ACT 58 Scene 2 A look at the zoning paradigm
In a communiqué issued by the leaders forum at the weekend, June 19/20th. 2010, the Forum resolved inter alia, as follows – The region must regain power in 2011 and has therefore, asked political parties to strictly adhere to the Internal Power sharing formula and zoning principle in the choice of presidential candidates for next […]
In a communiqué issued by the leaders forum at the weekend, June 19/20th. 2010, the Forum resolved inter alia, as follows –
The region must regain power in 2011 and has therefore, asked political parties to strictly adhere to the Internal Power sharing formula and zoning principle in the choice of presidential candidates for next year’s general election. Political parties in the country must respect political agreements entered into and allow the principle of Witling to run its full course in the interest of political stability; another corporate existence of Nigeria.
The zoning issue has long been evolved, leading to the emergence of presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’adua in 1999 and 2007 respectively. The nation must not be dragged into an avoidable crisis whenever a political transition is about to take place.
We must either agree to respect mutual political agreements or continue to stumble from one avoidable political crisis to another to the detriment of the nation and its political stability.
The principle of zoning will serve the best interest of Nigeria and promote political stability, both in the short and medium terms. In practice, zoning as a political mechanism to stabilize the country since 1999 has applied to every political office in Nigeria at all levels. We must be certain that we are ready as a nation to jettison the practice at all levels before we throw it overboard and set in motion a process that may lead to avoidable chaos and anarchy in the land. There would have been no need for any special political arrangement to concede power to the South in 1999, if Nigerians were ready to accept their presidents coming perpetually from any part of the country.
The people of the North never demanded for zoning of any political office in Nigeria. However, they acceded to the demands of their compatriots in the South who see zoning as the only mechanism for ensuring equal and easy access to power by every Nigerian regardless of geographical location. If anybody now believes that the principle of zoning is no longer required for equal or easy access to power or no longer relevant to the political stability of Nigeria, let them come out clearly and say so, and not to resort to puerile legal and constitutional arguments which do not necessarily solve political problems, a fact made clear by the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan as Acting President in February / March 2010. The Northern Political Leaders Forum, which initially began as a body of wholly PDP members, has now expanded to include political leaders of different inclinations other than members of PDP. Furthermore, the Northern Elders Assembly which is pursuing similar goals will be integrated and its members would be invited to the next meeting of the Forum. I signed and issued the communiqué on behalf of the Northern Political Leaders Forum.
Chairman: I understand that a representative of the Northern Elders Assembly, in the person of Baron Dan Nehu is here with us having been invited to the conclave by his erstwhile fellow traveler in the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) in the early 1950’s and 1960’s. May I call upon him to speak to enlighten us on the Elders Assembly’s perspective regarding current debate on rotation of offices or zoning.
Several Barons – Yes Sir.
Baron Dan Nehu: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on this very important matter the resolution or lack of it, that effects the North in particular and Nigeria in general.
We members of the Northern Elders Assembly are different from the Northern Political Leaders Forum. We are elders, they are leaders. The PDP decided to adopt the zoning system from its inception. Article 7 section 2(c) of the party’s constitution provides for zoning and rotation. That section also decided that the executive committees at all levels must implement zoning and rotation. It is on the basis of this that the position of Vice President. Senate President. Speaker of the House of Representatives, the National Chairman of the Party. National Secretary and all the Principal Officers in the National Assembly are divided. The current Chairman Nwodo is a product of zoning, otherwise why did the party limit the replacement of the former Chairman to the South East. Our argument for the support of zoning is not based on ethnicity or religion but on patriotism and principle. Apolitical party adopted a policy and put it as part of its election manifesto and programme. It is duty bound to implement that programme. PDP won election in 1999 with the zoning and rotation as part of its election manifesto. And for that reason, Northerners and other Nigerians supported it. Now, the zoning has come to the North and after it has run its course for three years, calamity happened. The President died mid way the Vice President from the South took over. Naturally it is in the constitutional issue and there is no problem there. But to scuttle the rotation arrangement midway is like changing the rule of the rotation arrangement midway. This is the issue. They are arguing on the basis of ethnicity and threat, but we are arguing on the basis that issuing a threat has no point. If you can convince people, you will not issue a threat. People who run out of ideas are the ones who make use of threats.
