Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has accused Lagos of plotting to “colonise” the northern region.
He placed National Assembly members from the North on an alert over attempt to hurt the economy of the Northern region.
Kwankwaso urged them to stoutly resist any policy that is not in the economic interest of the North.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate in 2023 who spoke at the convocation ceremony at Skyline University in Kano, also accused Lagos of meddling in the emirate tussle rocking Kano State.
Kwankwaso who expressed disappointment over the leadership of the country especially the worsening economic situation, accused Lagos of attempt to subject the North to economic servitude.
He warned that the North would not tolerate any attempt to colonise the region via any stooge.
Kwankwaso in a viral video said: “The emir is just being a stooge at this very difficult time, especially in this part of the country.
“Today, we can see very clearly that there is a lot of efforts from the Lagos axis to colonise this part of the country. Today, Lagos wouldn’t allow us to choose an emir; Lagos has to come to the centre of Kano to put their own emir.”
The former Governor raised concerns about tax collection and economic centralisation, alleging pilots by the West to siphon resources from the North to develop Lagos.
“Today, we are aware that the Lagos young men are working so hard to impose taxes and take away our taxes from Kano and this part of the country to Lagos.
“Even the telephones that we make or register here in Kano, efforts are there to take all the taxes to Lagos.
“Even our sons and daughters who have brought factories—many of them here in Kano and northern Nigeria—and even banks, somehow, they are forced to take their headquarters to Lagos because taxes will now have to go to Lagos.”
Kwankwaso decried the widening gap between the rich and the poor, warning that Nigeria is on the precipe.
“We have seen the efforts of some people to make the poor poorer and the rich richer, and I believe this is more dangerous,” he added.
Speaking further, Kwankwaso said: “At this moment, I would like to call all our National Assembly members to keep their eyes open so that they don’t do anything that would cheat the people of northern Nigeria, especially here, Kano,” he said.
“We are witnesses to what happened during the first term, 1999 to 2000, where our members of the National Assembly were bribed, were treated into collecting huge sums of money to support offshore in this country. That law put a huge blow into our economy not only here in northern Nigeria but all other states,” the former Governor fumed.
