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Hail Adamawa, Bauchi governors for creating new chiefdoms
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has urged the governors of the 19 Northern states to liberate over 300 ethnic groups in the Middle Belt, who occupy approximately 65% of the landmass of the defunct Northern Nigeria but remain under the control of the Othman Danfodio (Sokoto) Sultanate, the Kanem-Bornu Empire, and others.
The MBF noted that before British colonial rule, no ethnic nationality of the Middle Belt was under the rule of the Sultanate or Kanem-Bornu Empire.
The Forum commended the governors of Adamawa and Bauchi states, Adamu Ahmadu Fintiri and Bala Mohammed, for creating new chiefdoms and emirates to free these ethnic groups in their respective states.
In a statement on Tuesday, MBF President Dr Bitrus Pogu called on other governors, particularly those in Niger and Borno states, to take similar actions, citing the cultural, traditional, religious, and geographical differences between the Middle Belt communities and their rulers.
“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 the rule of the big Sultanates.
“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 Ahmadu Fintiri, for the 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 to create the Sayawa (Zaar) Chiefdom with its headquarters in Tafawa Balewa town. This is long overdue, and we stand in total solidarity with him over 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 Othman Danfodio (Sokoto) Sultanate or 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 imposed indirect rule over the area. This empowered Fulani and Kanuri rulers to amalgamate our once-independent nations under their extractive rule.
“The colonial army and police ensured that we submitted to be ruled this way solely for the purpose 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 or Borno-derived emirates after Nigeria’s independence.”
The statement lauded Governor Fintiri for creating the 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), and 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 the 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 their 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.
“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-Bornu 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.
“The same applies to some ethnic nationalities in Niger State that are still under the yoke of Othman Danfodio-derived emirates,” the statement concluded.