Baron Mai Lugga: My fear is that the Zoning debate in taking religious dimension, which if allowed to continue is capable of dividing the country along religious lines. Of particular wary is the perception that Dr Jonathan does not represent only the South but I he Christian faith while the other contenders in the PDP are seen as representatives of both the North and Islam. This dangerous politicking should not be allowed to continue. Zoning has always and will continue to favour the South, whose minority status makes it imperative for it to seek the support of the North. The 2006 population census clearly revealed that the North has a higher population than the south. It is regrettable that Northern Nigeria which has a ten million majority as per the 2006 National Census is now kneeling down and begging the South for a presidential slot through zoning. The Northern States have combined population of 75 million against the combined Southern States population of 65 million. There was no time that Southerner, whether military or civilian, had occupied the leadership of the country without the support of the North. Since the advent of military rule in 1966, all the military rulers were Northerners except General J.T.U Agjuiyi Ironsi, General Olusegnn Obasanjo who came to power as a result of the murder of Genera I Murtala Mohammed and Chief Ernest Shonekan who attained leadership as a result of General Ibrahim Babangida’s “stepping aside.” The government of the first military ruler, General Ironsi, lasted for only six months because it was not supported by the North It is also a fact that General Obasanjo became the Head of State after the murder of Gen. Murtala Mohammed by the grace of the North. Equally, it was a Northerner Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, who single handedly picked Chief Shonekan from his United African Company Boardroom and placed him on the saddle of the interim National Government. Another undisputed fact was that PDP’s General Obasanjo was made the president in 1999 by Northern Support even as his Ogun state constituency rejected him and massively voted for Alliance for Democracy (AD’s) candidate Olu Falae. It is therefore abundantly clear that no one can come to national power in Nigeria, whether by the bullet or by the ballot, without Northern Support.
Is democracy not predicated on majority votes, and if so, why should the North with a clear 10 million population majority be begging for a presidential slot on the platter of zoning? Are the Northern politicians not capable of harnessing the Northern majority votes to their advantage? Let the Northern politicians and its elites unite and save the region from the shame of crawling on its knees, begging the South, which is numerically inferior to it by over 10 million people, for a presidential ticket through zoning. Let the Northern politicians join whatever party they so desire and contest all elections at state levels on the platform of various political parties. Let them unite at the Federal level and support a single presidential candidate.’ the various contenders – Babangida, Gusau, Atiku, Buhari, Bafarawa. Shekarau and others should not dissipate energy contesting against a single credible Southern candidate in the person of incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan.
Baron Maradona: alias Nakantudu: I seem to agree with what Mai Lugga said about the raging debate on zoning or rotation of public policies. Let me add that even though the Nigerian Constitution allows Jonathan to contest, the ruling party constitution has already zoned the presidency to the North. It will be prosperous to say that he shouldn’t. But the party he belongs to has set rule which governs its conducts. And that party said this is the any we wanted it, And if people say he must, then they haven problem to resolve with the party. The zoning principle was brought about by the PDP not only to capture power, but also to allay the dominant fears of marginalization. It was done in such away that every Nigerian majority, minority, Muslim, Christians and can turn believer came together and agreed that if we win elections, we would share offices. In his letter over zoning, dated August 5, 2002 addresses to the PDP national Chairman, the former PDP Board of Trustee Chairman Chief Tony Anenih, declared that the party has zoned the following positions in 1998/1999. National Chairman. North, President South, Vice President North, President of the Senate South, Speaker of House of Representatives, North, National Secretary, South, Deputy Senate. President, North and Deputy Speaker, South. The party Leadership abided by that decision even in 2007 elections. It would be awkward to argue that the Late Abubakar Rimi, Gemade contested against Yar’adua. It is the most warped reasoning I have ever known in life. This is because the party made a decision that the president is coming from the South-West. Whether they contested or didn’t contest, the candidate that was recognized by the party was the one that would pick the ticket.
Chairman: Thank you Sir. All those that have spoken are proponents of zoning and hail from the North. However, despite its so-called monolithic posture, the North has always accommodated “dissidents” politically amongst its ranks from the First Republic 1960 to date 2010. Again the South has always been fractured politically and has laboured differing and diverse views on almost all national topical issues. I think it is in order to listen to all view points on zoning and rotation of offices before they conclude and take a decision on the matter. With the permission of the house may I call upon Baron Dan Taroh. Co-chairman of” the Northern Summit Group to brief us on the Group’s position on zoning. After him we will invite Baron Nawerri and other Barons from the South to speak.
All Barons – Agreed, Sir.
