find out that Reno is right. Even if we twist it and say "north", if you go back to the map you'll find out that Niger and Plateau states loosely fit that description of north.
DeleteIt's a fallacy if generalization to say that the people of south -southad no knowledge of the Nigeria narrative till last few years of GEJ. I ask u, how many people from the south south do u know? Omokri has enlighten those that knew...in as much as u are entitled to ur own opinion, the is/are no premise(s) in which u draw ur conclusion that the piece he wrote is "watery.
DeleteGood concept. You are indeed a man of God. God bless you
ReplyDeleteso David are u among the Northern dominating Group? Omokri stated clearly that u don't expect love from a people u don't like!!!
ReplyDeleteReno, I really don't know why you are trying desperately to divert the attention of Nigerians from the real issue at hand which is "RENO PLEASE SHOW US THE MONEY!!!!"
ReplyDeleteYou have since all these days never been able to give an adequate account of your Oga's stewardship. Once again "RENO PLEASE SHOW US THE MONEY!!!!"
PLEASE WHERE IS ALL THE MONEY WE HAVE MADE AS A COUNTRY SINCE YOUR OGA BECAME OGA AT THE TOP!!!!
"RENO PLEASE WHERE IS THE MONEY, PLEASE FOR THE SAKE OF GOD THAT YOU PROFESS, SHOW US THE MONEY!!!!"
You all conspired and callously looted and plundered the Commonwealth of Nigeria and everyone of you absconded abroad and now adding more insults to our injury by engaging the services of
unpatriotic and criminal minded youths like yourself to be engaging in all sorts of attempt to distract us.
Well sha, since in Nigeria we know say curse dey work well well, by this, I agree with the contribution that says;
1) This Change shall work indeed work for Nigeria by that special grace of almighty God and to the shame of everyone of you sons of Belial.
2) May God complete the deliverance of Nigeria from utter backwardness in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
3) May the Lord continue to frustrate and reduce to oblivion all the known and secret enemies of Nigeria in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen and Amen.
4) May the Lord erase all the known and secret enemies of Nigeria like human fart in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen and Amen.