Creating a stool of chaos on the Plateau? How split in Jos traditional council is brewing new crisis

IT has happened in other parts of the country before. In Oyo state former governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi tinkered with the long-standing Ibadan chieftaincy system. Not a few eyebrows were raised. For the ex governor his political fortunes were seriously affected.

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje also installed more emirs in Kano State to the consternation of some traditionalist who believed he should, like his for Oyo colleague and in-law should have steered clear of traditional matters.

Governor Ganduje was probably smart on his own part by doing the installation after he had secured a second term in office, in which case the fate of his second term in office could not have been threatened and the end result was devastating politically.

A similar scenario has just played out in Plateau State where there was the establishment of Jos North Traditional council and Riyom Traditional Council out of the present Joint Jos North Traditional Council by the state government, which seems to have rekindled the age-long traditional boundary controversy among the major indigenous ethnic groups in Jos North Local Government Area.

Since the news of the split filtered out, a barrage of comments has continued to trail the state government’s pronouncement. While some people saw it as a welcome development, others saw it as an affront on the Berom traditional institution.

The state government in a memo to the chairmen of Jos North and Riyom local governments signed by the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr.Dayyabu Garga had announced the establishment of separate traditional councils for both and further directed all graded chiefs, district heads, village heads and their staff to, henceforth, constitute members and staff of the newly created traditional councils.

The memo further declared that: “The 2016 local government law also states in section 91(3) that the most senior traditional ruler in each local government shall be the president of the council,  hence Ujah of Anaguta and Aten of Ganawuri shall be the president of Jos North and Riyom traditional councils respectively.”

The split elicited both jubilation and disdain from different angles. In Berom circles, the move was seen as an affront on the traditional stool of their head and paramount ruler, the Gbong Gwom of Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba. It was very clear that they see it as an attempt to whittle down the power of the Gbong Gwom.

Prior to this, the state government had set up a committee to look into the demand for new chiefdoms, including upgrading and restoration of canceled chiefdoms in the state. As result of this, the state government created more chiefdoms, which was followed by the upgrading of two second class chiefs, Ujah Anaguta and Ataa Ateen of Kanawuri to first class status.

Giving reason for the creation, Governor Simon Lalong had in a state broadcast last year said the administration recognised that the long-awaited creation of chiefdoms, district and village areas places high premium on the desire of government to unite the people under accountable traditional institutions rather than remain ambivalent in the face of controversies.

The governor pointed out that the chiefdoms were created in 2006 and gazetted but set aside by the immediate past administration without following due process and approval of the state House of Assembly have been restored.

Since the creation of the chiefdoms and upgrade of Ujah of Anaguta and Ataa Aten of Ganawuri to first class status tongues have been set waging on the motive behind the exercise until the recent circular from the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs which pronounced the establishment of separate traditional council for the two first class traditional rulers.

The circular from the commissioner was, however, given various connotations and interpretations. It was perceived by a cross section of people that the governor was trying to borrow from Governor Ganduje’s example.

Former member of House of Representatives, Bitrus Kaze, in his reaction to the development said the circular sought to disrupt the time-tested Joint Jos/Barkin Ladi/Riyom Traditional Council but did not define in clear, unmistaken and unambiguous terms what role and status the throne of the Gbong Gwom Jos (a creation of the law) would assume in the new order.

“It must be made abundantly clear that the dream to send the Gbong Gwom Jos into obscurity from Jos city is a joke taken too far. It is not really meant to serve the purpose of either the Afizeres or Anagatuas as it cunningly appears in the circular; it is simply a decoy designed to create division and acrimony amongst our people,” he said.

Though both the government and Berom traditional council maintained sealed lips amidst controversy trailing the development, the Gbong Gwom could not hide his feelings during the annual Nzem Berom festival recently when he openly declared that no governor has constitutional power to determine traditional boundary.

He went further to say that he along with his subjects have no problem with the traditional rulers recently upgraded to first class status but appealed to the government to examine the issue at stake critically to avoid a pitfall of the past, adding that the traditional institution on its part will ensure that peace reigned in their domains.

“We want to appeal that government must not take action that would bring in security challenges, it is for this reason that I have to appeal to the Berom nation, (and) to our youth to calm down. As vexatious as the issues may seem, it has not gone beyond tradition institution and the elders and Berom organisation. We are going to work together and sit with government and educate government on what it is.

“I have written to the government reminding them of three judicial commission of inquires from 1994 to 2009; all took position that Jos belong to the Afizere, Anaguta and Berom. I wrote a letter last year reminding the governor and requesting him to allow the traditional rulers of these tribes to sit with the state boundary commission and determine everybody boundary before any action is taken,” he said.

• Every prince aspires to be king —Oba Oyedotun, Orangun of Ila

There were also insinuations that with the establishment of the traditional councils in Jos North and Riyom respectively, the Gbong Gwom would cease to be addressed as Gbong Gwom of Jos and become the Gbong Gwom of Berom since the entire Jos area has been tactically removed from his area of jurisdiction. Some rumours also had it that the whole issue is a prelude to the creation of the stool of Emir of Jos.

Piqued by these controversies, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr.Dayyabu Garga dismissed the insinuations, describing them as false and malicious.

“This is completely false,” he said, explaining that “what we did when this government came on board was that the governor set up two committees, one is to review the position of chiefdoms, upgrading and probably to create more chiefdoms.

“The communities who want chiefdoms then were free to forward their demand to the committee; those that demanded for chiefdoms or restoration came up. There were chiefdoms that were created during Dariye administration and canceled by Jang administration and the government through the committee looked into this.

“Communities submitted their memorandum to that effect and the committee sat in three zones of the state for public hearing and Mr. Governor after receiving the report re-examined. In August last year, the governor created chiefdoms and upgraded two to first class status, nobody raise eyebrows then, but we are surprised that people are now complaining. It means there is a hidden agenda,” he said.

The Commissioner who said the government acted based on people’s demands added that government did not stop any community from presenting memorandum or request for chiefdom.

“Any community within Plateau State has the right to write their memorandum, once you can defend it well and if you are member of that community and you don’t want it, you are also at liberty to come out and make your position known,” he explained.

He said further that throughout the period for submission of memoranda, there was no dissenting voice, while wondered why the establishment of traditional councils or an upgrade of chiefdoms could amount to whittling down a traditional ruler’s power.

A top government official who did not want his name in print told Sunday Tribune that the action of government was simply to bring unity and development to the people and further unite them adding that the state government in a congratulatory message to the traditional ruler during the recent Nzem Berom festival still referred to him as Gbong Gwom of Jos.

“If the title has been changed by the circular, he would not have been referred to as Gbong Gwom of Jos. The government will sit with the traditional rulers at appropriate time to address the issue; there is a different between this and the Kano issue. Opposition should not catch on this to cause disaffection,” the official said.

However, a cross section of Berom elites who spoke with Sunday Tribune said the history of Gbong Gwom stool is the oldest as far as the entire Plateau North Senatorial district is concerned, saying that government’s action was a ploy to cause disaffection, while threatening a court action.

This is exactly the general feelings of most of those spoken to by Sunday Tribune as the hullabaloo over the issue still rages. What is not clear however is how long it would take before tension is finally doused.