Yakubu Dogara, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, has blamed Northern political leaders for the current state of backwardness plaguing the region.
Dogara, a former Bauchi lawmaker who represented Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal constituency from 2007 to 2023, urged Northern leaders to resist the temptation to blame President Bola Tinubu for their current plight.
He disclosed these while speaking as a guest speaker at a town hall meeting for Christian leaders in northern Nigeria on Friday, December 20, 2024.
The event, themed ‘Church and Society: Tax Reforms and Matters Arising,’ touched on issues surrounding governance and development.
Dogara appealed to Nigerians to support President Tinubu in transforming the nation through the tax reform bills pending before the National Assembly.
Dogara slams Northern political leaders
The former Speaker lamented that Northern political leaders mismanaged opportunities to lead Nigeria for over 40 years, plunging the region into abject poverty and underdevelopment.
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While exonerating the President from the problems bedevilling the region, Dogara stressed the need to unite in support of the tax reform bills, which he argued were designed to transform the North and Nigeria as a whole.
“We are all northerners, and it should be made clear that President Tinubu or the South is not our problem. They have not come to cheat the North. That is out of the question. Some are claiming that Yoruba people are getting appointments, but let’s reflect. We ruled this country for over 40 years when northerners were in power. What did we achieve? The North remains the same, impoverished by our own leaders,” he said.
Contributing to the debate on the Value Added Tax (VAT) and federal allocations received by states, Dogara asked, “We have had so much, but what did our governors do with the resources? They squandered them instead of investing in meaningful development.”
The former lawmaker also cited the Ajaokuta Steel Industry, initiated by the Shehu Shagari administration, which was 98% completed but was later allowed to deteriorate.
“The project was almost finished, yet it was left to rot,” he said.
