In Nigeria, you are more likely to be classified as a bigot or found guilty of bigotry and, therefore, blacklisted from Federal jobs or contracts for simply identifying or complaining about the bigotry conduct of others. For a start, there is nothing wrong with this essay. The author is simply telling the truth about President Buhari's divided loyalty. In Nigeria, the author is more likely to be blacklisted from Federal jobs for life because of his opinion. The essay, from a Northerner's perspective, projects anti-Northern sentiments. Therefore, he is a bigot. Not President Buhari who has abandoned Lagos/Badagry Expressway, but devoting Billions of our money to fund a rail line and an expressway to the Niger Republic. And that's the Nigerian tragedy. I will explain it. 

As a Northerner or Northern intellectual, the more ardent you are in vilifying Southerners or being disdainful of Southern interests, the faster your climb in Federal establishments. 

Take, for instance, one Dr. Jubril Aminu, when he was the Executive Secretary of the National University Commission. In about a 50-page long memo, he argued against the introduction of free education at all levels under discussion by the Obasanjo-led Military Government. His thesis was that Boko is Haram in the Northern region of Nigeria. His main argument was never on the ability or otherwise of the Federal Govt of Nigeria to fund the program, but on the strength of Northern aversions to western education. He stated unequivocally that implementing the program will make it possible for Southerners who were not able to go to school before because of the payment of school fees, to do so now. On the other hand, his own people, because of their aversion (haram) to Western education (Boko) will not take advantage of the policy. The result, according to him, will widen further the existing educational gaps between North and South. On that ground, the program is not a national priority. Military Head of State, Olusegun Obasanjo, bought his argument hook line and sinkers. And they went further to remove federal government subsidies on student feeding. Maybe some of you will still remember the Ali Must Go student protest. I know we were very young then. And they did something else; Federal Government-funded Schools of Basic Studies sprouted all over Northern Nigeria. 

The same Dr. Aminu was later appointed the VC of Unimaid. And as a VC, he told the world that Southern Lecturers are not welcome in his University. His hiring policy in other of priority was as follow - Northerners, Whites, and Indians. Southerners should not apply. The man later became a Professor, the Minister of Education, and lastly, the Minister of Energy and Petroleum Resources. He collaborated with Northern Technocrats and political leaders to kill the free education at all levels program but went ahead with the Federal Government funded School of Basic Studies all over Northern Nigeria and the aborted Nomadic Education program under President Obasanjo. And no Nigerian politician complain or raise a voice. The only guy that did was the radical lecturer from Uniber, Dr. Festus Iyayi who is now late. But we remember what IBB and the Minister of Education Jubrin Aminu did to him. They went to Iyaro Motor Park, hired some Agberos, and took them to Festu's residence inside Uniber Staff Quarters to remove his belongings. They dumped them at Uniben gate by the roadside. 

Now, let's come to our territory: law, legislation, and the legislative process. 

The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is a beautiful law and it is the latest Nigerian energy regime. As you all know, the Bill has been battling with legislative rigmarole and unproductive shenanigans at the National Assembly for more than 15 years. By the way, Mr. Felix Ayanhruoh wrote about the Bill in one of the Nigerian newspapers. And yours truly did the same in a long essay on the website of the Nigeria Village Square. As a matter of fact, there is nothing wrong with it other than a section in it that provides that 10% of the net profit of the IOC as well as indigenous oil companies doing business in the Niger Delta be paid to a consolidated fund, know as the Host Community Funds. 

In 2014 or so, Nigerian Governors under the Nigeria Governors' Forum, met in Port Harcourt and resolved mong other things, to fast track the passage of the PIB into law. In that case, all the Governors were mandated to exert pressure on their Senators and House members to expedite the process of the passage of the Bill into law. Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State was the Chairman of the Governors' Forum at the time and a Jonathan from the Niger Delta was the President. What else can a region bost of! And they had Senator Enang from Akwa Ibom State, a brilliant lawyer, who is well versed in the nitty-gritty of Nigeria oil politics.

About a week after the meeting, the former Governor of Niger State, Prof Babangida Aliyu, did a summersault on the Bill. He told the world that Northern Senators will not take action on the Bill until Northern Governors seek the counsel of professionals adept in Energy Law. A few days later, Chief Anthony Sani echoes his views, adding that Niger Delta is already enjoying NDDC and the Ministry of the Niger Delta. He said more money is being "skew" to the region at the expense of the North. Another former Governor, Shekau, joined them in obstructing the passage of the PIB into law. Followed by Professor Ango Abdulahi, the former VC of ABU. It doesn't matter that the funding is from private oil companies doing biz in the region and not from the Federation Account. 

Senator Enang was the only noticeable figure from the Niger Delta to make some noise. He published an essay in a few Nigerian newspapers where he gave a breakdown of the allocations of oil bloc in Nigeria and the list of who is who that control the industry. When President Buhari came into office, he recruited Senator Enang to be his Liaison to the National Assembly and presently, his Adviser on Niger Delta. So, who else is making noise for Niger Delta at Abuja or at the National Assembly? Nobody.

Yesterday, at the South-South Summit held in Port Harcourt, you watch in amazement as the Deputy Senate Leader, Barrister Omo-Agege, and Urhobo man, lying to Nigerians that we need a constitutional amendment to be able to restructure Nigeria. That is not true. Restructuring is a voluntary exercise. The truth is, if Northerners were the ones agitating for Restructuring or True Federalism all these years, they would have gotten it long ago. They don't give a fuck about your opinion. Any one of the following characters: Umaru Dikko, Dr. Junaid Muhammed, Prof Ango Abdullahi, and Professor Jubrin Aminu, Governor Kwankwaso would have been able to do it alone for the North. Simply put, they don't want True Federalism or Decentralization of power. Otherwise, they would have gotten it, long ago, as I said earlier. They know the greed and inadequacies of their Southern colleagues at the Federal level and National Assembly. 

Give a Northern intellectual or Technocrat a job at the Federal level, he or she would concentrate efforts in cornering more of federal presence, funding, and infrastructural facilities to the Northern region not knowing when another opportunity would come. On the other hand, those from the South would be the greatest antagonist of Southern interest just to please the master and to secure another Federal lever plum job when the instant one is over. That's slave mentality amplified by greed. And it is the culture of Southern Technocrats holding Federal level jobs or appointments. 

That is why you see President Buhari is constructing a Highway and a Rail line to the Niger Republic and Fashola and Rotimi Amaechi are clapping along like zombies. Today, Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Lokoja - Benin City Highway, and Benin-Ughelli-Porth Harcourt roads are in a deplorable state, and no Niger Delta political leader is standing tall on behalf of the region to be counted. The PIB and the now-abandoned UN-Sponsored Ogoni-Cleanup exercise are challenges before Senator Enang (Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta), Senator Omo-Agege, and my dear alumni colleague, Mr. Festurs Keyamo (SAN). There is no excuse. 

Finally, while Northern Technocrats are busy crafting legislation and policy statements, transferring wealth and federal funded infrastructural facilities to the North, their Southern colleagues are busy perfecting the craft of excuses on why so and so federal project is abandoned in the South or no longer viable. Consider, for instance, the now-abandoned Cattle Colony; no one knows the identity of the individuals at the Ministry of Agriculture who crafted the program. It was abandoned, not because of the opposition from Southern political leaders, but because of me and you in the social media, writing and cataloging the Northern excesses and the timidity or greed of Southern leaders. 

Thank you all for taking much of your time. And thank you, brother Jide, for sharing the Vanguard essay. Much much luv.

Alex Aidaghese