President Muhammadu Buhari
The former Zone 2 Kaduna Central Senatorial aspirant, and who is currently the National President of Arewa Consultative and Synergy Congress.-ACSC, Engr Dr Harris Jibril, has said the only reason the North is backward, and regarded as a liability, is because it’s real potentials are yet to be fully harnessed.
He said if the North were to live up to its potential, the South would realize that it needed the North more than the North needed it.
Engr Harris who made the statement in a post shared on his Twitter handle, went further to do a breakdown analysis of the potentials of the North, and how it could succeed without the South should the country end split.
In fact, according to Dr Harris, the South stands to lose should the North breaks away from Nigeria today, adding that no single person is afraid of a breakup of the country. He disclosed that the hatred directed at the Fulani and all that the North represents can ruin the secessionist groups once the North pulls out of “the union called Nigeria.”
”Looking at everything, it’s not all together a bad thing for the North to secede from Nigeria,” Engr Harris said.
“The North is the only region in Nigeria that practically has everything, yet its people suffer the most, with most hope dashed, gross underproductive young population and betrayal of the elite. “The North is the single largest supplier of raw materials in all Nigerian industries, from food, the clothes to shelter through cement and other building materials available in the northern rocks.
“The North has gold, silver, diamond, tin, copper, lime, gypsum, coal, magnesium, potassium, etc. and even uranium in abundance all over the area. “A litre of groundnut oil and cotton is more expensive that a litre of oil, and it has unimaginable chain value for production in different industries, from pharmaceuticals to detergents, etc.”
While talking about the ranching of cattle which has contributed to the tension in the country recently, Dr Harris said, “The cows that some few people condemn is over 20 million in number in Nigeria, when properly harnessed and utilised. If a quarter of this number can produce a litre of milk a day, it means the North will have 5 million litres of milk per day, each litre is N350, much more than a litre of fuel. “This notwithstanding the endless value chain of milk processing in different industries. A cow, from its feed to all parts of its body including its dung is a source of value, thus a cow is wealth in all ramifications. All we need is to harness its value.”
About the natural features, landscape, forests and the entire geographical structure, he said “The North has River Niger, connecting all the way from Guinea mountains to, over Kebbi, Niger, Kogi and Deltas as it approaches the ocean where it’s called the Niger-Delta.
“The North can still reach the ocean through Borgu to Benin Republic down to Atlantic Ocean. More students from the North studied in the Benin universities than the indigenes of Benin and more northern traders travel to Cotonou than any other Nigerians, hence a trade pact will be easy for the North. “The North can dredge the River Niger through Benin and connect to the Atlantic Ocean or create a super highway through Niger Republic to Guinea down to Atlantic Ocean, thus the North has more ways to access the ocean than all other regions in Nigeria.
“The North controls the flow of the River Niger. If the North chooses to erect a barricade for the flow of river Niger to the east, all the rivers like Imo River, Onisha River, rivers in the delta with drinkable water and fresh fish will cease and the water flow will dry up. All the North needs to do is to create an artificial lake and reservoirs to use the water for agriculture and power generation.
“The North has all the major forests in Nigeria, from Borgu Forest, to Felgore Forest, to Yankari Forest to Gashaka Forest to Sambisa Forest down, which have the longest stretch to Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya through Central Africa. Thus the North has it all.
“The North has the River Benue, which flows through practically all states in the northeastern Nigeria to the Middle Belt, flowing from Faro to Gerio to Lake Doe and Lake Chad, linking Cameroon and Chad to the East, Niger and Benin to the West, one of the longest river strings in Africa, all nosing at the North.
“The North has rivers in almost all the states, from Dadin Kowa to Tiga, from Numan River to Yobe River from River Taraba to River Kaduna; all these make a navigable and irrigatable river lines that can sustain agricultural activities through all seasons.”
He also lamented about the crops and political and economic allies which he said the northern people have.
“Trust me, if, perhaps we have constitutional provisions for a referendum, any region, especially Biafra, if they chose Nnamdi Kanu than a union of Nigeria, the North will most emphatically welcome the outcome. It’ll be a huge relief.
“The North has its source of energy, both artificial and natural, through dams, coal, solar, winds and even nuclear, including oil and gas deposits in Gongola Basin, Sokoto Basin, Lake Chad Basin, Benue, Kogi and Niger states. The North has its source of food, lands for housing, educational system, healthcare systems, political systems, its foreign policy with natural allies, etc., all its need is proper economic system away from the cheap and very scarce, poverty inducing oil.
“The North has never served as slaves and never seeks independence because it has been independent for as long as it is there. Thus the North cannot start from the beginning nor the North to ever tolerate some warlord parading as messiahs, because the North knows governance, systems, policies and principles of tolerance and respect.
“The North may choose to remain Nigerian, in the meantime and considering of the natural divisibility that was Designed by the Almighty Creator…it will be a relief for sure.