REVEALED: Real reasons Idoma is yet to rule Benue...After 38 years of struggle By Godwin Ameh, with agency report Many observers of the politics in the Middle Belt state of Benue are pessimistic about the prospect of an Idoma governor steering the affair of the state soon or in future. The fear is founded on the argument that best opportunities came and were not properly availed. Now the race for the driving seat has become keener than in the past as other ethnic groups are seriously agitating for their turns to occupy the government house. Idoma Voice brings to you the issues surrounding the protracted struggle of the Idomas after almost four decades, the contenders and other sundry issues. Benue: The state in view With over 5,181,642 populations at the last head count, Benue State is ranked as the seventh populous state in the country. It was created on February 13, 1976 by the late head of state, General Muritala Ramat Mohammed. Benue State, which occupies about 34,059 square km of landmass, is popularly called the “Food Basket of the Nation”, because of its rich and diverse agricultural produces which include yams, rice, beans, cassava, potatoes, maize, Soya beans, sorghum, millet and coco-yam. Over 70 percent of Nigeria’s Soya beans production comes from Benue State. The state also boasts of one of the longest stretches of rivers in the country with potential for a viable fishing industry and dry-season farming by irrigation. Guber race: The journey so far In 1976, Abdulahi Shellenge became the first administrator of the state, a position he occupied till 1978 before Bayo Lawal stepped took over in July 1978 till October of that year. The late, Aper Aku of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) came on board in October 1979 till December 1985, while David Jang took over from him till August 1986 before handing over to Yohana Madaki. Chris Garba only lasted for four months before Fidelis Makka who ruled from December 1987-1992 stepped in. Also Rev. Fr Moses Adasu of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) took over from 1992 to 1993 and Administrator J O Obademi succeeded him from (1993-1996) Issa Aminu Kotangora (1996-1998), while his successor Domnic Oneya ruled from August 1998 to May 29, 1999 and vacated the seat for George Akume of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Akume handed over to his Tiv, brother Gabriel Suswan on May 2007 till date. Apa State: The Genesis of the struggle After waiting patiently for more than two decades for the creation of a long-awaited Apa State, the Idoma community is fast loosing patience with slow pace of the progress. In his write up entitled The Benue Governorship Race-Power Shift, Oioi-Onoja Odo, an Abuja-based analyst x-rayed the trend and he avows: “In 1975/76 when the late Justice Ayo Irikefe’s Panel on creation of States went round Nigeria, the only place on record in what is today Benue state which demanded the creation of Benue State was the Idoma-speaking area. The memorandum submitted in Otukpo to the Panel was signed by the late Hon. (Chief) Ameh Odo, MP, late Barrister J. Omakwu, late Major (rtd) Paul Dickson, late Barrister M. Ogbole, and others. There are available records in archives verify this. When the panel went to Gboko, no request for the creation of Benue State was received as none was submitted by the Tiv people. Curiously, as soon as the state was created, the Idoma people who were at the forefront for the agitation of the creation of the state began to be relegated to the background, pushed to the periphery of power in the scheme of things. Thus, in the second republic which began in 1979, the first indigenous civilian governor came was from the Tiv area and his deputy was picked from amongst the Igala, even though the Tiv and Idoma had been together during the colonial administration of Old Benue Province and subsequently in the defunct Benue-Plateau State. Notwithstanding this long period of common association and experience of marginalization, the Tiv did not consider the Idoma for the No. 2 position in the State. Even the short-lived dispensation of 1983 did not witness any concessions made to the Idoma. The Tiv people through their numerical strength have not relented in their determination to continue the emasculation of the Idoma people. It will be recalled that sometimes in 1993, just before General Babangida stepped aside, the Benue State House of Assembly had passed a motion urging the Federal Government to excise the Idoma people from Benue state and assign them to any other State. This is an unprecedented step in the annals of the political history of Nigeria. The subsequent treatment of the Idoma continued to follow this trend. The Idomas are but third class citizens in a state that they struggled for. The point here is that the Idoma people have not had a fair deal and are not likely to have in the nearest future within the political geography known as Benue State today. In the light of this history, I consider it a fantasy on the part of the Idoma elites or politicians who are looking up to their Tiv brothers to be given a chance to rule the State. It is fantasy because nobody