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.
