Timaya and the Niger Delta Problem

Timaya the Bayelsa born Nigerian afro-ragga musician is not among the multitudes of artistes that have remained behind the veil. He is one of the spectacular colors in the spectrum of the Nigerian musicians. His second album, gift and grace, has consolidated this.

 

Musicians use certain tokens to become conspicuous and relevant. For Timaya these qualities have become more evident in gift and grace. The album reveals the complete maturity and confidence of the artiste. The greatest revelation of the album for which the artiste remains the sole beneficiary however, is that Timaya can now be regarded as the greatest Lyricists in Nigeria. If the rating of the lyrics of a song can be done on a scale of five stars, his lyrics by Nigerian standard could be said to be excellent. Good lyrics should not be there for the sheer sake of filling the space but should have meaning, evoke thought and be sensational and entertaining. By the current album, the artiste can boast of these.

 

Political leaders, particularly in Nigeria, often have little or no business at all with musicians. While they see themselves at one end of the social range, they see musicians at the far side. Musicians however, can change the course of history. Prominent musicians anywhere, constitute strong voices that can sway the opinion of the people in favor or against constituted authorities.

The Niger Delta is the home of militants that have been fighting for self determination. Bayelsa state is the most turbulent of all states in the region. The people of Bayelsa fortunately, see Timaya as a hero that has made them proud.

Gift and grace turned out to be that album that opened the heart of the artiste regarding his side on the topic of the Niger Delta struggle. This could be heard in the song if to say which means ‘if I were..’ The relevant lines in the song went thus: if to say a be country, I go become Nigeria. Nigeria na my country, Bayelsa na my state. If to say a be Vice President I go become Goodluck Jonathan. If to say a be freedom fighter I go become Asari Dokubo. If to say I be militant I go become…. (blank). If to say a be NLC President I go become Adam Oshiomole.

On the basis of that song alone, the opinion of the loudest voice from the Niger Delta regarding the future of the region is now clear: Nigeria is his country and Bayelsa is his state. If he were to be a Vice President, he would have preferred to be Goodluck Jonathan the current Vice President who supports a united Nigeria. If he were a freedom fighter, he would have preferred to be Asari Dokubo, the first major militant leader from the Niger delta who gave the nation serious headache but who later reconciled with the nation and now advises other militants to do same. It is up to the Nigerian Government to know how to take advantage of Timaya and have an edge over the militants

In Search of Lasting Peace and Development in Plateau State

Bulus Dabit

Introduction

Peace is the socio-economic condition that provides the right environment for the development of any nation, state, local government or community. It is therefore not surprising that the state government in fashioning its 10-point agenda, places peace and security as the 1st agenda

The priority given to peace and security can be better appreciated when viewed against the backdrop of disturbing the peace in the recent past (i.e. 2001—1-2004 and 2008) crisis. These sporadic violent have been over reported, and this gives Plateau State a bad name. Indeed no reporter who writes on conflicts and crises in Nigeria will avoid the few cases in the state. The over emphasis on the crises by the mass media tend to over shadow our basic character as a peaceful people and the tremendous development we are witnessing through the effort of the government at all levels.

The campaign shall therefore redirect our minds and the mass media to the positive development on the Plateau. It is against this background and the urgent need to achieve sustainable peace and security in the state that the agency in line with its statutory functions is embarking on a state wide campaign using interface sessions with stakeholders and motorized campaign in all the 17 LGAs of the state to preach the social gospel of peace and love. One of the chief means of preaching this gospel is to showcase the peace that is inherent in our culture and tradition, finding expressions in our accommodating and hospitable nature.

In this tour therefore, the state directorate will remind the Plateau people that Plateau State earned the accolade of Home of Peace and Tourism given the imperative of her peaceful and hospitable disposition. Available records and the testimonies of Nigerians leaving in Plateau State have confirmed that her people and groups are peaceful, accommodating and hospitable. This accommodating and hospitable culture needs to be sustained especially in a democratic dispensation with a government that is desperately making efforts to deliver the dividends of democracy to the electorate across the state.

As already stated, no meaningful development can take place in an atmosphere of insecurity and violence. The lack of peace and security as occasion by the sectarian crisis witnessed in the state between 2001 and 2008 did not only thwart and retard development but also reversed previous development achievements, setting the state probably 20 years backward. Ours is a classical case of how the lack of peace can erase any achievements that had been made in the past.

Our experience during this crisis shows that when one part of the state is hurting because of the crisis, the other parts of the state share in the experience. So no part of the state is safe from the adverse consequences of violent conflicts in any part of the country. Violent conflicts in the recent past have affected our tourism, commerce and industry, the provision of social infrastructures, capacity utilization, leaving us with an ugly scar that can only be removed by love and resolve for peaceful coexistence.

