By: Godwin Onuh Odeh, PhD The piece comes consequent upon Senator Abba Moro's recent remarks on the Executive Governor of Be...
By: Godwin Onuh Odeh, PhD
The piece comes consequent upon Senator Abba Moro's recent remarks on the Executive Governor of Benue State, His Excellency Rev. Father Hyacinth Alia, that "no Benue or Tiv Governor hates Idoma people like Alia," and the reactions this has garnered in the public domain. The comment or remark might be political and, as such, might attract political responses. However, caution should be maintained by the younger generation of Idoma people and even Tiv people, especially the lovers of the incumbent governor of the State, for a number of reasons.
Firstly, Senator Dr. Abba Moro is not a man known for vain talk, though he might not be a political saint people wanted him to be or thought he should be. He is a highly experienced, intelligent, and well-educated Idoma man who was profitably engaged and doing well before venturing into politics. His entering into politics is not just for food and wealth, as we are seeing common with many today, but to empower and support his people (politics of humanity). He has a long history of a deep sense of patriotism for the Idoma nation and people. He is the man who has supported, responded to, and helped Idoma youths more than any Idoma politician in recent history.
Immediately Moro's phone rings, and the first thing that comes out of the caller is self-introduction, and it is in Idoma language and name, Comrade Senator Abba Moro gives full attention and does, by any means possible, address the need of the person or caller. This is a personal experience and the experience of many. Senator Abba Moro has helped many Idoma sons and daughters secure jobs in different federal agencies and parastatals and has been instrumental in bringing federal presence to Idoma land since becoming a Senator. He wears Idoma attire, pride, and culture on his face.
Against the background of the essence of his person, encased in experience and patriotism, if he told the governor that he hates Idoma more than any other previous governors, he might be challenging the Governor to get closer to Idoma people the more or do more projects in Idoma land. The reason being the federal allocation coming to the state now is far more than what it was during the time of His Excellency, Senator Dr. George Akume, Rt. Hon. Dr. Gabriel Suswam, and Mr. Samuel Ortom's era.
Thus, judging Alia's efforts and presence in Idoma land in terms of infrastructure, comparing him with the previous governor, might not be wrong because, to whom much is given, much is, of course, required and expected. Alia is receiving more allocation than the previous ones and is expected to do more in zone C. Not doing more might have triggered the remarks by Senator Abba Moro.
Secondly, that Alia hates Idoma people or zone C, Senator Abba Moro might be conveying a message to the Governor. Being a priest, an embodiment of love, he might have not exceeded the love expressed by the previous governors of the state for the Idoma people, based on the review of Idoma-Tiv political relations. Even Christ, when he saw the inherent inadequacies in the righteousness of his followers and the people at a time, challenged them that they should exceed scribes and Pharisees' righteousness.
The question is, how many Idoma people are holding key appointments in Alia's administration, and how close are Idoma people or zone C to his heart? A normal or nominal Idoma politician may look and shy away from this, but the characteristics of Abba Moro, and a particularly patriotic Idoma Nationalist that we know, won't keep quiet on where the incumbent governor is not meeting the expectations of his people.
In undergraduate days, I could vividly recall Moro's humor and sense of patriotism to the Idoma nation and youths when, in his days as Local Government Chairman and head of ALGON, he visited us at Benue State University and told us that "if you have needs and go to your Idoma brothers and sisters who are Lecturers here, speak Idoma language, if they don't respond in the language and respond in English Language, leave them and forget about them". That is the patriotic man, Abba Moro, this treatise doubts if he has changed.
Above all, the history of Idoma-Tiv relations from the political handle is not quite smooth, given the dominance of the affairs of the state by the latter. In other areas, Idoma and Tiv are good friends; they share, help one another, and intermarry, but since the creation of the state from Benue Plateau in 1976, Idoma haven't produced a governor of the state. By next February, the state would be celebrating its golden jubilee. This is not quite an interesting and impressive history, even to many Tiv guys who have Idoma as best friends (rather than their own Tiv brothers), but they are powerless.
Tiv have, of course, helped Idoma in securing jobs at both state and federal levels. These are testaments of good intergroup relations, but Idoma is yet to produce a governor of the state and is yet to produce a Vice-Chancellor in Benue State University, now Rev. Father Moses Adasu University, Makurdi. It's like these are no-go areas. What really is the challenge? Is it population or capable hands? The answer is no. Idoma have capable hands who are schooled in statecraft and could have managed the affairs of the state effectively.
Not to mention David Mark again, Idoma have the likes of General Lawrence Anebi Onoja, Rtd, Chief Mike Okibe Onoja, Chief Audu Ogbe of blessed memory, General Chris Abutu, Rtd, Comrade Abba Moro himself, Steve Lawani, Engr. Benson Abounu, Dickson Akor, Chief Nelson Alapa, Comrade John Odah, Comrade Alechenu Musa Ohimini, well-educated Idoma men who are above forty years of age, among other Idoma persons.
On the Vice-Chancellorship of Benue State University, Zone C had produced eminent scholars like Professor A. Ochefu, Professor Ogah Ajene, Professor Tony Edoh of blessed memory, Professor Armstrong Matiu Adejo of blessed memory, Professor Mike O. Odey, Professor Okpeh O. Okpeh Jr, Professor John Ebute Agaba, among others in and outside Benue State University, and yet has never been able to produce a Vice-Chancellor since the inception of the University in the early 90s. On social media, the zone C students are complaining too; they have never produced an SUG president. Is this the question of population? Certainly not.
The idea of majority and minority ratio operates when a particular group has 50 per cent of the population of the area. As Professor Nuhu Yaqub, of blessed memory, argued, no ethnic group in Nigeria can conveniently claim majority status because either Igbo, Hausa, or Yoruba have neither of that number in Nigeria. Therefore, in his view, the idea of majority and minority ethnic group is non-existent statistically.
This may apply to Benue State too, where the Tiv have claimed political dominance in the last fifty years of the existence of the state. Of the twenty-three local government areas in the State, zone C, or Benue South Senatorial District, has nine local council areas. The population of the zone is quite enormous and has been the decider of who emerges the Governor of the state.
The point is, no Tiv zone, by rotation principle, could produce a governor without the full support of the zone C. It then means the idea of rotating the governorship position amongst the two Tiv zones of A and B cannot hold water without the fuller support of zone C. It further means Idoma are in the position of kingmaker in the state, and any strategic move from them would upset the balance of perpetual rotation of governorship between A and B.
A critical review of the relations between Tiv and Idoma shows overwhelming dominance and political exploitation of the Idoma people, since denial of power is, ultimately, a denial of the benefit of power. The idea of this supposed benefit of power might, without doubt, have triggered the remark on Governor Alia's leadership style by the patriotic Senator Abba Moro, PhD.
What is expected, therefore, is for the governor to sit up and do the needful in zone C. The son whom the father loves, he will rebuke, except the child is a bastard. In Idoma adage, we are told if someone says see your mouth is not an insult, perhaps he wants you to close your mouth if it is wide open. Thus, the remark by the Distinguished Senator Abba Moro should not cause ethnic, political, and religious division, for we are brothers.
Dr. Godwin Onuh Odeh, Public affairs analyst and commentator, Department of History and International Studies, Sokoto State University, Sokoto.
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