ONUNGWE TAKES ON KWANKWASO OVER DEVELOPMENT CLAIMS, CALLS FOR NATIONAL BALANCE

Samuel Onungwe 

Rabiu Kwankwaso 

By John Ollor Obe

In a strongly worded rebuttal that is making waves across social media, public policy commentator Samuel Onungwe has taken former Kano State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate, H.E. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to task over his recent remarks alleging that Nigeria’s development trajectory is skewed in favour of the South at the North’s expense.

Kwankwaso, speaking at a recent public engagement, pointed to the federal government’s ambitious Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway—currently just 4 percent completed—as a symbol of disproportionate infrastructural focus on the South. But Onungwe, in a public statement posted on his verified Facebook page and now widely circulated, accused the former Defence Minister of historical silence over real and documented imbalances that benefited the North during the previous administration.

“Where was His Excellency when former President Muhammadu Buhari made lopsided federal appointments, heavily in favour of the North, in clear violation of the federal character principle?” Onungwe asked pointedly.

Citing several cases of what he described as selective silence, Onungwe highlighted the extensive use of Southern oil and gas reserves as collateral to fund rail and infrastructure projects primarily located in the North. He noted the underutilisation of Southern seaports while Northern dry ports and rail networks flourished—developments he said went largely unquestioned by Kwankwaso.

He also questioned the former governor's silence on the illegal mining of solid minerals in the North, the government’s harsh security clampdowns including the abduction of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, and the environmental and social injustices suffered by oil-bearing communities in the Niger Delta.

“It is disappointing when a respected statesman chooses to speak selectively—focusing only on what suits regional narratives while ignoring national injustices,” Onungwe wrote. “His Excellency Kwankwaso must rise above partisan sentiments and truly act as a nationalist, not just appear as one.”

The statement, titled “A Response to H.E. Rabiu Kwankwaso: A Call for National Fairness,” ends with a rallying cry for leaders across Nigeria to reject tribal sentiment and champion justice for all Nigerians—“whether it happens in Kano or Calabar, Sokoto or Yenagoa.”

Political analysts see Onungwe’s response as part of a growing wave of public accountability, especially on issues of equity, federal character, and resource control. As the country grapples with regional discontent and economic hardship, voices like his underscore the urgency of a more honest and inclusive national conversation.

Whether Kwankwaso will respond to this fiery rejoinder remains to be seen, but for now, the debate it has triggered is resonating far beyond Facebook timelines.

(c) Prime Heritage Magazine