Baron Dan Taroh: I co-chaired the meeting convened in Kaduna by the Northern Political Summit which endorsed President Jonathan’s candidacy in 2011. We believe that President Yar’adua and Jonathan were elected in 2007 on a joint ticket. Their term does not expire until 2015. The demise of one, Yar’adua should nol adversely affect the fortune of the other, zoning or no-zoning. Hence our stand.
The so-called monolithic North had always accommodated differing shades of political opinion. In the first republic we had Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU). United Middle-Belt Congress (UMBC), Bornu Youth Movement, etc., in addition to the dominant party in the Region, the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC). But we all ascribed to the idea of one North, one people one Destiny, espoused by the Late Sardauna of Sokoto of blessed memory. We share the same position with the Northern Governors who recognize the right of Jonathan to contest the 201 1 election Hi in position tallies with my position in a paper I presented at the Northern political summit held in Kaduna on July 15,2010. It is clear in the PDP that whenever it has sitting president who wants to contest, all members should support him. This should apply to Jonathan if he decides to run.
Chairman: It is our view, in the Northern Leaders Political Forum, that the zoning principle must be allowed to run its full course, such that a Northerner should emerge as President in 2011. In the interest of the mutual respect among sections of the country, we are not out to prevent President Goodluck Jonathan from presenting himself as a candidate in the 2011 elections. Our meetings and consultations are about the moral sanctity of respecting political agreements and arrangements which if not respected will erode trust. They are about power sharing at all levels of our society and the stability of the country. Name calling for those insisting on zoning and specious constitutional arguments will not solve what is obviously a political problem. In any case, there is no seek ion of our constitution that outlaws zoning as there is also no section that prevents political leaders from going into spec lit I arrangements to share power, ensure equality and stability.
Narrator: At a special meeting of the Northern held in Kaduna on Tuesday July 27, 2010 collating the report from all the 19 Northern exhaustive deliberations recognized the following:
a. The supremacy of the 1999 Constitution as encapsulated in section one;
b. The pro vision of section 131 of 199 constitution of election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Arising from the above, therefore, the forum knowledge’s the right of President Goodluck Jonathan, and indeed any other Nigerian to legitimately and constitutionally contest for the office of the president.
On zoning, the Forum recognizes the fact that the issue of zoning is a POP affair as contained in section 7 (2c) of the party constitution. Therefore, in acknowledging the circumstances of Force Majure from the demise of Late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua and the subsequent ascendancy of President Goodluck Ebele Jonahan to the presidency. The Forum resolves that wider consultations should continue at all party levels within the PDP with all stakeholders across the nation to address the concerns of all in the interest of peaceful co-existence and advancement of democracy in our dear country Nigeria.
This sums up the Northern position regarding zoning and rotation of political offices. The South too, which is more fractured than the North, also holds divergent views on the vexed issue of zoning.
ACT 61 SCENES 2
Chairman – Now that we have heard from various northern groups on zoning, we have invited our Southern brothers and sisters to air their views on the matter. I have, on your behalf, invited Baron Nadeltako alias Mai Mai, from the South South geopolitical zone to address us on the position of his region on zoning. Over to you Chief.
Baron Nadeltako: (Delta Elder) alias Mai Mai (possessor of Oil). Thank you Lord Chairman and through you all my Northern Friends gathered here. All the older Barons know my pedigree but for the benefit of the younger ones – those below the age of 70 years, I hail from the Southern region of Nigeria – the goose that lays Nigeria’s golden egg. I was an assistant to late chief Dappa Biriye of blessed memory who first forged an alliance between the party, the Niger Delta Congress (NDC) and the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) and gave this great party a toe – hold in the South – the only seats it claimed by virtue of the alliance. Our friendship is unshakeable with apology to U.S President Barrak Obama, referring to US/Israel relationship. Our position on zoning is this. The North has been ruling this country from 1958 or 1957 for 38 years and eight months, both
military and civilians. The South-West has ruled this country for 12 years and the South-East for only six months when General Aguiyi Ironsi was Head of State. But the South South people, the minorities of the South, have never produced a president for this country. Therefore, if by God’s wish He decided that these people who produce the wealth of this country have not been fairly treated I will give them President who are those people to challenge the will of God? So zoning is meant to correct the injustice that is marginalization, discrimination. So people who have not been getting that position, God is saying it is now your turn to be there.