The governor’s ten-point agenda, the president’s 7-point agenda as well as all government policies and programmes cannot be achieved in an atmosphere of chaos. It is important to stress that peace is not what the government provide for a people. Peaceful coexistence through tolerance, love, accommodation and hospitality is the product of a social contract between the people and the government.

In this campaign, the National Orientation Agency believes that we are where we are because some people discarded our cherished virtues which made us the natural Home of Peace and Tourism. Today some of us disrespect constituted authorities, traditional institutions and break public laws at will in the process of acquiring material things and positions. Such people have become so intolerant of the perceived differences amongst us so much that they pick up arms against each other at the slightest provocation.

Indeed, peace is an essential ingredient of development, and can only be achieved and sustained through attitudinal change. Unless there is a resolve by our people to live in peace with each other and promote peace amongst them, peace will continue to elude us. This resolved is the most essential attitudinal change that would transform this state and indeed this nation into an advanced society. With increased attitudinal changes towards positive values, we can reduce poverty and hunger, illiteracy and ignorance, moral decadence and corruption, discrimination and the politics of exclusion, as well as wastes in the economy. Violent conflicts and bad attitude make us suspicious of one another. We now live in fear of one another and can no longer trust each other. The present segregation settlement pattern in our urban centres is a case in point. Violent conflicts have left many of our loved ones death. Where is our Jos Main Market? Where are our beautiful houses? It is time we rethink our attitudes and actions. It is time we learn to live together.

Peace and attitudinal change remains a panacea to development on the Plateau. We shall make more progress than we are making at the moment if and when we decide to live together. No one can progress in isolation; we have to do it together. Development after all is all about people. Development does not know religion, ethnicity, political party, social status and other primordial sentiments, politics should therefore be about developing the people, and hence it is a must that we live in peace.

Our people are as diverse as the land. With about 54 ethnic groups and varied terrain, we can tap this diversity to build our dear state. After all, diversity is instituted by God. This evidence abounds in nature. Therefore ethnicity, religion and political parties should not tear us apart in the 21st century when the world is globalizing. Homogeneity is out of place, the norm is pluralism. Let us all work towards a harmonious society. Democracy is a participatory government; everyone has a role to play. In democracy you have rights and obligation of supporting them to succeed. We must therefore learn to live, work, do business together and build the Plateau of our dream as one people under one God with one destiny.

The History of the Gbong Gwon Stool

According to the history and tradition of the Beroms, late Da Dachung Gyang was the first Gbong Gwon Berom and ruled from 1935 to 1952. The traditional stool was in the present day Riyom Local Government Area where he presided over 79 traditional rulers as the first Chairman of the traditional council.

The 79 traditional rulers came from the then Jos Division that eventually evolved into six local government areas including Jos North, Jos South, Bassa, Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Jos East.

From 1952 the stool remained dormant until it was restored in 1974 when late Rwang Pam became the first elected Gbong Gwom Jos and died in July 1979 after 22 years on the throne.

In 1970 the second Gbong Gwom, late Dr. Fom Bot ascended the throne, ruled for 32 years and died 1st December 2002.

After two years, Da Victor Dung Pam emerged as the fourth Gbong Gwom Jos and died in March 2009. He was immediately succeeded by former Comptroller General of the Federation, Elder Jacob Gyang Buba who currently sits on the throne.

Tarok People of Langtang in Plateau State



President of Ngwan Ishi Tarok, Rtd. Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro



The Tarok people are found in Langtang North and South, Kanam and Wase local government areas of Plateau State. Langtang North and south are however, the heart of Tarok land in the lowland area of Plateau State, central Nigeria. The journey from Pankshin to Langtang, the main town of Tarokland which is bye-and-large a descend through a road that meanders around spectacular rocks to open up in a broad plain. The plain is encircled by high mountains that leave a few accesses to the town. Once these accesses are patrolled, you cannot come into Langtang without being seen. It is said that the choice of the location was deliberate in order to guard against enemy tribes.

The Tarok people have an annual event, the Ilum O Tarok (Tarok Day). The celebration of Ilum O’Tarok is driven by the imperativeness to push for peace and togetherness among Tarok people. It is also a platform for updating the Tarok traditional skills for the sake of spurring technological development leading to economic and social development. If Tarok people must remain distinct, there is also the need to encourage upcoming generation of Tarok men and women to uphold the culture and traditions of their ancestors. One cannot deny the link between a distinct culture and tourism and the economic blessing that trails it. A tribe living in isolation cannot move on with ease. Thus the need for community with neighboring tribes is another driving force behind the Ilum O’Tarok.

