THE NORTH, “THEIR NORTH”

BY SOLOMON MUSA

Why is the “North” huffing and puffing against Buhari now?;

When Southern Kaduna was bleeding the “North” kept quiet;

When terrorists took over Benue State, the “North” kept Mum;

When Plateau State cried out, the “North” closed its ears;

Chibok, Dapchi fell, no single whimper; 

Southern Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, Taraba are not parts of the “North,” “their North”;

Now, Northern Elders Forum, Coalition of Northern Youths, several groups in the North, “their North” are huffing and puffing; 

Clerics are spewing and speaking out “the truth”; 

Women, Youths and children are protesting because their “North” is at the receiving end;

Katsina, Zamfara, Birnin Gwari Sokoto – “their North” is bleeding; 

Chibok and Dapchi girls were not worth the protest by the North, “their North”; 

Southern Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, Taraba are not worth the protests, by the North, “their North”; 

They are not part of “their North”; 

Listen to the speeches now;

Watch the protests now; 

Pay attention to the anger;

Southern Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Chibok or Dapchi are not mentioned;

It is all about the North, “their North” ;

When we cried out We expected empathy; 

We expected the North and the South to cry out with us; 

We expected all humanity to cry out with us;

We expected the North and the South to protest with us; 

We expected the North and the South to join us; 

The South cried with and joined us;

When we called on the people to take all available legal means to protect and defend themselves;

We were called wailers;

We were vilified;

We were called names; 

We were accused of hate speech;

1. Y. Danjuma was hated;

SOKAPU was misunderstood; 

We were threatened;

We were arrested;

We were incarcerated;

Buhari, Buhari, Buhari is the President; 

All security organs are in the hands of Northerners, “their North”;

Their North is now bleeding;

The same bleeding the Middle Belt bled and still bleeds;

The same bleeding the South-South, South-West and South-East bled and still bleed; 

And the North is now huffing and puffing;

Huffing and puffing about the North, “their North”      

FOR US:

It is not about North or South; 

It is not about Christianity or Islam;

It is not about Atyap, Angas; Hausa, Yoruba or Igbos; 

It is about the blood that flows; 

North or South, the blood is flowing;

Children, women, the aged, the vulnerable, blood is flowing; 

The blood of the Atyap is precious;

The blood of the Yoruba is precious;

The blood of the Muslim is precious;

The blood of the Christian is precious;

We chose to cry out wherever men and women are murdered, raped, terrorized; 

We cry out at injustice against Christians and Muslims;

We chose to cry out; we are crying for the North, yes, “their North”;

We are crying for the South;

We are crying for Nigeria;

We are crying for humanity   

…Solomon Musa, a lawyer, is immediate past National President of SOKAPU