The Political Conspiracy Against Tiv Taraba (1)
In July 2013, I penned a little noticeable essay entitled "Injustice to the Tiv in Taraba State" for online and print medium. The questions I attempted to asked was this "what is democracy if people's preference do not matter, their expectations crashed,their voices not heard and their need and aspirations not adequately cater for?."
Democracy is of no relevance if appointments and employment
opportunities are skewed in favour of other tribes,while the Tiv
people are left to wallow in miseries and frustration.
Wallahi! I thought the emergence of Arc Darius Ishaku as the Executive
governor of Taraba state will open a new page in Taraba state and
usher in a new state where tribal,ethnic,religious and primitive
persuasion's will no longer count. With the governor's lopsided
appointments so far, it is crystal clear that the state chief
Executive officer is out to continue with the anti-Tiv agenda of the
colonial masters.
The chief political conspiracy against Tiv people can be traced to
the desire by the colonial masters,the Hausa/Fulanis and the Jukun
elite,to re-establish the long dead Jukun Empire of Kwararafa. It all
started in 1946 when the census of all ethnic groups in the defunct
Wukari Federation which comprises of Wukari,Takum and Donga districts
were conducted. It was noted that the Tiv officially outnumbered the
Jukun,Hausa/Fulani,Kuteb,Ichen,Chamba etc. The census put the Tiv
population as 34 percent,while the Jukun were listed among others who
were 64 percent. (Source: National Archives Kaduna-NAK/MAK/Prof 4377).
This have become a constant source of worry to the colonial
masters,Hausa-Fulanis,Jukuns and various ethnic groups in the area.
Because of fear that the Tiv people may eventually dominate the
political arena,considering their large population. This fear was
indeed reignited in 1959 pre- independent election. The victory of Mr
Charles Tangur Gaza,a Tiv man of UMBC over Mallam Ibrahim Sangeri, a
Jukun man of NPC to represent the Wukari Federal Constituency in the
House of Representatives in Lagos finally proved the Tiv numerical
strength, which sparked off the 1960 riots and 1964 anti-Tivism,a
deliberate poly to genocide against a determine people. The poly was
orchestrated by colonial masters and perfected by the Hausa-Fulani
oligarchy to weaken and consequently exterminate Tiv race in the
entire Wukari Federation now Taraba state. The anti-Tiv ethnic
cleansing the second phase continue in 1976,when a prominent Jukun son
Gen T.Y Danjuma lobbied, influence and succeeded in the creation of
the defunct Gongola State .The exercise was another gang up to
exterminate the Tiv people . The Jezebelic act was spear headed by
then sole administrator of Wukari Division Mal Ibrahim Sangari and the
present Aku Uka Massaibi II who led a band of arsonists in 1977 to
attack and burnt down all Tiv villages. Since then, the indigenous of
Taraba has not known peace. In 1981 to 1982 Jukun vs Tiv in Wukari
,1987 Jukun vs Tiv and Hausas in Wukari, 1991-1993, Jukun vs Tiv in
Wukari,Bali,Donga,Gassol,Ibi and Gashaka 2001 to 2002 Fulani and Jukun
against Tiv in Wukari,Ibi,Donga,Gassol,Bali,Takum and Gashaka, 2004
Fulani vs Tiv in Wukari,2006 to 2007 Kutebs vs Tiv in Takum, 2011,
Fulani vs Tiv in Donga/Takum, 2012 to 2013 Fulani and Kuteb against
Tiv in Takum, 2014 to 2015 Fulani/Tiv/Jukun The massacre of Tiv
people in Bali,Gassol,Wukari,Takum,Ibi, Donga and Gashaka local
government areas is unprecedented in the history of this country. The
conspirators also ensured that Tiv people have been economically
emasculated and
marginalised not only in the state political arena but also in the
public service,the armed forces and the police. It is on records that
since the return of democratic system of governance in 1999, the
conspirators ensured that The Tiv people do not produces
Senators,Members of House of Representatives,State Assembly
Members,Ministers,Federal Permanent Secretaries,Board Members of
Federal Agencies and Department as well as other Federal Appointments
and Ambassadorial Nominations for the state the labored hard through
sacrifice and dedication for it creation. It is also a well known fact
that the conspirators have taken over hundreds of Tiv villages where
they occupied and renamed after names of the conspiring ethnic groups
such include; Peva (Tiv) village renamed as Chanchanji
(Hausa),Tse-Amadu (Tiv) village renamed as Kufai Ahmadu
(Hausa),Tortsee (Tiv) village renamed as Kunkunu (Jukun) all in Takum
local government area. Genyi (Tiv) village renamed as Rafin Kada
(Hausa),Tor-Damsa (Tiv) village renamed as Akete (Chamba),Ishagogo
(Tiv) village renamed as Sabongida Suntai (Hausa),Igo (Tiv) village
renamed as Burukunu (Hausa),Ananum (Tiv) village renamed as Wutobi
(Chamba) all in Donga local government area. Waka (Tiv) town renamed
as Wukari (Jukun),Torna Ayu (Tiv) village renamed as Tsokundi
(Jukun),Tinen Nune (Tiv) village renamed as Gindin Dorawa (Hausa) all
in (Waka) Wukari local government area among others.
To be continued..............
John Akevi is a freelance Journalist and freedom fighter, write from
block 22 Tambari Estate,Bauchi State.
Tel:+234 817 597 7078
Email:[email protected]