Former military Governor of Niger State who is now the Chairman of the New Vision Development Initiative (NEVDI), Colonel Lawan Gwadabe (rtd), has warned that Northern Nigeria stands the risk of collapse unless the region urgently rediscovers and reinstates the legacy of the leadership, discipline and equity left behind by late General Hassan Usman Katsina.

Speaking ahead of the 30th memorial anniversary of the late elder statesman, late General Katsina, Gwadabe said on Thursday that the North is “drifting dangerously” due to a disconnect from the principles that once guided its progress and cohesion.

“The North will collapse under the weight of corruption, illiteracy, insecurity and failed leadership — unless we go back to the values personified by General. Hassan Katsina,” Gwadabe said.

According to him, the late General’s governance style was anchored on fairness, humility, national unity, and deep commitment to public service — traits he said are now sorely missing in today’s Northern political landscape.

“General Hassan Katsina laid a foundation of inclusive governance, trust, and selfless leadership. He united a vast and diverse region. Today, we are divided, insecure, and backward,” he lamented.

Gwadabe recalled how Katsina, as Military Governor and later as Chief of Army Staff, remained a pillar of unity during Nigeria’s most turbulent periods — choosing consensus over conflict, and merit over mediocrity.

He said the upcoming Second General Hassan Usman Katsina National Leadership Conference, scheduled for later this month in Kaduna, is designed not just to honour the late leader but to serve as a rallying point for critical national reflection.

“This memorial is not about nostalgia. It’s a mirror to our failings. What would Gen. Hassan Katsina say if he saw what the North has become — a region riddled with poverty, out-of-school children, and ethnic tension?” Gwadabe asked.

He decried the current state of leadership in the region, accusing some elites of prioritising selfish interests over the people’s welfare and abandoning the inclusive ethos that once defined the North.

“The North today is governed by transactional politics. If we fail to return to the kind of service Gen. Hassan stood for, we will lose everything — our identity, our unity, and our relevance in the Nigerian project,” he warned.

Gwadabe also aimed at the region’s education crisis, describing the growing Almajiri population and literacy gap as “a time bomb made worse by years of political negligence.”

He commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, but cautioned that it must be shielded from politics and fully aligned with the legacy of education justice championed by Gen. Katsina.

“Gen. Katsina never played politics with education. He understood that education was the key to equity and stability. He wouldn’t have tolerated the generational neglect we see today,” he said.

Gwadabe further urged Northern governors, traditional rulers, and young political leaders to study the leadership model of the late General and use it as a benchmark for governance and nation-building.

“Even after his death, Gen. Katsina remains a reference point — not because he was powerful, but because he was principled. That’s what’s missing today,” he said.

He stressed with a stark warning: “We either revive the Hassan Katsina legacy or continue our slide into chaos. The North must choose.”