Agitation for self-rule: Bauchi’s Sayawa ethnic group prays, reiterates demand for actualization of chiefdom

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Samuel Luka, Bauchi

A one day prayer rally with a theme, ‘Be Involved and Say the Truth’ has been staged during the weekend in Tafawa Balewa town of Bauchi state to seek devine intervention for the actualization of the long agitated Zaar/Sayawa chiefdom.

The organizers of the prayer, Zaar Youth Development Association (ZAYODA) lamented that, after many years of struggle for self determination, successive administrations in Bauchi have failed or refused to do justice to their plights despite being bonafide citizens of the state.

Speaking during the prayer rally on a mountain known as Pusji (black stone), the National chairman of ZAYODA, Comrade Ga’Allah Daniel said, having waited for long, even after recommendations of Justice Babalakin Commission of enquiry almost 31 years ago, the government need to appreciate the sacrifices of his people and actualize the Chiefdom in the spirit of justice and fairness.

“We demand for justice, equity, fairness, we have constitutional right as people of Bauchi to share the same thing with our compatriots from other places in the state, we are tired of the political promises, let them do the needful”, he said.

Ga’Allah who called on Politicians to stop using the struggle as a political tool to get votes, enjoined his kinsmen to persevere and continue with the agitation patiently and peacefully, expressing optimisms that God is going to answer their prayers one day.

Comrade Ga’Allah who appealed to the youth to ensure that they use their voter cards wisely by voting credible Candidates without any influence of money, warned them against involvement in any form of Violence or been used as political thugs during elections.

Also speaking, the Secretary, Zaar Chiefdom, Mr. Timothy Bitson Tafare wondered why successive governments in Bauchi have failed to actualize the Chiefdom.

The secretary queried the rationale behind the inability of the state government to confirm the Gung-zaar select, retired Air Commodore Ishaku Komo as the substantive paramount ruler of Sayawa and present him with staff of office.

He lamented that the issue of Zaar Chiefdom is not been remembered until another round of election, alleging that the politicians working with the governor from the area have been telling him the truth about Zaar/Sayawa people.

“I am sure those Politicians telling the Governor lies that we are not with the government are part of the problem. We don’t have problem with the Governor”, he said.

“Are we not part of the people that elected the Governor in 2019? Is our votes not inclusive? Why are there insinuations that we the Sayawa people are not with the government? We are always loyal to the government”, Mr Timothy Bitson said.

The secretary boasted that no ethnic group has done so much in terms of loyalty to the government in Bauchi state like Sayawa people.

Timothy Tafare who stressed that due to respect and loyalty to government, no Politician, including the Governor has been harassed with stones in the entire Sayawa land during campaigns.

“Did anybody pelted any Politician with stone during campaigna? Was the Governor thrown with stones? Who can now say that we Sayawa people are not loyal to the government, perhaps it’s you working with him that are telling him that we are not obedient to the government and that we are rebels”, he alleged.

“Anybody deceiving the society that Sayawas are not obedient and loyal to the government is a blatant lier. We are loyal. So many things have happened that if we were not loyal, things would have been very bad but because of our loyalty, whenever the government comes in, we understand. We have done that severally”, the secretary added.

“The truth is, No going back, Gung-zaar has been selected, Ishaku Komo is our Gung-zaar, anybody there that is making attempt to say let there be somebody different, that person is our enemy and is the enemy of the government because that person is trying to create conflict between us and the government”, he said.

While citing example, Mr. Tafare said, “even the emir of Bauchi contested with some people but after his emergence, they have to go. Ishaku Komo did not select himself but the community selected him, any body saying a different thing is on his own”.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of ZAYODA, Tafawa Balewa branch, Emmanuel Iliya who recalled that the Sayawa Chiefdom was created in 2011, said that the youth decided to set aside a day for prayers and to remind the government on the need for its actualization.

Iliya who urged the state government to make the Chiefdom a reality to ensure peaceful co-existence, decried that the delay is breeding conflict and mistrust among the people of the area as well as retarding development.