Let me correct one thing here and that is majority of the Northerners do not believe in these few people who want to retain power. If you belong to one country, everybody in that country must be on equal basis and capable of ruling the country otherwise we will have a country of first class and second class citizens.
If two people are in a plane and in the process one of them by God’s doing, dies, the co-pilot takes over. Have you ever heard that the co-pilot comes down for another pilot to fly the plane? All we are saying is that there is a president in this country, unless the president does not want to contest, the PI )P should be decent and honest – enough to say that after your period, nobody is asking Jonathan to contest for eight years. It is a four year business. When it finishes, you go. That is the tune hold of them could have ruled.
Baron Nawerri: When I heard of the non-intention to vie for the Presidency in 2011, 1 wept. I can’t believe any South East Governor not will be so un-Igbo to utter that kind of rubbish. They spoke for themselves, the five of them. They did not speak for Ndigbo, neither for the leaders nor the people. They must be made to retract such insult to the collective integrity and stature of Ndigbo. If it is possible to attain the presidency in 2011, the Ndigbo will go for it. If it is possible to achieve it in 20 15 the Igbo will for it. Ndigbo know who their leaders are. They cannot be deceived or distracted from the historic mission of producing a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction in as short a time as possible. How I wished that the traditional Igbo masquerades – eqwugwu or mmanwu – Could speak for the Igbo on zoning. The true Igbo masquerade would tell you that rotation of political offices is as old as Nigeria – it is older than Nigeria, at least in the Igbo area. It was not started by the NPN of the Second republic, as many have stated. Right from the earliest times, monarchies were not permitted in Igbo communities. There can be no better explanation for Ndigbo’s republicanism than their love for rotation of leadership positions. Even if all other parts of Nigeria are against rotation, Ndigbo should not be. All the politicians that have been speaking against rotation are not sincere – they are only trying to please the president, and dishonestly so. Yes, Jonathan has the right to contest. He did not kill Yar’adua to become president. But it is not yet the turn of the South-East to produce the presidential candidate of the PDF. And, in 2015. the party’s candidate should come from the South – East including Igbo land. Zoning is not democratic, but Nigeria has not grown above it.
Chairman: I thank you Baron Nawerri for expressing candid opinion of the Ndigbo on the vexed issue of Zoning. Now that we have heard views from various groups in the geopolitical zones of the country, may we request other stakeholders to speak?
All Barons: Yes Sir.
Ndajibo: All along we have been talking about geographical zoning. What about gender zoning. No female candidate ever made it to State Government House – as Governor, not to talk of the presidency 50 years since our independence in 1960. It is high time Nigeria has a female president like they have in Liberia. We had a few female state deputy governors, most of whom were not regarded as part of the state government machinery. They were regarded as “spare tyres”, with apology to former vice-president Atiku Abubakar. We must have Madam President or at least vice -president in 2011.
Taroro- I support the last speaker dari bisa dari (100 per cent) but in selecting political parry’s flag bearer from the female flock, we should not forget followers of traditional religion – Maguwa in Hausa Land to which I and my male counterpart Ciwake, belong.
Ciwake – Here, here! Though a male, I was denied a seal in my Slate House of Assembly because I do not belong in the so-called People of the Book – Muslims, Christian and Jews. This discriminatory attitude towards us, or to any group for that mailer must not be allowed to persist in Nigeria of the 21st century.
Chairman: Daudu has not spoken all this lime. Very much unlike his vocal self. Can he wind up for us.
Daudu:- 1 have not spoken thus far, because the speeches made contained nothing new. The memo which Malam Dogo and myself jointly prepared and presented to the referred and presented to the issues discussed explicitly or implicitly, Zoning or rotation of party and elective public offices have been with us from time immemorial as attested by Baron Nawerri from Igbo land. However with the advent of empires, caliphates, chiefdoms, the noble idea of rotation of leadership positions was killed in part of Nigeria and beyond. In the Northern and Western parts of Nigeria, republicanism was replaced by Centralized Emirates or Chiefdoms ruled by powerful monarchies. These were converted Into Hole Native Authorities by the British by the British Colonialists to suit of Indirect Rule, first introduced in Northern Nigeria but exported elsewhere in the country and other British Colonies in Africa.
