It is worth commending the efforts of Governor Ahmadu Fintri of Adamawa State towards uplifting the state to an enviable position in the last two years of his ascending the mantle of leadership of the state. Governor Fintri should be counted among the people that governed the state and performed wonderfully well to the admiration of the people of the state.
But with the support he has given to split the Jimeta District into different districts, his popularity in the eyes of the people and their perception about him has greatly nosedived. The action is going to divide the once peaceful and cohesive district where the people are living peacefully without any kind of rancour and acrimony for centuries.
Splitting Jimeta District into two or three districts will no doubt spell doom for the district as well as bring about distrust among the people of the district that are made of different tribes and also bring to the front burner religious differences between the Muslims and the Christians.
The sad reality of Nigerian politics undoubtedly portrays a system that is under the siege by the actions and inactions of the leaders. Governor Ahmadu Fintri should not have supported the splitting of the district even if the Adamawa Emirate Council intended to do so.
Splitting the Jimeta District will put in additional burden on Yola-North Local Government with the little allocation coming into the coffers of the council used in running its day to day activities.
It is inconceivable at this material time to get the district split or divided.
If the district is split, it will generate a strong bad blood between the adherents of the two major religions as well as set in motion the development of hatred amongst the followers of the two major religions in Jimeta.
The city of Jimeta is cosmopolitan in nature with divergent ethnic nationalities living in peace and harmony for years.
It quite seems that Governor Ahmadu Fintri, if he is supporting the split of the district, is ultimately killing himself and his party completely.
The dignity and honour in the eyes of the people of Jimeta on Governor Fintri, since his ascension on the throne two years ago are eroding by the day because of the tacit support he has for the splitting of the Jimeta District.
The people are expecting people-oriented projects and programmes which will impact positively on their lives in Jimeta rather than doing what may put asunder in their lives with the split of the district.
Splitting the district along tribal and religious lines will no doubt excerbate intolerance among the people, who today see one another as brothers and sisters.
It is imperative for those that matter to urgently advise the governor to shelve the splitting of the Jimeta District for the purpose of cohesion and oneness among the people as well as lessen the burden of Yola-North Local Government in maintaining the districts if created.
Presently, the district is made up of 11 wards, if split into two it means,l that Gwadabawa, Yelwa, Ajiya, Rumde, Alkalawa and Limawa wards will be predominantly inhibited by the Muslims and Nassarawo, Luggere, Karewa, Doubeli and Jambutu wards will be inhibited by the Christians. It is not good to create districts along religious divide.
A stitch in time saves nine.
• Usman Santuraki, a public affairs analyst, writes from Jimeta-Yola