Taraba govt’s ‘foreigner’ labeling

 It was reported in the media that Taraba government has suspended some District Heads in its domain because they allocated land to foreigners. The states listed from where the ‘foreigners’ emanated from did not include Ohio, nor Yorkshire, neither Bavaria. Infact none are from Enugu, Ekiti or Osun. I can’t remember the list, but Niger […]

 It was reported in the media that Taraba government has suspended some District Heads in its domain because they allocated land to foreigners.

The states listed from where the ‘foreigners’ emanated from did not include Ohio, nor Yorkshire, neither Bavaria. Infact none are from Enugu, Ekiti or Osun.

I can’t remember the list, but Niger state was included. Niger state is in the North. It is from Niger that Sam Nda Isaiah and Professor Jerry Gana come from. The two are Christians.

If the law prohibits District Heads from distributing land, then they are wrong. But that was not the reason given. Nigeria is the greatest contradiction ever.

Governor Darius Ishaku looks well-fed. Possibly he has a pot belly. He earned them from the resources of Nigeria, not Taraba. If Nigeria withdraws its largesse, Governor Darius will look differently. I dislike people overstretching liberty.

You should not milk a nation dry, and yet refuse to honor it. You dishonor Nigeria by considering its citizens foreigners.

I think there is a Northern Governors Forum. Governor Darius or his representative surely attends the meetings of the Forum. In what capacity would he attend, as a foreign observer?

The Governor of Niger state is also eligible to attend such meetings. Were such meetings to be hosted by Taraba, would he bar Niger State governor from attending because he is a foreigner?

It is high time a decision is reached about what being Nigerian entails.

We don’t like face of a particular tribe, or its religion? Too bad, that is what being Nigerian entails.

People can change their religion, but not their tribe. And even religion, they won’t change it because Nigeria guarantees them such right, to be different.

The Dariuses, the Wikes, the Fayoses and all other ethnic chauvinists and or religious bigots must be put on notice.

No Nigerian should be discriminated on basis of his tribe or religion. Here is Governor Darius being caught, dumu-dumu on the path of ethnic discrimination, ethnic cleansing. They must be stopped in their tracks.

If a high ranking person like a governor cannot uphold Nigeria, tell me who will? Do we wonder then why ethnic cleansing takes place? Common people take cue from their leaders. Whoever defies Nigeria, Nigeria should henceforth exert itself, forcefully upon them. Enough of this ethnic idiocy.

Someone feeds fat from federal allocation, yet has the temerity to enforce ethnic exclusivity in his domain!

 

Abdullahi Musa wrote this piece from Abuja. He can be reached at [email protected]