The Said Native Authority had no deputy or even a crown prince. When Late General Mobutu, long time dictator of the Congo was asked why he did not have a Vice- President, he retorted that African chiefs do not have deputy Chief anointed crown prince. Instead of heeding to Mobutu’s realistic of system of governance in Africa Societies we borrowed the American and European systems of The President and Vice-President evident, Governor /Deputy Governor. Chairman/Vice Chairman of Local Government Councils. This system of governance never works in Nigeria and Africa. Conflict between the Chief executive and his deputy occurs almost every where the system is adopted resulting in bad blood, impediments and other unsavoury acts which adversely affects governance. If we want stability to reign in our political system we should discard the institution of deputies or crown prince. When the Tivs of Northern Nigeria requested the British colonialist to appoint a paramount ruler for all Tivs-The Tor Tiv -the natives insisted that a deputy Tor Tiv should also \k appointed to ensure that the two main divisions of Tiv society arc represented at the top echelon of their governance. The British advised against such arrangement but caved in to the desires of the Tiv and appointed a Deputy Tor Tiv. However when the newly appointed duo visited Kaduna to attend the regular meetings of Northern Emirs and Chiefs at Lugard (memorial) Hall, they discovered that no chieftain was accompanied by a deputy and the Deputy Tor Tiv was barred from entering the conference Hall. The Tor Tiv was elated at such development but did show his glee for obvious reasons. Back in Gboko, the Headquarters of the newly created Tiv Chiefdom. with its district village Heads, Ward Heads (equivalent of the Tors, hitherto, the highest authority in Tiv communities) a replica of typical Northern Nigerian Emirate or Chiefdom, the Tor Tiv began to assert authority as the sole Native Authority like Emirs of Kano, Katsina, Zaria etc. The deputy was relegated to the background and became frustrated. However he continued in that capacity until his death. No new Deputy Tor Tiv was appointed to replace him. However the post of Tor Tiv was rotated amongst the various major Tiv groups.
Ayu Fari: I am a great grandson of the first and only deputy Tor Tiv and I affirm that Daudu’s story was substantially correct as related to me by my father who was a small boy when the episode occurred. Baron Ayu Baki, who is with us here today is the great-grandson of the first Tor Tiv. He can testify to the veracity of the story.
Ayu Baki: Yes it is true. That’s why when I was elected President of the Nigerian Senate during the aborted third republic. I resisted the attempt by the Senate to appoint a Senate Deputy President but it is now the vogue to have deputies to all principal officers in the Senate and House of Representatives
The State Assemblies, Local Government Councils, all party offices at federal, state and local levels. Hence the incessant crises in the polity at all levels from the presidency to the electoral ward levels.
Thankfully Emirs and Chiefs in the Northern States have resisted some state governor’s attempts to appoint deputies for them with a view to divide and rule the chiefs.
Chairman: The months of July and August 2010 witnessed dramatic developments regarding the principle and applicability of zoning or rotation of public offices amongst Nigeria’s elites. These included the meetings of Northern Governors Forum; Peoples Democratic Party’s Caucus, enlarged caucus. Board of Trustees and the National Executive Committee the highest ruling body next to the National Convention of the party; Arewa Consultative Forum; Joint meeting of Northern Political Leaders Forum; Northern Elders Assembly: the formation National Movement for Equality and Change a grouping of Northern and Southern minorities, majority of whom are Christians; sprouting of various Youth and other Jonathan Support groups at local, state and federal levels allegedly funded by associates of the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan or even the presidency and some state governors. Virtually till the meetings endorsed the retention of zoning in the PI)!1’* constitution in the overall interests of fairness, justice, equity and stability of the polity. All recognized that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 permits Goodluck Jonathan PT any other qualified Nigerian to contest Election in 2011, However, PDP National Executive Committee added, ominously, that Jonathan would contest 2011 Presidential Election in other to complete Yar’adua/Jonathan joint ticket 2011 to 2015, though the duo were elected for a term of 4 years only, not eight years was likely to be selected as the flag bearer of the party at the party’s convention slated to hold by December 31st 2010, would be opposed by some Northern Youth and other groups such as the Arewa Consultative Forum which enjoined ill political parties to field Northerners as their presidential flatbread in 201 1 or forget garnering votes of the majority The Northern region. My Lords and Ladies it is lime to end this discourse, for the time being at least, on zoning and rotation, or sharing of the national cake, for in the final analysis that is what the principle amounts to. The debate on the matter amongst Nigerian greedy elites continues until political parties conduct their respective primary elections and elect or select Hag bearers for submission to INEC by October 2010 as stipulated by the Electoral (Reform) Act 2010. The conclave may meet to deliberate on the aftermath of the primary elections and the general elections to be conducted by INEC in January 2011.
