By Musa Kutama, Calabar
The need for Northern Nigeria to brace up and rebuild its capacity in the country to quench the “may you live long for us” syndrome among youths and associates in the region, has been advised.
Political analyst, Alhaji Jamil Kabo who gave the piece of advise, lamented that “to be recognized or assisted in any way, you must bow flat to elites: politicians, monarchs, tycoons or religious scholars. You’re expected to show fear, helplessness, serve them, and let their children lord over yours. It’s the ‘Ranka Ya Dade’ syndrome: a toxic cycle that traps the under-privileged in servitude”.
Kabo cited an example in comparison, between the North and the South saying the “Southern leaders like Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo have since broken this myth. That’s why most southern youth aren’t dependent on politicians. They’re entrepreneurs, scholars and hustlers. Their leaders don’t crave “Ranka Ya Dade” respect; they empower through education and business support. Even Tinubu gains traction despite the controversies surrounding him because he built people, not followers. But, northern leaders today lack this legacy”.
Alhaji Jamil Kabo popularly called sefjamil gave an example of “Sir Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa and Aminu Kano fought this trend by building schools, promoted equality, but their efforts faded and the cycle returned. Today even the upcoming politicians in the North have adopted the old syndrome. No matter how intimate you were, no matter your capacity, you have to accept being a nonentity before them, in order to gain their gestures.”
The South moved on. The world moved on. Why are we, in northern Nigeria, stuck? Kabo queried.
Reflecting on Northern youth, the analyst said: “Our youth in the North, isn’t it time to break this chain? He challenge that “dignity isn’t a privilege it’s a right. Reject the culture of subservience, Demand equity. Let’s build leaders, not followers. The future isn’t feudal, the analyst said.
