The following are a collection of tweets from @cchukudebelu, who addresses Western journalists that consistently provide inaccurate description of the political, economic and social situation in Nigeria.
His tweets have been numbered in sequential order by @ikeanya on Storify
1. My next few tweets are directed at Western journalists/analysts & Westerners with interest in Nigeria.
2. There is a narrative that is gaining traction in the West, promoted by Western media outlets it is very divisive within Nigeria.
3. The narrative goes like this “Nigeria’s South is impoverishing the North – especially under President Jonathan”. This is not true.
4. I’m going to disprove this with facts, so that going forward, Europeans & North Americans have a more nuanced view of Nigeria.
5. With the exception of Lagos, all governments in Nigeria (federal, state & local) cannot run without crude oil revenues.
6. With the exception of oil producing states (that obtain 13% derivation from oil production), revenues are distributed based on a formula
7. Major components of that revenue allocation formula are 1. population and 2. land mass – both favour the North.
8. A combination of Kano & Jigawa – 2 out of the 7 states in Nigeria’s NW have 67 LGAs, the entire SE has 95.
9. I need to attack a narrative promoted by foreign media – especially CNN & BBC, that “Abuja has neglected the North East”.
10. My case study will be Borno State, the epicenter of Boko Haram – if any foreign journalist disagrees let him/her present facts.
11. According to Nigeria’s finance minister FAAC allocation to Borno State was N94bn.
12. What this means is that Borno receives more from the federation account than oil producing states like Ondo, Imo & Abia.
13. Borno receives $587.5m from Abuja, this is more than Togo’s budget – $551.5m. Togo has a higher literacy rate.
14. Borno has a relative low literacy rate – & contrary to the CNN narrative, Nigeria’s history didn’t start in 2011.
15. Borno has received/and continues to receive more from the federation account than Imo state – since 1970.
16. I don’t want to do an analysis of human capital indices between Borno & say, Imo – the facts are out there for every one to see.
17. It is extremely important to distinguish what problems are caused by Abuja & what problems are legacies of bad governors.
18. In case BBC & CNN do not know, basic education & basic healthcare – are all state govt responsibilities. Nigeria is a federation.
19. If literacy rates in a state have been consistently low – Abuja has a responsibility, but primary responsibility lies with the state.
20. The state governor also has a responsibility to grow the economy of the state – few governors like Cross River, actually do this.
21. This is not to say that Abuja doesn’t have any responsibility for the situation North East – but the picture is more nuanced.
22. Abuja has failed at guaranteeing security, but what factors led to a climate of religious extremism & insecurity?
23. The truth is that successive local administrators in Borno state failed to invest in human capital – over the past 53 years & before.
24. Are local administrators in other parts of Nigeria significantly better than in Borno – debatable, but culture also plays a role here.
25. Instead of a genuine debate on the problems in Nigeria – foreign news media is promoting a divisive narrative.
You are clearly a government official. What I can tell you is journalism in the west is simple and not like Nigerian dictatorship journalism. I cannot begin to scrutise what you just wrote because the I know how it will end. Did you read about the press conference by born state about the FAAC? Besides what they are saying is concrete evidence. If there exists a formula to share petrol? Did there exists in the history u learn a formula to share groundnut which Nigeria was built.
The injustice that we are suffering and suffered has at times compelled me to hope Nigeria divides but I hope not for we are still happy family.
Every facts the guy laid down is accurate…I strongly believe Nigeria will be well off if ever states go seperate ways.
The religious northern leadership and their politicians brought poverty on their people…why would anybody want to be part of a country like Nigeria with those religious uneducated northernals
I believe you are a graduate and by merely looking at your response, I can definitely conclude that you are sectional ideologies. Nigeria was built the money made from our pyramids of ground nut. I want you to sink this fact into your thick skull, jonathans govt has the highest rate of crime ,injustice,impunity carelessness
groundnuts eh? what about cocoa and palm oil from the south? What have the northern governors done with their allocations? you blame them for the north’s backwardness. The north was falling behind long before Jonathan came to power
I wonder what effort the people of the south have put into having that oil in the ground. It was just there. None of them had to wake up early to attend to their oil field. How then can you compare that to groundnut pyramids. That was somebody’s investment, somebodys sweat and yet they were gracious enough to part with 50% of their profit.
Som of Ʋ need2b shot on d leg y som of Ʋ need 2b hanged…..the northners v everytyn in life 2move forward but dey decide 2sty behind.dey v d richest people and most influential people in 9ja al northerners…dey v d best roads they hv d most open free education scheme,but Ʋ kno naa dey h8t western education their literacy level is d lowest in 9ja…so pls Ʋ northeners sayin rubbish abt not enof funds…wetynur governors dey doo wth d monthly allocation..we v Ŋo̶̷̩̥̊͡ farms noo good water noo good road and Ʋ want southsouth 2share d same allocation wth Ʋ…..wakeup 4rm ur slumbers….