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Hails Adamawa, Bauchi Governors for creating chiefdoms
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has urged the 19 Northern States Governors to liberate over 300 ethnic groups of the Middle Belt who occupy about 65% of the landmass of the defunct Northern Nigeria, but are still under the control of the Uthman Danfodio (Sokoto) Sultanate and the Kanem Bornu Empire, among others till date.
The MBF noted that before British colonial rule, no single ethnic nationality of the Middle Belt was under the Uthman Danfodio (Sokoto) Sultanate and the Kanem Bornu Empire until the colonial masters left Nigeria.
The Forum, however, hailed the Governors of Adamawa and Bauchi States, Adamu Ahmadu Fintiri and Bala Mohammed for creating new Chiefdoms and Emirates to free such ethnic groups in their respective States.
In a statement on Tuesday – yesterday, December 31 – by the MBF President, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, the group called on other Governors in the region, especially Niger and Borno States, to follow suit, especially because of the sharp contrasts in culture, tradition, religion and even geography, between such ethnic groups and their ‘captors’.
“It is now a wake up call to all fair-minded Governors of the 19 States of the defunct Northern Nigeria to liberate all ethnic groups forced under rule of the big Sultanates to be freed.
“The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) hereby joins all well meaning and progressive Nigerians to praise and thank the Governor of Adamawa state, His Excellency, Adamu Ahamdu Fintiri for creation of new Chiefdoms and Emirates in Adamawa State.
“In the same vein, the MBF stands to hail the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, for his intention of creating the Sayawa (Zaar) with its headquarters in Tafawa Balewa town. This is long overdue and we stand in total solidarity with him on this courageous, fair and justified development.
“The people of the Middle Belt stand in complete support of these two governors for the following reasons:
Before British colonial rule, no single ethnic nationality of the Middle Belt was under the Otham Danfodio (Sokoto) Sultanate and the Kanem Bornu empire.
All the over 300 ethnic groups of the Middle Belt who occupy about 65% of the landmass of the defunct Northern Nigeria were independent nations, many of them acephalous in nature.
“Unfortunately after the British conquest of northern Nigeria, the British hoisted in-direct rule over the area. This empowered the Fulani and Kanuri rulers to amalgamate our once independent nations under their severe extractive rule.
“The colonial army and police ensured that we submitted to be ruled this way solely for the purposes of extracting tax, labour and raw materials for the British.
It must therefore be placed in the right context that no Middle Belt ethnic group should still be under any of the Sokoto and Borno derived Emirates after Nigeria’s independence.
“We therefore laud Governor Fintiri for the creation of Hoba Emirate (Hong, 2nd Class), Madagali Emirate (Gulak, 2nd Class), Michika Emirate (Michika, 2nd Class), Fufore Emirate (Fufore, 2nd Class), Gombi Chiefdom (Gombi, 3rd Class), Maiha Chiefdom (Maiha, 3rd Class),Yungur Chiefdom (Dumne, 3rd Class).
“This development puts Governor Umaru Ahmadu Fintiri as a progressive governor who places a premium on the rights, dignity and history of the constituents of his state.
“This will enhance cultural identity and bridge the divide between government and local communities. Aside from that, this development will bring traditional rule closer to the people; enhance security and attract development to new Emirates and Chiefdoms.
“The Governor of Bauchi state should not be intimidated or bullied into rescinding his decision to create a Chiefdom for the much suppressed Sayawa (Zaar) people of Tafawa Balewa and rightfully making Tafawa Balewa its Headquarters.
“Tafawa Balewa, though now cosmopolitan, with the Sayawa as the majority, is unarguably sited on the land of the Sayawa. It doesn’t matter what settlers make of it today – the Sayawa hold both traditional, cultural, historical and legal rights to host the headquarters of its new chiefdom in Tafawa Balewa.
“We wish to reiterate that the entire people of the Middle Belt stand with him on this project of dismantling that colonial legacy and freeing the Sayawa from the exploitative, overbearing and unjustified Bauchi Emirate rule over the Sayawa.
“The Middle Belt Forum hereby encourages the Governor of Borno state, Prof. Babagana Zulum to emulate Governor Ahmadu Adamu Fintiri of Adamawa state and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state and free all ethnic nationalities of Southern Borno from the pincer’s grip of Kanem Borno rule.
“It is very unfortunate that Chibok is still under the Shehu of Borno despite the sharp contrast in culture, tradition, religion and even geography.
It also the same for some ethnic nationalities in Niger State that are still under the yoke of Othman Danfodio derived emirates”. The statement said.
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