Issues in Neo-colonialism: the HAFUKA - 2

When we refer to the political entity called the North, it is easily misunderstood to mean the peoples of the defunct Northern Region or the entire territorial region itself. This is the most common perception of the North. But this is not only erroneous but also most misleading interpretation of the North both geographically and ethnically. Now let us define the North as it really is. The North consists of the land or area of Nigeria bordering the Niger Republic from the North West and the Chad Republic to the North East; in geographical terms. The North is made up of ethnic Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri nationalities, the Shuwa Arab being subsumed or assimilated by the Kanuri. The North consists of people whose life and worldview is regulated by Islamic law of SHARIA and who subscribe to the supremacy of the Sultan of Sokoto Caliphate and or whose ultimate aspiration is to have an Islamic theocracy as the system of governance in Nigeria. Therefore anyone who is not a Hausa, Fulani or Kanuri, (HAFUKA) and who is not a Muslim or who is not from the geographical area here about defined , cannot be a real Northerner . He or she is at best, or would only be an associate or affiliate Northerner. Agreed, when the British amalgamated some territories and grouped them as “Northern Provinces”, there was no one knowledgeable enough to oppose them and so, whatever territorial terminology they impose or any area, stuck. However, with the advent of independence and subsequent creation of states and consciousness of self-determination, the people who could lay legitimate claims of being Northerners are the HAFUKA. All claims by non – Hafuka as northerners are mere wishful thinking and they are easily branded as servile, or vilified as aspiring to become what may be called “acting assistant Northerners”. So in effect and reality, the defunct Northern Region consists of two different groups, broadly defined: the HAFUKA of the North and the Kwararafa Confederacy of Central Nigeria. The latter shall be defined in a subsequent piece in view of its complex character. However, we have known and seen some “Northern Affiliates” who are more Catholic than the Pope and whose pretensions, more often than not, cast the ‘North’ rather as a vicious or ruthless master, until one meets a pure real Northerner with his urbane and civic manners. The problem is that ‘affiliate Northerners’ are more visible or most outspoken and so, represents their overlords in all facets of life, which makes a distinction between the affiliate Northerner and Hafuka a mere academic exercise. Besides, it is the fortunes of affiliate Northerners to bear the brunt of the blames deserved by the Hafuka - for a reward. The Hafuka plays a high premium on loyalty and pays a handsome dividends for it, and for this reason, many affiliates jostle for opportunities to showcase their commitment and dedication to the North. Thus, for a longtime in post-independence Nigeria, those who represented the North and who exhibited the most outlandish political behaviour were mostly ‘affiliate Northerners’. The fact that their activities were largely for and in the interest of Hafuka, accounted for their longevity in service and, or recycling in political or public office. As the legatee of British rule in Nigeria, the Hafuka had to manage the transition from direct colonialism to neo-colonialism, in conjunction with the British, thus the appointment in 1957 of Sir Tafawa Balewa as the Prime Minister of Nigeria by the Queen of England in her position as the Head of State of Nigeria. In terms of literacy and Western education, the Hafuka were at a disadvantage at independence largely on the basis and fact of their agreement with the British Colonialists NOT to allow Christian Missionaries and their educational institutions anywhere in the Caliphate, but had free access in Central Nigeria christened ‘pagan areas’ by the British but named as Middle Belt Region by the people. And so, most of the qualified civil servants or public officers were recruited from among the so-called pagan areas and together with the few literate Hafuka, they constituted the Civil Service or Political Officers who ruled Nigeria from then henceforth. Remember, the Hafuka was the most politically informed among Nigerians. When they are described as mostly illiterate at Independence, they were only so in English. They were speakers, writers and readers in Arabic and Hausa Languages and so, were versatile in political as well as administrative nuances, which was why they rejected the notion or perception of their illiteracy. How could anyone describe as illiterate, one whose language is spoken in most parts of Nigeria and broadcasted by world famous radio channels such as the BBC, Voice of America, Radio France, China Radio and Radio Germany etc? Well, if Nigeria must be managed by Hafuka, it was mandatory that they do so through the colonial lingua-franca, the English Language. (To be continued).