I want to focus again today on poverty in northern Nigeria, because, it keeps coming up, and northern leaders keep using it as the excuse for raising Boko Haram to purge the North first; of Southerners, and second; of Christians whether of Southern or Northern origin.

Islamic radicals have always been against Western education, and because of this, they have kept majority of their people starved of Western education. While they were depriving their people of Western education, the ruling class made sure they received sound Western education which helped them to navigate the world at large, and blend in., leaving behind a large majority of their people.

The leaders have also not divorced their minds of the mentality of servant and master. This mentality has helped them in keeping the vast majority of their people as under dogs. The North has ruled Nigeria for longer than any other tribe in Nigeria, but rather than use this long rule to develop the North, the leaders used the opportunity for self enrichment and aggrandizement.

It is true that the North is more backward than the South, but the wealth is still in the North, and those holding it for themselves should release it and use it to promote education, even Islamic education which they so much believe in. The South will surely not stand still so that the North could catch up with her. The northern rulers should purge themselves of the mentality that is keeping them and their people hostage and backward before we will see rapid development there. Until then, the story will continue to repeat itself.

(We will continue.)