gives power to another on a platter of gold. Sadly and realistically, the Tiv nation is not populated by the Ayus and the Akumes. When the chips are down, the reality would dawn on the Idoma people. Instead of wasting their resources and generating intra-group conflict over who should be Governor they should team up together and renew their struggle for the emancipation of the Idoma people. They should clamour to exercise their inalienable rights to self determination as enshrined in the U.N. Charter. It therefore follows that the likes of Chiefs Mike Onoja, Steve Lawani, Abba Moro and Generals Lawrence Onoja, and Ejiga must come to the painful conclusion that neither themselves nor their children or grand children can ever aspire to rule Benue State as long as the Idoma remain third class citizens. Their destiny how ever is in their own hands. The only way to free themselves from this humiliating position is to renew the struggle for the creation of Apa State where the Idoma like any other ethnic nationality in Nigeria can within the ambit of the law of Nigeria exercise their rights to self determination, to rule themselves, to manage their own affairs as other groups such as the Ibos, Yoruba, Hausa, Nupe, Ijaw and all other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria have been empowered to do through the creation of States. In doing this, they should not mind the spurious argument of population. The Idoma currently numbered well over 1 million, which is the same as or bigger than some countries in West Africa such as The Gambia, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau among others. These countries, being members of the United Nations, have equal votes in the General Assembly as the U.S.A., India, China, or even Nigeria. The old Idoma politicians who fought so hard within the old Northern Region for the emancipation of the Idoma must be weeping in their graves in the light of how the Idoma are being treated today. In the first Republic, there were at least five Federal Constituencies at the Federal House of Representatives. Some 45 years later, they no longer have such numbers, but those who seek to lead the Idoma nation see nothing wrong with this. The fault is not in the greed or generosity of the Tivs but in the Idomas themselves. They must learn to speak for themselves and articulate their demands. No body else would do that for them. The missed opportunity The Idoma people would not in a rush forget how their only opportunity was dashed to pieces. After ruling the state for four years subsequent on the return of democratic government in 1999, insiders squealed that the erstwhile governor now senator, George Akume wanted to give the Idoma a chance, but it turned out to be a brotherly battle. Over seven contestants from the Idoma speaking community jostled for the seat. They included, Dr. Jerry Anthony Agada, a member of the late Yar’Adua’s cabinet, Chief Mark Onoja, Comrade Abba Moroh, incumbent Minister of Interior all battled for the People Democratic Party’s ticket while the Tivs had only Suswam, the current governor on the list. In 2011, it was battle of the brothers as the Idoma community endorsed Suswam consensus candidate to face the Ugba/Young Alhaji of the Action Congress of Nigerian (ACN). The PDP team led by Suswan and Lawani eventually got the returning ticket to pilot the affairs of the state for another four years. Fighting from within In zone C, otherwise known as Benue South West Senatorial District, Senator David Mark and Gen. Lawrence Onoja (rtd) have severally engaged each other in a fight for political leadership of the Idoma nation. Mark has defeated Onoja in all the four times he contested and won the Benue South Senatorial contests. The contest at the poll was fierce. Mark was not only battling with his opponent, Alhaji Usman Abubakar Maishanu aka Young Alhaji of the now rested ANPP, but was also battling with forces both from within the PDP in the state, and outside the state, but within the North-Central zone. Eventually he won, but not without some controversies, which later ended in the Appeal court, in Jos, where he was adjudged to have won the poll in the first instance. Like in 2007, Onoja again in 2011, tried to contest the PDP ticket with Mark at the primary. But unlike in 2007, where Mark failed to make it at the first ballot, this time around, Mark trounced Onoja at the party primary, before Onoja, moved to the ACN, to pick the party’s ticket. Again, at the poll, Mark was returned as the duly elected Senator for Zone C, for another four-year term, a victory that gave him the opportunity to offer himself once more for the position of the Senate President, a contest he won convincingly despite the obstacles placed on his path. What many did not know is that the “deal” to return all the Principal Officers of the National Assembly, was sealed with the Presidency long before late President Yar’Adua died. The agreement and arrangement, was to the effect that they would all return with Yar’Adua, should he decide to seek a re-election in 2011. As the quest for who succeeds the incumbent Governor of Benue State, Mr. Gabriel Suswam mounts, aspirants