Tafawa Balewa Town Development Association has given the Sayawa ethnic tribe in the area three options for them to achieve their desire of having the Sayawa chiefdom for self-determination.
The association said one of such options is that the life and property of their innocent neighbours would not be destroyed as was done in 1991, 1995, 2001, and 2011, while due process should be followed by the government in creating the chiefdom as was done by the Isa Yuguda Administration in 2011.
It said the Sayawas must ensure that no part of other people’s land is included in the chiefdom without consulting them, as other tribal groups should be given the option to be in the chiefdom or in Bauchi Emirate.
These were contained in a statement made available to the press in Bauchi yesterday by the town development association which also supported the recent arrest of Sayawa Chief, Air Commodore Ishaya Komo (rtd) by the state government, and is now facing charges at the law court.
The association therefore described the arrest of Komo as a welcome development and highly commendable, saying “It is a sign of strong political will on the part of the present PDP administration in Bauchi to deal with each and every disturber of peace as, no one will have the monopoly of violence under a responsible leadership.”
The press statement signed by the association chairman and secretary, Shu’aibu Saleh Umar and Yunusa Ado respectively, recalled that the creation of the Sayawa chiefdom was recommended by the Justice Babalakin Commission of Inquiry into the Tafawa Balewa crisis of 22nd April, 1991.
It said that previous Bauchi State Governments have made efforts at creating the chiefdom, but it was in 2011 that a Bill was passed and accented to for the creation of the said chiefdom with headquarters at Bogoro, “Unfortunately, it was the Sayawas who rejected it out rightly claiming that it must be in Tafawa Balewa.”
“Even though all documented historical accounts, evidence and trajectories of ethnic settlements have established that Tafawa Balewa was founded by the Fulani, the Sayawas have no such proof. It is the Sayawas, themselves, who are sabotaging the creation of their chiefdom through litigation, the matter which is still before the court,” it said.
Shu’aibu Salah Umar while recalling that Sayawa chief – Gung Zaar had been declared wanted since 2011, but due to lack of seriousness and failure of the then leadership, the order was relaxed until 5th May, 2023 when he was arrested under the stewardship of Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed.
“The self-appointed Gung-Zaar has been going about appointing and turbanning District Heads, even where non exist, such as Tafawa Balewa, Dungah, Maryam, Tafare, Gumus and Marti – all in present Lere District of Tafawa Balewa LGA. He is also going about appointing and turbanning his own District and Village Heads in Bogoro LGA/District,” he said.
These, the association lamented, have resulted in confusion and dual authority between the government recognized District and Village Heads and those of the self-appointed Gung Zaar, resulting in disturbances in many places such as the recent Sang crisis in Bogoro LGA/District where many lives were lost, houses and property destroyed.
It also accused the Gung Zaar of undermining the authority of the government, marginalising other ethnic groups and sabotaging all peace efforts, and blamed previous governments in the state that shirked their responsibility of arresting and prosecuting the culprits of the 1991 attack on the innocent people of Tafawa Balewa.
“The Babalakim Commission recommended full investigation and prosecution of these culprits. Those past Governments failed to do so. This failure to investigate and prosecute the criminals gave the false belief to the Sayawas that they can always achieve what they wanted and go scot-free. They repeated the mayhem in 1995, 2001 and 2011,” the association stated.
The association commended the determination of Governor Bala-led administration to stamp out all forms of lawlessness and disrespect to the constituted authorities from whatever segment of the state they may arise.
