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shilgba@yahoo.com Yokohama, Japan

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BENUE TIV CRISIS: AS OBASANJO LOOKS AWAY

ince April 2004 local government elections in Nigeria, there has been carnage in Kwande local government area of Benue State. Reminiscent of the Tiv crisis of the 60's (Nande nande -"arson"-of 1960 and the atem ityough-"head cracking" of 1964/65), the subsisting crisis in the Tiv land of Kwande is:

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1. happening under a civilian regime as opposed to the military.

2. fall out of political elections. During the 1959 Federal elections the Tiv people who were predominantly in the United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC) led by their leader the late Chief J.S Tarka, went into political alliance with the Action Group (AG) of the late Chief O. Awolowo to score a resounding victory in Tivland against the mainstream Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), which the Tivs had ditched for perceived neglect. This led to serious crisis that claimed many lives in Tiv land in the 1960 and 1964/65.

   The coup of 1960 was seen generally by the Tivs as a welcome development which saw them get into the mainstream of Nigerian politics (though under the military). The electoral victory of the ANPP against the PDP in Kwande local government is the main cause of the killings going on in that part of Tiv land today.

History seems to be repeating itself. Because of the resistance of the Tiv people against the oppressive policies of the ruling NPC in the north, they suffered different forms of humiliation and discrimination including being made to carry on them their Tax receipts, imprisonment on flimsy excuses, denial of liquor licenses to their women (liquor sale was/is an attractive source of income for the Tiv women)-just to mention a few. They lost their identity since they were neither Northerners nor Southerners, and with boldness took on the behemoth NPC government of the North. They were given false and degrading stereotypes like "trouble makers", "war-mongers" etc.

It seemed at the time that Nigerians and indeed the world went to sleep when the Tivs suffered various indignities in the hands of the Northern lords. But very unfortunate was the fact that even among their political leaders, there was some inexcusable degree of disunity and mutual distrust. It was a case of making their suffering at the hands of outsiders worse by turning against each other indoors. The Tiv elite have generally betrayed the expectation of their people through selfish bickering among themselves when they should have cooperated to ferret out whatever gains for the common good.

In a country where the first Tiv man to become Chief of Army Staff (Col. Joseph Akaahan) died in questionable circumstances in 1967 and there was no "compensation", but a Lt. Col Shehu Yar'Adua was double-promoted to the rank of Brigadier-general to become Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters in order to "compensate the North" over the death of Gen. Murtala, the Tiv elite should know they must bury selfish ambition and promote a common agenda if Tiv land MUST develop.

In a country where human life and property in many villages in Tiv land could be destroyed with impunity by federal soldiers, with the obvious knowledge and permission of the President, and nothing happens, the Tiv elite should wake up to the realization that what the common Tiv people need now is not to be sacrificed on the altar of their base ambitions.

In a country where the repeated cry and complaint by a Tiv Senator (Senator Daniel Saror representing Kwande) to both the Inspector-General of Police and the President over the total break down of law and order in his domain (Kwande) has met with stolid flippancy, the Tiv elite should understand that even the federal government cares not a hoot about the life of a Tiv man. I can see Obasanjo and his group laughing at the Tiv people and saying, " This mutual killings of the Tivs by the Tivs will no doubt show that I did the right thing when I ordered my soldiers to annihilate many of them in 2001". How else can one explain the fact that since April 2004 when the killings in Kwande started, Obasanjo has done nothing in spite of appeals from Senator Saror?

Governor Akume of Benue state seems to be enjoying the covert support for his actions as indicated by the inaction of president Obasanjo in the matter. I was horrified when I read his address to the Senate Ad hoc Committee on the crisis which was sent to Benue in May this year. He placed the whole blame on the ANPP and refered to the mayhem caused by the PDP Militia as a revenge for the attacks by the ANPP. He blamed certain Tiv leaders like Paul Unongu and Senator Daniel Saror (on account of whose appeal to the Senate the committee was sent) and saw nothing wrong that his party the PDP had done.

Besides, he denied that elections were held in Kwande local government in April 2004. It is interesting however that the Governor holds the key to the resolution of the crisis. Why should the governor make matters worse by his reneging on certain agreements reportedly reached on resolving the crisis-like announcing the results of the elections which even the committee said were held?

PDP has won almost all local government seats in Benue state; how much loss will be to the PDP if the winning party in Kwande (ANPP) is declared? Does Governor Akume want to leave behind a legacy of violence instead of that of infrastructural development which the state is in dire need of? There are so many Militia men milling around these days in Kwande with sophisticated weapons, who are reportedly sponsored by the PDP. It is dangerous that we have this situation in Benue state, which the Governor is either unable or unwilling to resolve; either way, the state needs some help from outside.

The state house of assembly too is either too seriously compromised to act or too helpless in the circumstances. As the Senate returns from its recess, there is need for some drastic action to be taken on the Benue crisis. The situation cannot continue like this when even the representatives of the people at the national level seem to be sharply pitched in one of two camps split between the ANPP and the PDP.

