t is no dream that following contemporary socio-economic realities it has become necessary for the federal government to adopt tax regimes that looked stringent, environmental-friendly executive orders that are timely and, character molding policies like ‘the change begins with me’ TV jingle to spark a re-orientation of the citizens mindset. The intentions being that these efforts are geared towards enhancing the quality of living and doing business in the country.

To describe the lifestyle of the average Hausa-Fulani adult of working age (as well as a great number of Nigeria’s northern tribes that practiced Islam) and how they fitted within the framework of these contemporary socio-economic realities has become very necessary in view of the fact of an emerging trend of ‘monkey dey work and baboon dey chop’ phenomena. For it really looks like the efforts of government to enhance living and business through these policies are directed to only a section of the country.

For instance, talking about the tax regime of today’s government, the several road blocks created by security personnel on the dilapidated highways within the southeast Nigeria are actually toll gates but these toll gates are non-existent in the north. The several motorcycle riders within the cities and rural areas today which are owned by Hausa merchants and given for high-purchase to their peasants do not have plate numbers whereas counterparts in taxi and Uber transport all have plate numbers.

In the markets, the shops are heavily taxed whereas the tables, wheel barrow traders and open-air retailers/commission agents are exempted. In the housing sector, most uncompleted buildings that housed these Nigerians from the north are not taxed whereas the completed buildings are under a multiple-taxation. In areas that are mostly populated with the Hausa tribe, the electricity providers dared not enter such places. Therefore, the estimated billings that is occasioned by the refusal of the high and mighty as well as these Hausa communities to pay bills now falls on other Nigerians!

In terms of cleanliness, it is no longer a secret that environmental officers who are posted to enforce compliance avoid going to these Hausa communities. Therefore, while revenue generation for the government through dust-bin charges fell on other Nigerians, the Hausa communities remain an eye sore and dirty. Today, the whole world avoided the Chinese people because of the deadly Corona Virus; isn’t it wise for these Hausa communities to be ostracized? For how can our cleanliness be complete with dirty communities like these still around?

Despite the signing into law of the executive order 9, the practice of open defecation, public urination in the name of ablution and channeling of waste water through foot paths instead of into the septic pits still persisted in these communities. To even organize for sweeping the environment is a non-starter with these communities; many of which I have personally visited in the past. Those in Abuja will lament how the several pedestrian bridges now looked too unhygienic to use.

This brings me to the purpose for writing this piece. The editorial of The Authority newspaper of Monday March 16th, 2020 alarmed me beyond measures to the point of wishing the information it carried was fiction. Incidentally, it was real; too real that it is impossible for me to not react. Titled “The $22.7bn Foreign Loan: Why is South-East always marginalized?” the editorial analyzed the soon-to-be-borrowed $22.7bn USD foreign loan and how or what the FG intended to spend it on.

The said editorial read in part; “Again, the glaring marginalization of the zone cropped up in the selection of projects captured in the adjusted borrowing plan. Details of the loan which has already been approved by the Senate and awaiting the concurrent approval of the House of Representative shows that the southwest zone got $200 million, south-south $4.27 million, north-west $6.372 million, northeast $300 million while north central got $6.531 million. The remaining $5.854 million was listed for general expenses.”

It continued to show how a breakdown of the Power Transmission project in Lagos and Ogun states would receive $200 million, how the East-West Road Project gets $800 million, how the Calabar-Port Harcourt-Onne Deep Sea Port Segment gets $3.47 billion USD and how that even in the Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Programme, Integrated Social Protection, Basic Health, Education, Nutrition Services and Livelihood Restoration Project and, Railway Modernization Projects did not benefit the southeast geopolitical zone.

Similarly, in the Communication Technology Projects, Climatic Change Projects and Water Supply and Sanitation Projects as reflected in the details, there is nowhere the southeast state/states are mentioned as part of states to benefit. In other words, the loan is been borrowed for a section of the country while leaving out an important geopolitical zone. It would be hypocrisy if not pretentious for the government of the day to act as if they did not know that a great chunk of the internally generated revenues (IGR) of all the states of this federation came from the good people of Igbo extraction.

This can be seen in why the Igbo people are scattered all over Nigeria and abroad. If not for the simple fact of the lack of basic social amenities that would make for decent living in the southeast; is there another reason? Hence, if there was any people in dire need of government’s attention, it should be this region which has lost out on both the security and the power structure of Nigeria despite been one of the major and most economically productive tribe in Nigeria.

Since 2015, the 2nd Niger Bridge which is the APC’s most pronounced project in the east has remained at snail speed to completion. Apart from this project, is there any other in the region? In one of my previous essays, I deplored the idea of the APC government to award positions to stakeholders based on their performance in the re-election of Major-General Buhari (rtd). I had said that power sharing in civilized climes of the world was used to woo powerful industrialists who contributed to job creation and international image branding for their country and not for the appreciation of party faithful alone.

For the desire to make a people willing to support and to follow their leader to be seen to be orchestrated through marginalization is indeed the hallmark of foolishness. This is because blind followership no longer existed. A leader either gets the love or the scorn of the people depending on his style of leadership. If this loan is borrowed in the name of the federal republic of Nigeria, then fairness demands it must be evenly distributed to the benefits of all the federating units of Nigeria otherwise it is marginalization.

For it is a glaring fact that the loan’s repayment will ordinarily be in the name of Nigeria and, like I said earlier the bulk of this money will come from no other region or people than the southeast. In the first instance, why was it necessary for this government to take a loan in the name of Nigeria in order to build the north? If the motives was not ulterior; why was it not viable to create a step-by-step developmental plan that depended heavily on internally generated revenues to build the north just like roads in the east depended on funds from Sukkuk?

Now, repayment must depend on crude oil sales from the south-south and internally generated revenues from the Igbo small businesses! You see why restructuring was timely? Recently, the Lagos state government had to ban the use of Okada and Lagosians – many of whom knew little about the dynamics of the economy – reacted angrily. Thank God, the governor stood his ground. Why wouldn’t Okada be banned? What was government generating from that sector? Nothing.

The truth is that government was losing through building roads that ended up being destroyed by these set of people. In Anambra state, the governor has stressed that every Hausa in the state must rent a house or build one and that no longer will it be tolerated to have persons crowded in the mosques, in the motor parks and in the market at nights in the name of sleeping.

It will not be business as usual for the Hausa man who stands in-between the farmer in Plateau state and the buyer of the farm produce for just the same way as both the farmer and the buyer are required to pay their taxes to sell or buy within the market is the same way the Hausa who stands to collect his commission on the transaction he put together must pay his tax!

Going by the way things are at the moment, I doubt if there is any sector of Nigeria that is willing to allow benefits of their labor to go to people who are willingly uneducated and practically lazy; people who brandished religion (talking about religion, is the UAE not an Islamic country; why are they economically self-sufficient, progressive?) and the trademark of no tax, no cleanliness and no character or respect for law as their only contribution to national growth.

After all, if we are one Nigeria; why should it be good for the geese and not also for the gander?

Comrade Ifeanyichukwu Mmoh is Publicist and an advocate for attitudinal change.