The Tarok people are indeed proud of their heritage and are determined to preserve it. This is evident in many of the cultural elements of the Tarok people. For instance, the traditional Langtang architecture has endured till today. This conspicuous architectural style sharply marks the boundary between Ngas land and Tarok land such that one gets the impression of a cultural change at the boundary. The people live in round huts with coned-shaped roofing of grass that the environment provides. Usually a number of these huts that depend on the size of the family could be seen clustered together.

In view of the plain nature of the topography of the biggest town in Tarok land, Langtang, houses are opened to the destructive menace of the winds. Planting trees to serve as wind breaks has thus become a practice among the Tarok people. The most favored plant used for this is the dogonyaro plant that has thus defined the uniqueness of Tarok skyline which is evergreen.

The coming of a new born is seen as a blessing not just to the immediate parents but the community at large. If the community must benefit from the blessing a new child brings then he must live and grow up to become a man. There is however death and some women often give birth to children that usually die soon after their birth. As a result subsequent children are initiated into the Orim cult to prevent them form dying.

Polygamy is a cultural element of the Tarok people and the number of wives a man has marks him out among his peers. Great men are also known by the size of their harvests, the number of children and the spirit of giving to the less privileged. Those that lead men to war to come back victorious are also, without doubt, among great men in Tarok land. Above all a great man is one who once killed a leopard an extremely ferocious animal. Thus he has the right to wear a cap made from the spotted skin of the animal. The cap is now generally won as symbol of greatness among Tarok men.

In life generally love can come at first sight. With consensus. with a Tarok girl meeting a boy for the first time can follow him to his house to become his wife without prior notice to her parents. The love rendezvous is usually market places on market days. The next day, a relation of the new husband is led by a mediator, unim sel, to the girl’s parents to inform them that they should not panic as their daughter is in the custody of their son. They then present a gift that the girl’s parents hardly take on the first day to avoid creating the impression of selling their daughter. The eventual acceptance of the present, usually snuff, is an endorsement of the marriage.

The next step is for the new husband to pay the bride price. This he does by building a three hut apartment, farming for a few years and buying a traditional wear for the father-in-law

Children are named based on the circumstances surrounding the birth. There are names like Nanmwa meaning God has provided, usually given because the parents where almost given up on having a child. Byenchit meaning that it is good. Ventim means ’restored by God.’ In other contexts, Ventim may mean ‘unity’, given when a child is born at a time when there is a disagreement that divides the community into two or more

Tarok people say that militarism naturally runs in their veins. This they say is the reason why the Tarok are remarkably successful in the Nigerian Armed Forces such that it is rumored that there is one Military General in every squared kilometer of Tarok land. The adventures of their men in the military had made the land famous and the sons and daughters of Tarok very proud of whom they are. Hence a distinguished military career has also become a mark of greatness that guarantees one the freedom to adorn the leopard cap.

Funeral rites in Tarok land are also unique. The death and subsequent burial of an elderly man is usually followed by ngaga that involves the beating of drums, chanting of incantations and wielding of spears meant to drive away death. This is followed by nken orim during which the spirit of the death man is received and reunited with his ancestors and by extension the people.

Rural Tourism is the Best Option for Nigeria

Gompil

Mr. Semshak Gompil is a professional in the area of tourism. He got his background by virtue of his training from the Plateau State and Kaduna Polytechnics. After backing a Higher National Diploma in the field of tourism from the Kaduna Polytechnic, he worked with the Plateau State Tourism Corporation for seven years before retiring to private practice. While in private practice he has also added a Postgraduate Diploma in the same field. He runs the Fair Trade Network in Jos Plateau State, Nigeria.

In view of his rare resourcefulness in the area of tourism, the News Tower Magazine sought to know from him the prospect that tourism holds for Plateau State and Nigeria at large, the progress so far and what challenges lay ahead if we must fully develop the industry to a level where we can be fully classified among the tourist destinations around the world.

From Gompil, we have been able to gather that the greatest prospect for tourism in Nigeria as a whole is in the area of material culture which is found mainly in the rural areas. This is because our target tourists are from the developed nations. By virtue of their rapid technological advancements, these nations have moved far away from nature. Thus, most tourists from there set out, looking for hand-made crafts that are organic and natural. The extensive cultural diversity of Nigeria with an ethnic population of about 350 translates to so much distinct material culture and a huge prospect.

