Northern Feudalism and Southern Kaduna

 Nasir Ahmad El - Rufai

Kaduna State Governor

One of my happiest days in the University was the day Chinua  Achebe lmalicious.y General Studies class. Typical Achebe, he told the class two stories.

One was about Northern Nigeria and the other was about Southern Nigeria.

The North was a study in Feudalism and the South was Democratic.

For the North, he told the class the story of the Snake and the Lizard. He said that the Snake went and bought a horse but did not know how to ride. 

On seeing him, the Lizard asked him to come down and watch him show him how to do it. Indeed, the Lizard galloped majestically. In return and in reward, the Snake reminded him that while it was good to know how to ride a horse, it was better to own one.

For the South, the late master story teller, said that all the animals called for a general meeting to which the cock asked to be excused and in return promised to abide by all the decisions taken at the meeting.

Indeed the animals agreed with his excuse and proceeded with their meeting. When it now came to the item of picking a sacrificial animal it was better to pick an absent animal that had promised to abide by all their decisions than to pick an animal that postponed every other appointment to be present at the meeting.

With respect to the North, the system there which is different from that of the South is that your height and progress depends more on what you are than what you want to be.

If you are royalty, it is so for life. If you are not, then you are little better than outsiders and not other northerners.

In northern Nigeria stratification is based on Religion. The descendants of Usman Dan Fodio take pole position followed by the legitimate states and then the illegitimate States before the Christians.

If southern Kaduna indigenes are being killed perhaps they are refusing to accept their situation. If they now protest, then the Nigerian police who are saddled with internal security will for  all you know be doing them a favour by keeping them in protective custody pending when they realize and accept that their arrest is not malicious but that they are just being protected from being killed by believers.

To stop Northern Christians from polluting the North, the North should know that the principle of self determination is recognized by the UN. They should be allowed Independence.