Former Secretary General of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mr. Anthony Sani has raised the alarm that the rising poverty levels in Northern Nigeria are a powder keg waiting to explode soon.
Sani called on leaders of the Northern region to act fast and tame the snowballing abject poverty, noting that its consequences will consume them.
He made the comment in an interview with the Daily Sun newspaper in Kaduna state.
His words: ”Poverty in the North is real. And this is because education, which is the instrument of empowerment that narrows inequality is stymied by the number of out-of-school children. This stokes ignorance and the poverty.”
Speaking on the recent protests, he said: ”With the way the protesters have obeyed the curfew in the states, there is hope that the situation can be reversed by consciously directing efforts by the governors. That is to say, the situation is not beyond redemption.
”If the intention of the protests was to draw the attention of the government to the fact that its policies have brought about the pain that comes with the hardship, I think the point has been made and Mr President has admitted that much and promised to address the challenges in the economy.
”As to the violence in the North, I would let you know these reports about what President George W Bush and former President Bill Clinton once said about poverty in the third world.
”President Bush posited that third-world leaders tend to weaponize poverty because they believe poverty is directed at the heart of freedom. Former President Bill Clinton was pithy when he said the same poverty is a powder keg waiting to be ignited by the indifference of the leaders.
”The violence in the North has made what Clinton said to be a truism and a signal to Northern leaders about what can happen if nothing is done about current challenges.”