 

Hence rural tourism is the area where Nigeria has the comparative advantage to create a niche and attract tourists enough to bring about the economic and social development of our rural areas there by ending a steady rural to urban migration of youths looking for scarce white-collar jobs.

In the course of his studies, Gompil has had to carry out a research to find out what contribution tourism can make to the economic emancipation of the rural areas. The aim is to boost the efforts of those working towards the prospect of rural transformation through sustainable approaches. He says the prospects are enormous.

The benefits of tourism to Plateau State presently come largely from the export of this material culture. Hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to Gompil, come from the export which his organization does three times a year. The tourists are also coming and buying some of these items directly. It is just that their number is not encouraging enough for us to feel that we have finally reached the end of the road as far as tourism development is concerned.

According to Gompil, the benefits of the sale of these crafts to the rural area would have been far greater if the local population can be encouraged to buy them, taking into consideration our population and the fact that Nigerians have the money.

The sad news however is that we may never develop the industry early enough to benefit from the huge promise the industry has for the nation. This is due to the modest role governments often play towards the attainment of the goal. Successive governments often pride themselves as having the monopoly of knowledge by refusing to bring in professionals who are imperative in the planning of policies and the legislations needed to accelerate the growth of the industry. Even in the area of urban planning, it is always wise to involve professional to avoid situations where the tourist needs of city master plans are not overlooked. It is experts that are in a position to inform the authorities that the towns have nothing to offer. They are also the ones to inform the government that the emphasis now is on the encouragement of green rooms for which we have an advantage. The experts alone can help to plan well by taking into consideration our strength and our weaknesses. In Plateau State, Gompil says, we have the highest number of tourist experts in Nigeria by the virtue of the fact that the Plateau state Polytechnic undertakes training in the field and the enrolment policy of the institution ensures that 90% of students come from within the state. These experts are not been utilized, he says and all these mistakes are slowing down the speed of progress towards the development of the industry.

The best option for tourism is not in the concentration efforts in the cities but rather to redirect these efforts towards improving tourist resorts in the rural areas and also basic needs such as water supply and shelter. In the area of security he says that Plateau State is quite okay despite the ethnic problems we have experienced recently. This is because tourists travel to parts of the world where the security situation is worst. With the exception of the Niger Delta, security elsewhere in Nigeria is quite okay.

There is also the need to train tourist guides. Tourist guides should be trained to know the locations of the tourist resources and the history of these resources in case tourists need information regarding them.

Gompil also noted that the sale of tourism online or through conventional print media is the sale of an illusion and emphasized the need for Nigerian tourism promoters to guard against exaggeration to avoid situations where tourists turn deaf ears to promotions of Nigerian tourism

The Falling Popularity of Isa Yuguda

The name Isa Yuguda first came to public attention during the Obasanjo administration when Yuguda was made the Minister of Aviation. We eventually came to understand that Isa Yuguda comes from Bauchi State and is a member of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.

Isa Yuguda is a man or was a man with a mammoth popularity in Bauchi State. Those who never knew how popular the man was learnt it when he expressed his intention to become the successor of Adamu Muazu as Governor of Bauchi State. He was quickly accepted by the people of Bauchi State.

In contemporary times it is difficult to tell a Nigerian political story without touching the area of reckless financial dealings by serving politicians. The ordinary man in Bauchi however, saw Yuguda as a rare politician that comes from a wealthy background, so wealthy that he will not be interested in the public resources. All that mattered to him was the well being of every day people in the state.

As 2007, the year of election approached however, it became obvious that Governor Mu’azu had another candidate beside Isa Yuguda. Mallam Isa Yuguda failed to secure the endorsement of Mu’azu under the PDP. It was then the popularity of Isa Yuguda was demonstrated. The people advised him to decamp from the PDP and contest on the podium of the All Nigeria’s People Party, ANPP. So it was.

In the state of Kano four years earlier, a new voter strategy was successfully put to test. The Hausas describe it as a kasa, a tsare, a raka, meaning ‘cast, protect and follow up.’ It was used when the Kano people decided they were fed up with the administration of Mallam Rabiu Kwankwaso. One of his commissioners, Ibrahim Shekarau, was advised to decamp to the ANPP to contest against his boss in the next election. It worked and Shekarau is now enjoying the second tenure as Governor of Kano State. A kasa, a tsare, a raka, was put to test in Bauchi state in 2007 and was successful as Isa Yuguda became the fourth democratically elected Governor of Bauchi State. The popularity of Isa Yuguda was further demonstrated when the people decided to punish Mu’azu for daring to deny them their wish by ensuring that the Muazu lost his contest for the Senate. It was described as a major upset. This is despite the fact that Mu’azu was one of the best Governors within the period 1999 to 2007.