from the two major tribes in the state, Idoma and Tiv are building political structures that would enable them clinch the Benue’s number one seat. Investigation show that political bigwigs in the state are strategising for the 2015 gubernatorial elections just as they had in anticipation ensured the victory of their loyalists to form part of the party’s executives at the council wards, local government and state levels. This battle is a normal process which will usher in a new dispensation sincethe inception of democracy in the country 13 years ago by key players including godfathers who have both the money and connections and thus call the shots at all levels of governments thereby deciding who gets what position and which part of the state. Benue State is basically made of two major tribes, the Tiv and the Idoma with the Tivs being the majority while Idomas are the minority. The twotribes are subdivided into three senatorial districts for politicalconvenience namely; Benue North East [Zone A], Benue North West [Zone B] and Benue South [Zone C]. Zones A and B constitute mainly Tiv people while Zone C is made of Idoma speaking areas. Though, another tribe [Igede] is agitating for its identity, they are all referred to as Idoma land since they are yet to be acknowledged and considered as a nation of its own. As the battle over who takes the seat of power from Governor Suswam in 2015 rages on strong arguments also ensued as to which part of the state is to produce the next governor based on the principle of a democratic system where every individual is eligible to vote and be voted for. However, the same democratic system which avails equal opportunities for every individual or group to participate in the process of being elected and of electing leaders fail to address the challenge of the minority which is the numerical strength the majority has and unilaterally takes advantage of and continue to dominate and subjugate the former despite its assiduous contribution to the electoral processes that constitute any government. This has been the lot of the minority tribes in the country and Benue State in particular where since its creation in 1976, the Tiv people continue to rule over the Idoma, they have been making fruitless attempts but as the saying goes, ‘ the majority carries the vote,’ the Idoma people always lack the number of votes required to give them victory. Using their numerical strength, Tiv people have assumed ownership of power in Benue and distribute it according to their wish thereby, leaving the Idoma with only the choice of producing the deputy governor, and sometimes Secretary to the State Government as well as other key appointments. The Tiv Tribe has five ruling blocks scattered across the two senatorial districts of zones A and B and had successfully produced the four governors in the state namely; Kwande [Aper Aku], Jerchira [Moses Adasu], Jemngbagh [Dr George Akume] and Sankera [Dr Gabriel Suswam], except the Minda which like their Idoma counterpart are yet to have a slot. Already, the Tiv people have resolved that unless the five ruling blocksproduce a governor each before they would consider conceding the position to Idoma. This is why Minda sons now pride themselves that it is their turnto produce the 2015 governor and advance arguments that going by theprinciple of ’ya na angbian’ sharing formula, since Kwande, Jerchira, Jemngbagh and Sankera each have produced a governor, it is unarguably their turn to claim the number one seat. At the moment, over 20 persons from Minda residing within and outside Benue State are said to have indicated interests to vie for the seat in the fort coming 2015 polls. They include; the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom (Guma); Member of the House of Representative for Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency, Hon Emmanuel Jime (Makurdi); Vice Chancellor, Caritas University Abuja, Prof David Ker (Gwer); Member, Revenue Mobilsation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Chief Simon Aondona (Gwer West). Others are Former Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Hon David Iorhemba (Guma); three serving Commissioners, John Tondu (Guma), Dr Eugene Alyegba (Gwer West), and Bar Alex Adum) among others. However, Minda is in a serious dilemma even as strong as their argument is. Some Tiv political leaders are opposed to a governor of Minda extraction on the ground that the current Tor Tiv Orchivirigh Akawe Torkula hails from Guma and it is traditionally wrong for them to even contemplate on the issue. In Zone C, however, it is rumoured that Comrade Abba Morro will be coming out in full force when he might have relinquished the ministerial seat he is presently occupying. But many are of the view that Senate President David Mark is grooming him to take over from him as a Senator, a position they said Morro is not interested in more especially that the Deputy Governor Chief Steven Lawani has pocketed and demolished Morro’s political structures in Okpokwu Local Government following the re-election of Mr Agbo Emmanuel as the State Chairman of PDP. All the same, Morro’s popularity cut across the state