(I first wrote and posted this piece some years ago
on my Facebook wall. I've made some revisions. A lot has happened since then
but I still stand by the sentiments so here expressed. These are from my
personal experiences. You may not agree with me and not every Northern man show
these qualities so here outlined. The term ‘Northern man’ used in this article
is meant to represent men and women who originates from and lives in the core
Northern states of Nigeria)
Often time, when we hear news about the Northern part of Nigeria, it’s
easy to conjure in our minds the images of savages whose preoccupation is to
loot, burn and destroy. You may wonder how people live there! That’s
understandable. Sadly, that is not a holistic picture of the North. There are positives
in the Northern narrative. Permit me to itemize those good features of the
Northern man whom I came to like. In doing this, I’ll draw some contrasts
between him and the Southern man I know.
His honesty and
trust! I was surprised to notice
the honesty, trustfulness and trustworthiness of the Northern man. It's a sharp
contrast to what I saw down Southern Nigeria where I grew up. When you go
to the markets in the North, the prices the Northern trader would tell you are
more likely to be correct. I felt more comfortable buying an item
from him than a fellow Southern trader who sells same items nearby. In his
place of business, he could afford to leave his goods to pray or have his
meal without looking over his shoulders. He knows his things are safe. The
carefreeness with which even household items are kept reflects his trust and
often it is not betrayed. Many depend solely on what they earn instead of
cutting corners to enrich themselves. You see this often in places of employment.
Recent developments may make trust a challenge but that has not always been the
case through my stay up North.
His simplicity! The hallmark of the Northern man is his simplicity. He is simple to a
superlative degree. Thus, he is so approachable. This is not affected by
whatever status or position he attains in the society. As a doctor who
studied in the South, let me use the hospital settings as a case study. In
the teaching hospital where I trained you can always tell who the Chief Medical
Director (CMD) is because he is always with an entourage. So applies
to other principal officers of the hospital. Amazingly, it's a contrast with
what I saw in the North! I did my internship in a teaching hospital
in the North. I walked past the CMD a couple of times without knowing;
until a colleague told me who he was. There is a renowned Consultant Urologist
of class in the same hospital who oversees kidney transplants. Yet, he is such
a simple and approachable individual.
His religion, His
life! In the South, you
can easily see a disconnection between a man's life,
business, job and his religion. Many in the South see religion as
something you are reminded of on a Sunday but largely forgotten about for
the rest of the week. There are traditional religions in the South and
some people jostle between that and the mainstream religion as the need
warrants. In contrast, to the Northern man, his religion is his life, his
culture, his tradition and way of life. It's hard to see any disconnect between
his religion and his life. The ways he relates with his family and
others reflect a deep link with his belief systems. He holds his
faith with such high regard that he would not tolerate any denigration of the
icons and symbols that he so deeply reveres. Their zeal for what they
believe is something of admiration. He has much regard for his religious
leaders. He wants his religion to be respected. He believes whatever he
achieves in his life is the wish of the Almighty. Like in other religions,
there are those who do not uphold all the tenets of their faith; but by-and-large,
the Northern man places his faith and beliefs on a high pedestal.
His contentment! Generally, the Northern man is contented with his lot in life! He is
satisfied with what he has. No matter his socioeconomic class, he's at peace
with himself. He is not berserk with the anxieties, stress and the hassles
of 'I better pass my neighbour'. The Northern trader does not wake up early in
the morning to open his store where he sells things. He does not have the
rush-rush attitude we often see in the South. He doesn't stay so late so
as to sell more except his trade is for late-night customers like in
'suya' spots. When he does not have an item for sale, he readily directs his
customers to nearby stores where such goods can be obtained. He does not wish ill-luck for
colleagues in the same trade and he can even help them sell their items when
they are not around. The same is seen even among civil service workers.
Unlike in the South where there's so much do-or-die, for the Northern man, it's
do-and-live. He reckons that it is not by his power or might but by the
will of the Almighty!
His hospitality! With the news of recurrent violence which is so often aired in the
media, it would be difficult for some to agree that the Northern man is
hospitable. If you've stayed in the East or West of Nigeria, you may conclude
objectively that there is a level of hospitality in the North. If you are a
stranger looking for direction or you've lost your way, the Northern man can
afford to leave whatever he is doing and take you to the right place. If you
are a new employee in a company and you are not familiar with the terrain of
the place, they would lovingly help you. You are made to feel at home. That is
my personal experience when I came to the North.
Let me at this point relate a personal story of my life. When I graduated
from the university down South as a medical doctor, I spent about 8 months
looking for a spot to do the mandatory one year housemanship. I scoured several
hospitals in the South and attended so many interviews in the South; all
without success. I did everything I could: got the recommendation letters,
complementary cards and the likes, yet still, there was no job for me. I was
getting dejected, depressed and frustrated about a system that appeared rigged
against me. All along, I've heard from and about colleagues and classmates, who've gone up North and are working. I was scared of going to the North because of
the threat of violence. But, after months and months of my fruitless search for
job in the South, I picked up my bag and traveled up, up North. I promised not
to come back to the South until I got a job. After about a month or two in the
North, I got a job. Alhamdulillahi! (Praise be to Allah) With the help
of the Almighty, that job saved my life. By God’s favour, I moved from job to
job in the North. Since then, I did not spend a single month without a job and its four
years and counting. I’m no longer in the core North, but I’ll forever be
grateful for the opportunities I had in the North. No one cared much about who I
was or where I came from; they were interested in my qualifications and what
skills and knowledge I had. I was made to feel like somebody, like a human
being. I will never ever forget that. By God’s grace, I’ll live to remember
how the North saved my life. I did not have everything I wanted but I had
enough to keep me going. It was not a bed of roses but at least I had a bed and
much more.
In conclusion, here is the story of a Northern man who is honest and
trustworthy, simple and approachable, deeply religious, contented with his lot
in life and not the least, hospitable. Indeed, there are those who deviate
from the above narrative. There are socioeconomic challenges and demographic variables which
threaten the very values that I have espoused above. Nonetheless, everyday as I
went about my civic duties up North, I saw the Northern man whom I have
come to like, in action and I’m grateful to God for the privilege I had in
knowing him. As-salaam alaykum! (Peace be upon you!)
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