Two years after Isa Yuguda became the Governor of Bauchi State; his popularity seems to be on the fall. It started when Isa Yuguda decided to stab the ANPP on the back by decamping back to the PDP. Prior to decamping to the PDP was his wedding to a daughter of President Umaru Yar’adua. A lot of people see adding of an additional wife as a frivolous issue for a Governor that already has a wife even when his religion allows him freedom to have more than one. The fundamental reason for grudges among the citizens of Bauchi State centers around the delivery of the administration in its two years. The people are now beginning to see the worth of Mu azu.

When people begin to lose faith in an administration, the atmosphere also becomes rife for wild rumours. One of the rumours linked to Isa Yuguda now, has to do with the presidency. It goes that there is a good chance that Yar’adua may not go for a second tenure, except there is an assurance that he has fully overcome his health problem. Should that happen, the President would be adequately compensated with his daughter as the First Lady of the Federation. In other words, Isa Yuguda wishes to become the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The second rumour is in connection with the shortcomings of the administration of Isa Yuguda in Bauchi State. It goes that Yuguda believes that Muazu, during his time, saturated Bauchi State with developments such that there is nothing left to develop. Thus Yuguda has decided to use the opportunity to enrich his friends.

Mu’azu is now emerging as the real hero of Bauchi State.

Fulanis in Wase: The Truth About their Relocation by Plateau Government



Adamu Idris

 The latest security-related news coming from Plateau State Nigeria is the story of the evacuation of Fulani herdsmen out of Bashar town in Wase Local Government Area of the State by the state government. The Fulanis have always been part of nearly every state in the north of Nigeria including Plateau State. Thus the story of Plateau State evacuating people that have been there for more than forty years to dump them elsewhere looks extremely odd.

 The story looks so odd that this reporter decided to embark on a journey of three hours from Jos, the capital of the state to find out the truth. His host was the Emir of Bashar himself, Alhaji Adamu Idris.

The indigenous tribes of Bashar town, according to the Emir, are the Basharawas, who are actually Hausas, Jukun, Fulani and Tarok people also found in Langtang North and South but also in Kanam. The Emir corroborated what the ‘Okada’ man had told the reporter along the way to Bashar that the affected Fulanis are actually recent migrants that came to the town in March this year, four months after the latest crisis in the state. They came from Katsina, Bauchi and Zamfara States in the north of the country. The Emir was quick to add that these migrants however, have relatives in Bashar. The new settlers did not pay him a courtesy visit but on hearing about their arrival, he sent his aides to find out who they were and why they had come to his domain. The report that came was that they were from the mentioned states and have been driven by desertification. They have consequently come to find new farm and grazing fields for their herds.

Mallam Idris said he was not apprehensive of their presence because he did not see signs portraying them as the warriors they have been touted to be. This is because they came with their most valued possessions: families and cattle. A person coming to war comes only with arms and they will have preferred to lay ambush from the borders of their own states such as Toro in Bauchi that is actually 15 minutes away from Jos rather than to move down to Bashar about two and half hours further south.

The Plateau State Commissioner of Information and Communication, Gregory Yenlong said that the action of the state government was the result of security information from the locals who became apprehensive by the unusually large volume of visitors, about five trucks, in just three months. They send their report to the local government headquarters from where it was relayed to the State Government House in Rayfield. Yenlong said that if they were indeed driven by the desire to find grazing and farm lands, then there ought to be a formal discussion at the governmental level prior to their movement to Plateau State. There is also the issue of the farming and grazing lands they intend to use. How will this problem be sorted out between them and their hosts?

Since 2001, Plateau had become the scene of frequent clashes that border on ethnicity, land ownership and religion. The 2001 crisis actually spread to other parts of the state where it refused to abate until the declaration of a State of Emergency by the Federal Government of Olusegun Obasanjo in May 2004. Wase Local Government Area itself became notorious for cattle stealing as a result of the chaotic situation the crisis engendered. Following local elections in Jos-North Local Government Area of the state in November last year, fighting broke out in some parts of the local government leading to the death of about 250 persons with a remarkable lost of properties. While the state government was making efforts to ensure lasting peace, some 26 armed militants were arrested in Jos on the first day of January barely a month after. They were from Bauchi State. The State Government cut curfew hours imposed as a result of the disturbance just two weeks ago. A period like this seems very odd for such an anomalous migration for the sake of grazing and farm lands, resources that have been responsible for some of the most deadly wars in Africa.