Chris Giwa and the Absurdity of Politics

By Yiro Abari  High

Chris Giwa

The name, “Chris Giwa,” isn’t strange in Nigeria, if you mind current affairs in Nigeria. But, in case you don’t know him, he was the owner of Giwa Football Club of Jos, a club whose life was squeezed out because Mr Giwa insisted on a mandate that made him President of the Nigerian Football Federation.

Mr Giwa comes from Kuru, in Jos-South of Plateau State. When he had a chance to speak in his local branch of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) in Jos-South, he chose to speak about: “The Significance of Giving.” On that day, he revealed that the secret of his wealth is giving. “If you give without complaining or whining, fortunes will follow, unhindered.”

For the past decade and a half, he lived up to this piece of scriptural education. The most visible of his charity work is seen in the payment of tuition for students in secondary schools in Berom communities in Jos-south. This embraces districts like Kuru, Gyel, Zawan, Vom and Du. But he has also roofed giant churches, supported the building of mosques, built culverts and graded roads, hired doctors and support staff to work for poor locals in Kuru.

His philanthropy made him so famous, especially among youths in Plateau State, whose campus activities he supported. Because of his camaraderie with this demography, each time local government elections were to be held, he locked horns with the incumbent administration and fought courageously to protect the prospect of his boys who aimed for political positions in grassroot assemblies.

He has the type of sensitivity and compassion that is expected of a serving politician. It was why close friends suggested he joins politics to climb a bigger stage on which to unleash totally his love of the weak. Thus, in 2011, Giwa rolled out an ambitious and lavish political campaign to become the Governor of Plateau State. The campaign received massive support from key cabinet members of the Joshua Dariye administration in which he held a modest position as the Manager of Plateau United Football Club, after relinquishing his job at Nigerian Telecommunications, NITEL. 

When the ballots were counted, he ranked third, after Jonah Jang, the sitting governor and Pauline Tallen. Curious observers said it, sure, would have been unimaginable for one to think of defeating Jang, who had a long,  shimmering political history. That Giwa came out at the wrong time, especially since Jang’s deeds in the first tenure were stellar. For Pauline Tallen, she was, and is still, a powerful political figure in Nigeria and defeating her would have been a mission impossible.

Then. Senator Gyang Dalyop Dantong, representing Plateau-North at the Nigerian Senate, died in July of 2012, creating a senatorial vacancy in Plateau North. The general belief was that Giwa was going to win that election and become a Senator. But it didn’t pretty work out that way, as late GNS Pwajok won to become the Senator. In the comments that followed the declaration of the result, people attributed Giwa’s lost in the election to the backing Pwajok received from Jang, his political father. In Nigeria, it will always be difficult to defeat a government candidate.

In Nigeria, as elsewhere, elected persons are expected to carry out activities to lessen the suffering of ordinary people and make life worth living. For a majority of Nigerians, a life worthy of living has remained a mirage from as far back as the 1980s. Giwa is a rare Nigerian, doing what elected politicians should be doing, and he does it from his private pocket. It is the reason why he should have received the support of the people. At least, he should have occupied that senatorial seat in 2012.

Mr Benjamin Dalyop, a politician from Kuru explained that the political culture of Berom people is aberrant, at least in the context of Nigeria. It explains why Giwa hasn’t received enough political support among his own tribe. Berom people view the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, as a political party that was handed down to them by their ancestors. But Giwa, sadly, has never contested any position under the umbrella of the PDP. He contested the gubernatorial seat under the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN and in 2012 he contested the Plateau-North Senatorial seat under the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA.  

Fanatical observers of Nigerian politics would understand Giwa’s predicament. The PDP, as the ruling party, had always been hijacked by contestants that have government backing. It would have been impossible to contest and win the primaries against Jang under the PDP. Even late Senator GNS Pwajok was a mainstream member of the PDP and obviously had all the government backing. So, the only party available were the other, mostly weaker, parties. 

Giwa has a set of triplets that include two boys and a girl. They were born eight years ago. Before then, relations had given up hope of Giwa ever having kids. Thus, Mr Giwa is vindicated in his belief that when you give, God pays you back manifolds.  Thus, he’s undeterred in his given. Most recently has been the resumption of fee payments for indigent students in Kuru. It involved paying fees for four kids from each of the fifty-six communities that make up Kuru. This is in addition to N10, 000 given to every one of five women from each of these communities.

Giwa may not have won a mundane political position, but he has won, countless times, when it comes to teaching by example. He’s probably God’s candidate.