The spokesman of Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Prof Ango Abdullahi has reiterated his earlier stance that “none of the western and eastern regions had the money to effectively run the affairs of its region until they get financial support from the Northern region.”
Prof Abdullahi said this while speaking to journalists in Zaria on Friday over the recent Igbos-must-go ultimatum issued Igbos resident in northern Nigeria.
Abdullahi made reference to a book written by Adamu FiKa, the Waziri of FiKa on Nigeria’s budget before and after independence.
He said: “Each year, up to the time Nigeria gained its independence, none of the two regions was able to provide for itself.
“I mean none of the western and eastern regions had the money to effectively run the affairs of its region until they get financial support from the Northern region.”
He recalled that the tradition had remained during the colonial masters and nothing changed after they left the country.
Abdullahi said it was the same money from the north that was used to construct Nigerian Railways, refineries and other facilities.
“First oil exploration was conducted using money from groundnut pyramid, cotton, hide and skin among other cash crops from northern Nigeria,” he said.
“However, these people [referring to Igbos] tend to forget all these goodies provided by the North toward ensuring the unity and corporate existence of Nigeria.
“They always look down on us, feeling that Northerners are parasites in this country,” stated.
However, it should be recalled that popular human and environmental activist, Mrs Annkio Briggs had deconstructed Prof Abdullahi’s lies about Nigeria in a treatise titled “Response To Prof. Ango Abdullahi’s Claims”.
The piece was published by Elombah.com on 15 May 2017. – Exposing Prof Ango Abdullahi’s Lies About Nigeria.
In the treatise, Mrs Briggs wrote:
“Southern Protectorate, Southern Nigeria and or Niger Delta have always sustained herself without depending on the north for any economic assistance, from time immemorial.”
“According to Micheal Crowder the great historian, in his article titled “Lugard and Colonial Nigeria – Towards an identity?” Which was taken from his book “History Today” February 1986, Vol. 36,pp 23 – 29, wherein he stated thus: “the Colonial office ruled that the rich Southern Protectorate should provide the deficit-ridden Northern Protectorate with funds to finance its Baro rail line.”
“Consequently, even without waiting for the amalgamation of the northern and southern Nigeria, the Baro-Kano railway was built from £s77,207.09 (Pound Sterling) funds obtained as loan from Southern Nigeria (Source: Annual Report of the Colonies, Northern Nigeria, 1907-8, pp, 76)
“The reality was that the Southern Protectorate was rich and the Colonial government had a surplus budget, while the Northern protectorate was poor and had a deficit budget, in ordinary language the Southern protectorate was rich, and the Northern protectorate was poor.”
Mrs Briggs then went on and presented archived documents from colonial masters, charts and tables to thrash Prof Abdullahi’s lies and support her claims.
Continue reading the full story here:
Would you like to be receiving ALL Elombah.com news links ‘On The Go’ on WhatsApp? If yes, please provide us your WhatsApp number via publisher@elombah.com or inbox +2349050382526 and you are ready to go!
© Copyright 2017 www.elombah.com; unless otherwise indicated, all images are courtesy of Twitter; send eyewitness accounts/reports/articles to publisher@elombah.com; follow us on twitter @Elombah; like our Facebook page: Elombah.com; join us on WhatsApp HERE
For advert placement call us on +447460770987, +2349050382526
