CHASING A RAT WHILE HOUSE ON FIRE An Open Letter to Northerners By Comr Muhammed Bello Ishaq

Sultan Of Sokoto

The Northerners, you have been chasing a rat while your house is on fire. The North is already on fire,instead of making effort to extinguish the fire but you keep dissipating your energy and voices on accusing the South and Jonathan of igniting the fire for you while the fire is incessantly devouring you and destroying your house.

If it is true that Jonathan and the South are the ones who kindled this fire on your house that means Jonathan and the South are your enemies. Between you and your enemies who do you think should extinguish this fire? Are you expecting them to extinguish the fire for you?


You have to extinguish the fire before pointing an accusing finger to anyone.

The Northern leaders have to put the North in order but they failed thereby continue apportioning the blame on Jonathan.

I am not protecting Jonathan here but the truth must be told. The Boko Haram exist since the Obasanjo's era and it keep growing through the Yar'adua's and it continues growing today.

The Northern leaders including the traditional rulers are the most selfish people I know.

All what they care is their family and immediate relatives. The traditional rulers,ranging from the Sultan of Sokoto to Ward Head (Mai anguwa), are usually apportioning traditional titles to criminal politicians and richers with the expectation of contracts, employment opportunities and favours to their close ones. If the employment opportunity comes, they always give it to their close ones. They don't care about the youth in the region. They always hope that their children will be educated and rule the region forever.

These three category of persons are the ones responsible for the Northern predicament. They are:the politicians of the region,the traditional rulers and religious preachers who answer the name "scholars".

Firstly, politicians are the ones that should provide a good leadership which is characterized by justice,equality and selflessness, but they are the ones currently misuse their powers through "I must get power wether righteously or mischievously". Instead of providing education and employment to the youth, they continue using the youth as thugs. They send their children abroad to bag degrees so as to gain lucrative jobs and continue leading the region forever. Have you ever seen a politician's son without a job?

Next is our traditional ruling class, they are useless,cowardly and wealth accumulators. Despite the fact that Northerners are crying that there is no job in this country, have you ever seen a traditional ruler's son without a job?

They have no "common man interest" in their hearts. All what they have in their hearts are pride,vanity and excessive use of powers. All what they can do is to give a useless "title" to a person (perhaps a criminal) if they see he is becoming rich so that he will be financing them occasionally.

The third is the religious preachers, they don't have respect for the common unity of Northerners. They are only expert in dividing people along religious sects and lines. They are also good in interfering in political matters. They usually preach to people "vote Mr. M and don't vote Mr. C". Their family also study abroad and afterwards gain a lucrative job in government because they gather votes for government and always claim to represent common men. Have you ever seen a Sheikh's son without a job?

They use religion as a profession of earning income and favours. They get food and fame through promoting rancour and bitterness.

These three groups of persons are the ones who should collectively extinguish the current fire of Boko-haram in the north but they throw the blame on other people. Yesterday, they said it is a Muhammed Yusuf, today they say it is a CAN and Jonathan then tomorrow they will say it is America and Israel.

While the Northern common men continue respecting and believing them.

To the Northern common men, you have no time for politics or pointing accusing fingers, you have to chase this group of people out before Boko-haram chase out, you have to deal with them before Boko-haram deal with you and finally you have to kill them before Boko-haram kill you. These group of people, Northern politicians,traditional rulers and religious preachers, are the problems of the North and will continue to be a problem to the North.

Signed:
Comrade Muhammed Ishaq,
President Conscious Youth of Nigeria (CYN).