Governor Aminu Bello Masari of. Katsina State, has said that
danger looms for northern children if northerners fail to wake up from their
slumber.
According to Governor Masari, the lifestyle of citizens from
the region coupled with the looming population explosion is bound to escalate
the plight of children in the area if nothing is done urgently.
While drawing comparison with their southern counterparts,
using two key demographic variables, marriage and birth rate, Masari said about
80 per cent of men in the south stick to one wife while the same percentage of
men in the north marry two to four wives.
Governor Masari made the remarks while declaring open the
“Katsina Future Summit” organised by a coalition of non-governmental
organisations known as “Save Katsina Group” to orchestrate a dependable future
for people of the state.
Similarly, according to the Governor, the average number of
children a person from the south is likely to have is three while the average
in the north is about nine.
Consequent upon this, Governor Masari warned that to
continue walloping in the old order may worsen the living standard of people
from the north, particularly children and by implication, the entire nation.
To that effect, Masari is calling on his fellow northerners
to rise up to seek and apply the required knowledge to tame the menace of the
looming population explosion.
“In 1987, when Katsina was created, the population was about
3.8 million. How many years today, we are talking about 8 million.
“That land of Katsina that was 500 years ago is still the
same land. It has not increased in size but has increased in population.
“So, how do we conquer the situation, accommodate ourselves,
our future children and grandchildren without the requisite educational
knowledge?
“Gentlemen, we need to sit up. The challenges of the future
with population explosion and with the character and nature of Hausa man which
is totally different from the culture and traditions of our southern partners.
“What is the average of a person per child if you go to
Lagos and other southern parts? It is an average of 3 to 1.
What is the average here in the Northwest, Northeast and
others? A woman gives birth to the average of 9 here in the North.
“What is the average age of marriage? 80% marry one wife in
the south while in the North, 80% percent marry from two to four. Multiply the
numbers and see for yourself.
“If we continue in this way obviously out of school children
and abandoned children are going to be much more,” Governor Masari queried.
In the same vein, Masari further admonished youths to “work
very hard against the menace of drugs and other intoxicants” which he said is
one of the major factors fuelling banditry in the north.
“Everyone of us, we owe a debt to the society that we come
from: to the villages, to the communities, to the houses, to the families and
even to ourselves.
“The society belongs to all of us. Leadership is about the
wisdom of the old and the energy of the youths blended together that is what
makes a very good progressive, enterprising, developmental community or
society.
“What is fuelling banditry in our communities? What is
fuelling criminality in our communities? We must stand up against the evil
criminality of drugs
From the experience we have gathered within the last six
years, we have seen the role of drugs influencing some of these bad behaviours
and actions to the youths. We must work very hard against the misuse of drugs
and other intoxicants,” Governor Masari added
The Coordinator of Save Katsina Group in the state, Comrade
Hamza Umar Saulawa speaking with Journalists at the two days summit, held at
the state’s Local Government Service Commission’s Conference Hall said the
summit was necessitated by the alien challenges the state is currently
experiencing.
“We decided to come up with the summit after a long
brainstorming discussion and identification of problems.
“You know Katsina is one of the true pillars in Nigeria when
it comes to education, hospitality, peace and security.
But unfortunately, for some couple of years now, we’re at
the back. That’s why we say let us all come together and identify the problems,
where and how it started.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com