Mr. Jime, perfect is not enemy of good

"Zoning, an impediment to good governance — Rep" 1/2/14

 Mr. Jime, perfect is not enemy of good
It is impossible to have something and the same time have-it-not. It is absurd to emphasis division and expect unity. Mr. Jime's position on zoning could only be true if we remove indigene-ship and state of origin from our system and from our civil service. It is impossible to have it both ways; our system cannot emphasis much on our differences like indigene-ship and state of origin and yet expect cohesion and oneness among the ethnic nationalities.
Mr. Jime like most politicians from the north are  never sincere but very hypocritical  when they talk of national unity. Northerners or these privileged  politicians only call for national unity and stand against zoning   when it  benefits and serves their narrow interests better.
Yes, zoning is neither a perfect nor a sound democratic idea and neither is quota system in our institutions and in the civil service. I agree, let the best candidate win election and let the best qualified Nigerian get that job. Except that it serves narrow northern interest or  Jime's ethnic interest better, otherwise how could he defend and condone mediocrity in hiring in our institutions and civil service and yet champions meritocracy in our politics? Jime talked about good leadership but he knows that it's impossible to have good leadership or leader in a society where ethnic division and winner-takes-it-all is the politics and political ideology of politicians including himself.
 Perhaps all ethnic nationalities in Nigeria are guilty of the divisive educational policy announced  last week by Kano State government. Last week Governor Kwankwaso announced free education at all level for all indigenes of the state but not for all residents of the state. What this means is that if one was born, bred, pays taxes in Kano, have lived in Kano all his or her life but have parents of Tiv or Ijaw heritage he or she or children will not benefit from this free education policy. Yet more than 90% of the huge federal allocations that Kano State and its bloated 44 local governments receive is based on its population that includes Tiv, Ijaw, Igbo, Yoruba and indigenous people.


But more disturbing is that  95% of Kano's federal allocation comes from Niger Delta oil wealth. How come that by mere being a member state in the Nigeria union, Kano and 30 other states benefit from Niger Delta oil and yet one benefits not from  Kano free education even when one is the state's born and life long resident? Weird? One with opposite view may rightly ask, if all the states receive allocation why should Kano State give free education to none indigene? But this would be chicken and egg question; that is of the two, which came first. That is,  Kano's huge federal allocation and big population which came first? But the most pressing question begging for an answer is what makes a Kano State or any state resident either an indigene or  none indigene? Precisely, if one's father is a 'Kano indigene' but the mother is a tiv, Ijaw, Igbo etc or the mother a Kano indigene and the father Yoruba, edo, is this person a Kano indigene or not? What if one's grandparents were Kano indigene but either one or both of one's parent is not? God knows that if I am Kano resident that I will go to court for a legal redress if am denied Kano's free education base my parent's ethnicity or state of origin.
 So Mr. Jime  quite know that Nigeria will never have a detribalized leadership or politics until it does away with the divisive indigene laws, policies and politics in the states and regions. Until such a time a tiv Kano resident, an Igbo Kano resident, a Hausa/Fulani resident in Enugu, Porthacourt or Ibadan would be able to viably stand for a statewide election in their state of  residence, zoning remains the good but not the perfect solution to the political and leadership quagmire in the country.
Mr. Jime, should remember that perfect is Not an enemy of the good.