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]

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Articles by John Akevi