If there's one conspiracy theory I have lived with for the greater part of my life is that Northern Nigerians are the cause of our underdevelopment in the south.
Basically, Southern Nigeria is where a chunk of the nations wealth comes from. Now, for a region that rich in oil, one would expect a world-class transformation.
But instead we are bedeviled with underdevelopment, unemployment, epileptic power supply and low productivity.
For a very long time like most Southerners, I have been told that the proceeds from our crude oil is used to finance the North and its dwellers. Our oil wells are being owned by Northern elites.
I have been told that the Northerners are uneducated, dumb, and stupid yet they rule us.
I have been told the reason our seaports are not working in the south, and we have to go over to South-west to clear our containers from overseas, is because of the current president Tinubu.
Likewise, I have also been told that aside the seaport in Lagos State, the rest are not functioning.
Not only that, but I have been told that it's a battle between regions but is it?
Furthermore, I have been told so many lies about my region which bred hate for those that I was misinformed were the cause of our predicament.
Now what changed? Education, Enlightenment, exploration, learning, unlearning and relearning.
The turning point for me and the bursting of the conspiracy theories, the lies, and the deceit started when I furthered my education for a second degree.
I had this course mate who's from the North, the first day of introduction, I hated him. Every time in class I look at him in disgust.
I do not regard him as anything as I felt he was a special student and his education was being funded by the government courtesy of our Oil wealth.
What irritated me the most about my Northern course mate was that I saw him as a dummy, whose education was a waste.
Let us call him Ahmed. Before my encounter with Ahmed, I have never had any close relationship with people from the North. All the knowledge I had about Northerners were told to me. I met Ahmed and I saw an entirely different narrative.
I used to think Northerners were hostile and violent people, but then Ahmed extended a hand of friendship and even assisted with my school work. I was working plus schooling full-time and barely had the time for school work.
There was a time I offered to be paying Ahmed for his assistance but be refused my money, saying he just wants to see me succeed. That felt really off because all my life in the South, I am used to people not doing anything for you for free.
We started becoming close, and we started studying together, someone I thought was a dummy is actually an encyclopedia of knowledge.
With his help, I was no longer struggling academically as he was always there to put me through and cover up for me in my absence.
Ahmed was the one who actually opened my eyes to the false narrative our leaders were spreading. I did not believe him at first until I started asking the right questions and revisit past memories.
It should be worthy to note that I later discovered Ahmed is a senior Naval officer and was the one funding his education.
From my roommate whose father is a king in one of the Southern villages, I came to the realization that our Southern elites are the ones hijacking all the scholarships from Federal government Amnesty and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)
You see, our leaders are using the divide and rule techniques. It is not a war between regions but a war between classes.
The Northerners whom they claim to be enjoying our oil wealth is actually worst hit with poverty, just the way we are underdeveloped here, it is same way they are over there if not worse.
Everything Northerners own from the South was sold to them by our leaders, and then you see the seaports in the South they claim it's not functioning? Oh it is, just not as viable because of piracy and corruption perpetuated by our Southern leaders.
While I was working in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the company I worked with usually receive their parcel via Onne seaport which is also in Rivers State.
My BFF who did her service to the country (National Youth Service Corp) in Calabar, told me how she met a girl whose mother was the director in charge of Calabar seaport. They are from South-east and the woman drives the best cars. She also has so many properties scattered in Calabar, something her Salary cannot afford and she had no other source of income.
You know I listened to Tompolo a Southern Warlord talk about pipeline vandalization and oil theft in the South, he made a proverbial statement which meant Southern leaders are the ones aiding the Northern elites to steal our oil.
This takes me back to when I was in secondary school, I was the best student which made me the right candidate for the Shell scholarship. But instead, it was given to my classmate whose father is also a king, someone who was not among top 5 best in my class.
I also remember this classmate of mine telling us back then how his father will go to meetings on Fridays at the State capital and come back with two big traveling bags loaded with money. This same thing was told to me by my roommate during my second degree, whose father is a king. These money they speak of are the same oil proceeds they claim the Northerners are stealing from our region.
I have so many discoveries that if I keep writing, it will be a long read so I'll just stop here.
I only hope that others will see our leaders for who they are and start holding them accountable because that's the only way we can come together as one to move Nigeria forward.
ALL IMAGES ARE MINE
Above is my response to the #hivelearners prompt:
Just Another Conspiracy Theory
Tell us about a conspiracy theory that you believed for a long time that turned out to be false. How did you come to learn about it? What made you realise that it was not true at all? How dangerous can conspiracy theories be to the society at large? Please share with us.
