Chairman of Northern elders forum and former Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, and political economist, Dr. Usman Bugaje, on Saturday lamented the erosion of the values and leadership ideals that once defined Northern Nigeria.
They warned that the region’s worsening insecurity, poverty and underdevelopment stemmed from a departure from the principles of its founding leaders.
The duo spoke at the third edition of the Late Gen. Hassan Usman Katsina Memorial Conference held at Arewa House, Kaduna, with the theme, “From Sacrifice to Strategy: Rekindling Gen. Hassan Usman Katsina’s Vision for a Prosperous Northern Nigeria.”
Abdullahi said the North, once admired for its discipline, integrity and sense of purpose, had lost the moral values that made it a respected region.
“The North has lost its values. You may not want to hear this, but that is the case today. If we have not lost the values we inherited from our parents and our pioneer leaders, the North will not be where it is today,” he said.
According to him, although many Northern cities have expanded physically, the virtues of honesty, sacrifice, patriotism and selfless leadership that shaped the region’s early leaders have steadily declined.
“The North is in a pathetic situation. For me, that is the only reason why the North has stagnated. Don’t worry about the buildings you see. The basic issue concerning where the North finds itself today is the loss of our values,” Abdullahi stated.