ACT 61 – SCENE 3
Narrator: Daudu seeks the permission of the conclave to raise an issue that has been worrying his mind for quite some time for deliberation by the barons. It is the adoption by Nigerians of foreign names and other exotic practices. It is regression, which is defined in the dictionary as a process of going back to an earlier or less advanced form or way of behaving.’ Or is it retrogression, which is defined as returning to old fashioned ideas or methods instead of making progress.
Chairman- It has been intimated to me that Daudu, Ciwake, Taroro and others wish to introduce a new topic for deliberation by us before the conclave adjourns sine die. Do you agree? All the Barrens- Yes Sir, Chairman- Daudu, over to you.
Daudu – My Lords, during the struggle for independence of our country in the 1950’s and 1960’s, and indeed shortly after attaining autonomy from the British colonialist, Nigerians were proud of their culture. Some of Nigerian founding fathers who were given foreign names by their parents – Christian or Baptismal names – decided to reject such names, Nnamdi Azikwe, dropped his first name, Benjamin whilst Obafemi Awolowo rejected Jeremiah. Followers of these titans emulated their leaders by doing away with foreign names. Nigeria is to wear national dresses in place of European ones coats and ties – which Southernern Nigerians were then donning Northern Nigerians, led by Sarduana, Balewa, Ribadu, Isa Kaita, Musa Yar adua, etc., never attempted to wear foreign attire as they were proud of their Babangida, caps, turbans which they continued to don. Their Southern compatriots, who used to laugh at them for wearing Nigerian traditional dresses, began to appreciate such costumes and even wore them. A prominent politician from Eastern Nigeria and a protege of the great (Nnamdi Azikiwe) led the campaign for rejecting foreign names and costumes. He was Mbonu Ejike, who was nicknamed the Boycott King! He was credited with the introduction of the slogan, Boycott the Boycottables. He realized that at the stage of Nigerian development, most of the goods and services Nigerians patronized were imported from abroad. Hence his advice for selective boycott and such advice caught on. Nigerians, young and old, males and females began to look inward, to appreciate their culture and indigenous titles in Igbo land such as Mazi which prefixed his name, thus becoming Mazi Mbonu Ejike in place of Mister Ejike.
In the Muslim North which had been under the of Islamic cultural practices for decades, babies were Arabic first names. However, the Hausas indigenized or domesticated such names. Ibrahim becomes Iro, Muhammad to becomes Mamman; Fatima becomes Fatsima or Chima; Abubakar becomes Abu or Garba; Abdullahi becomes Audu What is the situation now, fifty years after attainment of independence? Islamic ‘reformists instructed their supporters to discard these names which they regarded as ‘Innovations. and adopt purely Arabic names such as Shamsudecn etc.
Ciwake- We, Maguzawa (Pagan Hausas) refuse to follow llu-example of our compatriots who converted to Islam or Christianity. We retain our authentic, indigenous names such as Ciwake, Shagero, Taroro, Nomau, Kosau etc., which arc expressive and indicative of seasons, places, events during which a child was born. We will never adopt foreign names. Even the few Maguzawa who converted to Islam or Christianity, rarely relinquish their indigenous names, mode of dress or other practices. We will continue to retain our customs, traditional practices and will never emulate so-called people of the book.
Daudu – What is the situation nowadays? Nigerians of whatever faiths are proud to be associated with things foreign – names, dresses, practices etc. Looking at our television screens persons who appear there and the studio personnel like to display foreign names more prominently than even the surnames of such persons. Some Nigerians do not have indigenous names at all, but are proud to display on the television screens, radio programmes or in the newspapers/magazines, two or more foreign names. And since these are purported leaders the followers imitate them. If we continue this wise, it will not be long before Nigerian names disappear, only to be replaced by foreign names? Is this progress, regression or retrogression? Can this regrettable trend be reversed? Over to you Lords and Ladies.
Chairman – Well, well, who will bell the cat?
Bahago – What Daudu and Co said might be true in certain situations. Very few people in the North, whatever their faiths subscribe to the idea of jettisoning their ways of life for foreign ones. This being the case, I do not think the topic introduced by Daudu is worthy of consideration by this conclave which is essentially a Northern outfit.
All Barons: Agreed.
Chairman: May I call upon Barons Jatau and Ayu Fari to say the closing prayers.
This was done and the meeting adjourned sine die. It may reconvene during the next decade if appreciable numbers of the Barons are still alive.