and can still make same impact he made during the 2007 general elections if he joins the race. All said and done, Tiv people too are in a dilemma of electing a Minda son for the position because according to the Tiv’s principle of ‘chop give your brother’ it is not possible to have a Tor-Tiv, which Orchivirigh Dr. Akawe Torkula [from Guma Local Government] is occupying and at the same time produce the governor. So if this arrangement and argument is anything to go by, the coast is now cleared for an Idoma man to emerge as governor in 2015 since the four Tiv ruling blocks have balanced that arrangement. It is now left for Idoma people to unanimously pursue this cause with a renewed vigour and determination or the Tivs will again outmaneuver them and start all over again. The Idomas displayed a wildcat show during the regime of Dr George Akume. Apart from their inability to unanimously produced a consensus aspirant and give him both the moral, physical and financial backing, many aspirants emerged and desperately refused to step down for another even when the O’ch Idoma pleaded with them that the battle required a unified and formidable front to break through. The list of those who contested the 2007 gubernatorial election with Governor Suswam included; Comrade Abba Morro, Chief Steven Lawani, Chief Mike Onoja, Ralph Igbago, Dr Ogiri Ajene. All on the platform of the ruling PDP and all refused to step down for another aspirant despite their obvious weaknesses in terms of finance and political doggedness to withstand the Tiv’s hegemonic political control. This weakness during the 2007 PDP’s primaries to nominate the party’s gubernatorial candidate exposed non-serious and ill equipped aspirants who were best described as ‘spoilers of Idoma noble agenda.’ Two of the Idoma gubernatorial aspirants who scored fewer votes toed an unpatriotic and undemocratic path when they donated their little votes to Suswam to emerge the standard flag bearer and consequently elected. That singular wishy-washy act by the two Idoma sons prompted most Tiv political leaders to consider Idoma’s agitation for governor as a huge joke. Another political blunder the Idomas are gallantly romancing with now is the creation of Apa State in a shaky democracy practiced in Nigeria and championed by their son, Senate President David Mark since the inception of democratic rule in 1999. There are sharp divisions in the Zone C axis over the issue of Apa State creation. While the Igedes are not in full support of Apa State on thegrounds that Idoma are marginalising them in the distribution of political positions such as the senate and appointment into key offices and recruitments into the army and other paramilitary forces. Some prominent Idoma sons (Gen Lawrence Onoja and Alhaji Abubakar Usman) viewed it as Sen.Mark’s craftiest political gimmick to remain in the National Assembly. Both Gen Onoja and Alhaji Usman who contested the Zone C Senatorial seat with Senator Mark since 1999 collectively accused him of thwarting the reality of Apa State during the Military regime when he attacked the then Head of State, Gen Sanni Abacha who was ready to actualise a state for Idoma race and ran away only for him to return after Abacha’s death and hijacked the struggle to achieve his ulterior motive. Despite all these political blunders the Zone C people displayed, they are stilla determining factor in the re-election bid of Governor Suswam during the 2011 general elections. While Tiv people were hell bent on removing Governor Suswam using the fierce Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Idomas remain loyal in the PDP and gave Suswam all the political incentives he needed which led to the victory of his re-election. This development angered the sudden political Leader of opposition and father of ACN in the state, Sen. George Akume who dragged the likes of Alhaji Abubakar Usman [Young Alhaji], Gen Lawrence Onoja and a host other Idoma sons into ACN who later withdrew from opposition and return to the PDP shortly after the elections. This development has made PDP looked more like an Idoma political party now while the Tiv membership is but only on the lip service considering the level at which even Governor Suswam’s appointees of Tiv extraction opposed him and voted for the ACN’s gubernatorial candidate, Prof. Steven Ugba. Maybe the Idomas will key in on this scenario to actualise one of their age long dream to also rule Benue. Chief Abu Shuluwa, a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Benue was recently quoted as saying that the Idoma people remain in Benue state there is no way they will be left out when people of the state are discussing the issue of zoning of governorship. “On the issue of the governorship of Benue, let me be blunt with you. If you are talking about the Governor of Benue, can you sit down and discuss the Governor of Benue without talking about the Idomas and the Igedes sitting on the round table and discussing?” “Unless Apa state is created, the Idoma people are important in determining who becomes the Governor of Benue state,” Shuluwa once said.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 06:43:01 +0000