VERY INSPIRING AND DEEP: The Sindigawo Consensus - by: Abba Mahmood - October 9, 2014 Sindigawo is a village in Mayo Belwa local government area of Adamawa State. It is a simple community of farmers, cattle rearers, fishermen and traders. They have local scholars and almost all the youth in the community have been or are attending schools and universities. They are a very proud people who are well informed about current local and global trends of events. This is because they listen to radio and a few of them who have TV also view the news. Being stakeholders of the coming elections, they decided to have a sort of village roundtable under a Baobab tree. The Baobab tree (Bokki) became famous because that is where Baba Garba, an old soldier who saw action in Burma during the Second World War, sits every day on a reclining wooden chair wrapped with local handmade cloth. All the young and not so young trooped there that day. They wanted to talk about the political development around them and how this affects them. They were angry that all their expectations have not been met by the politicians even though they have been loyally and dutifully electing the ruling party since 1999. Baba Garba is well respected; in fact, he is an institution that even the village head defers to. After listening to all the debates, Baba Garba drew smoke from his pipe cigar (lopal) and then raised his hand for silence. Soon, everyone was attentive. He then began to speak: “I understand all your frustrations, anger and anxieties. We voted for that young man from Michika, Boni Haruna. He was governor for eight years, there was virtually no progress. We voted for Sarkin Yamma Nyako and he had been there as governor for almost seven years. When I went to Yola the state capital last week, even the streets are still those constructed by the late Governor Barde 34 years ago. “One of those two is a Christian and the other is a Muslim. So this issue has nothing to do with religion. One is a non-Fulani while the other is a Fulani, so the issue is beyond tribe as they were all tested and they failed. But all of them belong to the same umbrella party, the PDP. So it means that party has failed us. In any case, anytime you see someone looking for bowler hat or umbrella, it means there is discomfort: either rain or excessive sunlight; so, believe me, we have given this party a chance for 16 years and all the people from that party, regardless of tribe or religion, have failed to bring us peace or progress.” Baba Garba paused. “Boni Haruna has greater capacity than what he exhibited as governor. He was virtually running our neighbouring Taraba State during the SDP days as an aide to that state’s governor. So he was not new to governance, yet he could not achieve anything in the eight years he was there. Nyako was governor over 30 years ago in Minna but when he came in here he could do nothing because that party that produced them can do no good to anyone. Those of you who are in Maiduguri and Moubi universities, you know how bad it is. Even this current pretender to the throne from Madagali, you can see he has fallen into the evil. When he came he paid salaries, now he is not doing that. He awarded more contracts in one week than what either Boni or Nyako gave in months,” Baba Garba continued. Everyone was paying attention. “Poverty rate is high. Crime rate is high. Unemployment rate is high. Even divorce rate is high now, as all of you know. This is because we have entrusted our destiny to one party for one and a half decades now and that party has consistently and continuously failed us. We in Sindigawo are well-informed, we are not fools and we know our rights. We have never voted for a party that did not eventually win. But we cannot continue to vote for a party that is neglecting us, that is indifferent to our suffering, that is insensitive to our feelings,” Baba Garba emphasized. “My dear children, my life is over. Yours has just begun. We have fought battles in foreign lands when fighting with guns was fashionable. Now you don’t have to fight to be a man. The most effective weapon is knowledge. And the biggest missile at our disposal now is our ballot, so we have to use it wisely. If you promise me that you will vote out the umbrella and vote for change, then that is our consensus. The Sindigawo consensus will soon be the Adamawa consensus and, God willin,g it will be the Nigerian consensus next year. Then I will be happy even in my grave,” Baba Garba said. “Yes we promise,” they all chorused. “Our ancestors whom I am joining soon have bequeathed to us a great legacy. Sindigawo has never been defeated, in battle or in peace. We are known for standing up for what is right, just and proper. That is why we live in peace and harmony regardless of our differences. These people that we want to change have taken so much money from the common treasury that belongs to all of us. They have resources to bribe everyone. But whoever comes to you and gives you money, collect it as your share but make sure you do what is right and stand up for your rights!” Baba Garba admonished. “Here in Adamawa, there is no single local government area that is of one tribe or one religion. From our forefathers we have learnt to live as one people. There is no single established Fulani family that has not intermarried with other tribes and vice-versa. So do not allow yourselves to be deceived by being divided along ethnic or religious lines because we are one people who cannot be divided because we do not even know how to or where to start any artificial division. I am a living example as I am related to more than ten tribes by blood, marriages or other social networks even though we all speak Fulfulde and Hausa in addition to other dialects. So don’t follow any desperate politician who has nothing to offer except division and who has no programme except billboards and posters,” Baba Garba continued. “My dear children, go and make sure you vote out poverty, you vote out disunity, vote out failure, vote out disappointment, vote out corruption and vote out insecurity and injustice by voting out the oppressive umbrella party and voting in the broom that will sweep all these negative tendencies and bring about peace, progress and prosperity. Be firm, be steadfast and be united. God bless you all!” Baba Garba concluded. Immediately, the youth put on Bob Marley’s music, “Get up! Stand up! Stand up for your rights!” It was a full carnival as they went round mobilizing and spreading the message of the Sindigawo consensus. Everyone was eager to show the oppressors that they cannot continue to oppress, After all, history is on the side of the oppressed. leadership.ng/columns/386444/sindigawo-consensus
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 12:47:52 +0000
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