When Tiv political and traditional leaders like Governor George Akume, Iorchyia Ayu, Daniel Saor, Wantaregh Paul Unongu, Ason Bur, Barnabas Gemade, The Tor-Tiv among many others cannot trust each other, work together and build together, then this calls for some external intervention by the Federal government as the case was during the Tiv riots of the 1960's. Nigeria should not leave us (I am a Tiv man) alone to destroy ourselves so that we will fulfill ALL the stereotypes placed on us. The senate should not ignore us while they go on to deliberate on other issues of "urgent national importance"; they should deliberate seriously on and make strong representation to the President on the report of the Senator Iyabode Anisulowo ad hoc committee on the Kwande crisis.

President Obasanjo should please stop looking away from this crisis; neither should he snigger at us. Lest this crisis engulfs the whole of Tiv land (which is the largest part of Benue state by population and land mass), bringing with it the outrageous images of the 1960 and 1964/65, the Federal government should without further delay get actively involved. The Nigerian media should also give more coverage to the carnage going on in this part of Nigeria, and not allow the victory of cagey politics of incumbency over truth.

Let Nigerians know that even donations solicited by local Churches in Kwande to raise money to help victims of the crisis are being frustrated by the militia. Graves of the dead have been broken up and corpses burnt. Even the clergy are being attacked; villages are destroyed and life is worth not more than a piece of moldy bread on the dump. The governor of Benue state has indicated in his speech to the Senate committee that he is no more in control. He is not even in control of the PDP militia who were reported to have stormed Gboko this month demanding to be paid (They converged on the house of a PDP chieftain). A situation whereby these men brandishing dangerous weapons and working for party chiefs are being owed sets one wondering what havoc they can wreak in the heat of anger.

I was touched deeply when I heard on AIT online broadcast the complaints and cries of the people to the Senate committee when they visited. I am no politician, I write as a concerned Nigerian Tiv man. The ANPP also is reported to have made some attacks on their PDP rivals which, according to the Benue Governor, prompted retaliations from the PDP.

How long will this gory tale be told of Tiv politics? The common man wants to see positive development on the ground in the area of infrastructure like pipe-borne water (which an old town like Gboko doesn't have), good roads, schools, hospitals etc. The state government is clearly distracted by the simmering crisis. With less than 3 years to go, what will Governor Akume want to be remembered for in all the 8 years he will have RULED Benue by 2007? How can he have the concentration of mind on issues of development for the state when he has permitted a resolvable crisis to linger on?

How can there be serious partnership when a Senator from Benue is afraid for his life and cannot visit his village, for fear that the state government has set people to assassinate him. Truth lies in the middle; any how one looks at this issue, the fact is that "the center cannot hold". OBJ must do what he did to end the intractable Ife-Modakeke crisis. Obasanjo is a good and shrewd manager who knows when to do what if he puts his mind to it. Is it not yet time to do SOMETHING about Benue? How many more lives before….?

Before I conclude, I must address certain personalities in Benue, nay Tiv land:

Governor Akume, let not this deepening crisis be a cloak to hide behind. Your score sheet must be presented in 2007. I search the internet using search machines; I scour the newspapers if I could but find one piece of cheering news about Benue, and I find none. Have you heard of Gov. Buks Saraki? He is striving to revive Agriculture in Kwara. Benue is the "food basket of the nation". Please, keep close to visionary and dynamic men like him. You could learn some few things to polish your score sheet.

Have you heard of Gov. Peter Odili? I heard he has completed an Independent Power generation plant and leased out to NEPA while building yet another. Do not fail to make him a close friend; good friends inspire dull minds. Does the name Daniel Gbenga ring a bell? He is the governor of my wife's State; He is opening up Ogun state. Collaborate with such. Please, sir, do not forget to make an appointment to confer with the eminent Gov. Bola Tinubu. He may show you what it takes to get the attention of the World Bank.

Moreover, take a trip to Bauchi and see what their governor is doing with their allocation from the federation account. I have learned that Benue state gets from this account more than a pretty number of States; over N1 billion (excluding local government allocation which is over a billion naira too). You can accomplish a lot with that instead of wasting valuable mental energy on prosecuting political wars and stoking fires of hatred. You can unify Tiv (and Benue) sons and daughters for development if only you can inspire confidence and start speaking like a governor rather than a political rival.

To fellow Tiv elite, I say "shame on all of us". Where do we have the mouth to cry to the international community about the 2001 Tiv massacre when we equip poor Tiv men (and women?) with guns instead of goods; with weapons instead of wealth; and with mutual hatred rather than health, to use against fellow Tivs? Do we include our children among the militia? ; I doubt it, for they are kept as far away from the war zone as possible, even beyond the shores of Nigeria. This is wickedness!

Why do we allow political ambitions to blind us to the true meaning of education and wisdom? It was Montesquieu who said, "Intelligence consists of this: that we recognize the similarity of different things and the difference between similar ones." Whatever political Party we may belong to, the similarity weighs much more than the difference-the ultimate development of the land and empowerment of the people. You get what you can from party A, I get what I can from party B, by right, and we put together to make our land a better place. Period!

You Militia men and women, for how long will you be deceived by the elite who give you pittance for off color jobs? Wake up and free yourselves.

I have transferred this discourse to the Tiv people; but does this not hold true for other nationalities in Nigeria and Africa? Internecine wars are all over the continent because of the highly educated but ignorant elite who strut all over the land in baggy clothes of duplicity wearing many faces on a single head. The Tiv people only ape the whole. May we be wiser today than yesterday.