By Brigadier General Kapeh Alwali Kazir (Rtd)
It is crucial that we recognize the significant harm the Jaruma Arewa Television and Arewa 24 media channels are inflicting on Arewa and our shared goals.
These outlets are part of a larger scheme designed to undermine our values and further divide the North, with the ultimate intention of weakening us.
Tragically, these subversive efforts are being enabled by Northerners who are either unaware, easily manipulated, or, in some cases, simply misguided.
This is deeply unfortunate. Any effort or narrative that aims to divide us, rather than unite, must be immediately confronted. Sadly, there are those who are easily swayed, convinced, or recruited to support and propagate this destructive agenda.
We have all witnessed how we allowed ourselves to be divided along religious and ethnic lines, which has become a significant obstacle to our collective peace and development.
This fragmentation serves the interests of those who believe that a united North works against their political agendas. And to some extent, this has succeeded. However, we cannot afford to let this division deepen any further because we have learned the hard lessons of such discord.
Therefore, media channels like Jaruma TV and Arewa 24 must be strategically and aggressively countered, and their harmful messages eradicated. Those responsible for promoting these channels, including their sponsors and facilitators, must also be identified and neutralized.
In the classic understanding of ethnicity, I may not be Hausa or Fulani but rather a Bade from Gashua*.
However, in the Nigerian context, the term “Hausa-Fulani” has evolved into a broad representation of the cultures to which I and all other Northerners belong. It is a “tribe” that transcends the ethnic boundaries of the Hausa and Fulani in their purest forms.
Therefore, any attack on the Hausa-Fulani identity, whether through terms like ‘mallam’ or ‘aboki’, is an attack on the very essence of Arewa and Northern Nigeria, as well as its people. This must be resisted by all conscious Northerners, regardless of their religion—be it Islam, Christianity, or any other faith or spiritual belief.
As part of our mission in LND (Leadership for Northern Development), we must reject anything that fosters anarchy and discontent among us.
We have seen the devastating consequences of such division in countries like Libya, Iraq, and Syria. It would be foolhardy for us to allow ourselves, our children, and our country to endure such suffering if we can prevent it.
We know the ultimate goals of those behind these efforts, and we must do everything within our power to resist them. Our unity is our strength. We are all HAUSA-FULANI!
Kapeh Alwali Kazir is the son of the former Chief of Army Staff, Alwali Kazir.
