ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: WE STAND WITH ALHAJI BASHIR DALHATU THE NORTH DESERVES BETTER

 ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: WE STAND WITH ALHAJI BASHIR DALHATU  THE NORTH DESERVES BETTER

IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE BOLD, COURAGEOUS SPEECH BY THE BOT CHAIRMAN OF ACF ON THE NEGLECT AND DISREGARD OF NORTHERN NIGERIA

By Tijjani Sarki, writing from Zawaciki, Kano

July 30, 2025

History will remember the moment when truth finally shattered the walls of silence. At a time when political leaders shrink from reality and bury national injustice under polite smiles, Alhaji Bashir M. Dalhatu, Wazirin Dutse and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), rose as a true patriot.

His speech at Arewa House in Kaduna was more than a presentation  it was an awakening, a mirror to the soul of a neglected North, and a call to conscience.

And let it be stated loud and clear.

WE STAND WITH HIM. WE STAND FOR THE NORTH.

A PRESIDENT CARRIED BY THE NORTH... NOW LOOKING THE OTHER WAY?

The numbers speak for themselves over 64% of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s total votes came from the North that’s 5.6 million Northern citizens who braved hardship and insecurity to cast their votes in his favor.In return, what have we received?

Not gratitude.

Not partnership.

Not development.

What we’ve gotten is disregard. A deliberate turning away from the very region that secured his victory.

This isn't political oversight.

WAZIRIN DUTSE SPOKE FOR MILLIONS AND WE COMMEND HIM

In a time when many leaders have grown silent or complicit, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu stepped forward with the truth. He gave voice to the anger, disappointment, and frustration burning in every Northern heart. He spoke for.

The communities ravaged by violence and insecurity, with no federal rescue in sight,

The farmers pushed into poverty while foreign food imports flood our markets,

The abandoned infrastructure  roads, railways, dams  left to rot while Southern projects receive trillions,

The students out of school, wandering the streets with empty futures,

The industries collapsing, unable to survive without electricity or support,

The youth unemployed, becoming easy prey to crime, drugs, and insurgency.

To the Wazirin Dutse, we say.

Your voice is our cry. Your courage is our strength. Your words have rekindled our fire.

THE NORTH: ABANDONED YET AGAIN

For decades, the North has borne the brunt of insecurity, poverty, illiteracy, and underdevelopment. Yet today, under this administration, the neglect has only deepened.

i.Insecurity continues to spread like wildfire and the response from the center is lukewarm at best.

ii.Agriculture, the pride of the North, receives less than 5% of federal budget allocations, while farmers suffer silently.

iii.Federal roads and transport projects in the North are either stalled, underfunded, or totally ignored, while Lagos and the South receive tens of trillions in projects.

iv.Power infrastructure in the North is barely functional  projects like the AKK pipeline and Mambilla Dam are treated like afterthoughts.

v.The Ajaokuta Steel Plant, a potential game-changer for industry and employment, lies dormant.

vi.How can a region that holds the backbone of Nigeria’s agriculture, manpower, and natural resources continue to be treated like a burden?

This is not acceptable. This is not sustainable.

THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW:

To President Tinubu and his administration, this is our message.

Northern Nigeria is not a voting machine. It is a vital engine of this nation’s survival and growth.

Your government must:

i.Immediately rebalance federal budget allocations to reflect equity and justice.

ii.Commence long-delayed projects, especially in transport, power, education, and agriculture.

iii.Rebuild trust by fulfilling the promises made to Northern leaders during the campaign.

iv.Declare a security and education emergency in the North, and act accordingly.

v.Revive exploration efforts in the oil-rich Northern basins and accelerate industrial investment in the region.

 A MESSAGE TO THE ACF AND NORTHERN ELDERS:

To the ACF, and especially to Wazirin Dutse, we offer our complete support and gratitude. You have done what many could not, spoken truth fearlessly in a time of deafening silence.

Let this speech become a catalyst for unity across the North. Let this message spark renewed political consciousness. We must hold every leader, including the one we elected, accountable to the North and to the nation.

THE NORTH IS WATCHING, AND THE CLOCK IS TICKING:

Mr. President, you have a short window to correct course. Time is running out. Our patience is not infinite. Our loyalty is not blind. We will not clap for our own exclusion.

This country belongs to all of us  and we will no longer sit silently while it leaves the North behind.

 WE WILL RISE TOGETHER, UNITED, DETERMINED:

The North is rich in resources, wisdom, culture, and spirit. We will rise, But we will not allow this administration to continue treating us as expendable.

We are not asking for favors.

We are demanding what is rightfully ours.

Written by Tijjani Sarki

Zawaciki, Kano

July 30, 2025