Ainem,
Now that the general elections are over, one can bring
up burning issues that are of importance to Idomaland (and her people) without
being accused of partisanship. I am one of those that believe the campaign beclouded
our reasoning such that rational thinking got lost along the electioneering campaign
way. It’s time to reflect deeply on issues with a clearer perspective. As Idoma
sons and daughters, we joined the nation in shouting ‘Transformation’ or ‘change’,
GEJ
My Hero or ‘Sai Baba’ etc but as the dust settles, we will be faced with
the abject poverty in Idomaland (for those that goes home).
Let me begin with the key political topic in Idomaland
and Idoma social media forum in the wake of this election: Idoma Governor. The
hard truth and reality is that Idoma governor in Benue state is difficult or
near impossible under this political structure and number. Many were upset with
Suswan and PDP for reneging on party constitution of rotating its candidate
when it came to Idoma’s turn. I tell you some hard truth, if we had muscled PDP to give Idoma a ticket, all Tiv
would have voted any party (even AD). If you read on, you will encounter my
review of how only Tivs and Igedes can conveniently elect a Benue state Governor
without a single Idoma vote. !!!! Some of us believed that we should negotiate
or beg our way into the Government House in Makurdi but power is never given, it is taken. (if you want to argue with this,
please count me out). I read some Idoma
folks protested in Makurdi to ‘force’ Idoma Governor and I ask on what basis
are they protesting. Do they even have PVC? In a democracy, the purchasing
power is Voters’ card not placards or friendship, or marriage. So, when about 4
prominent Idoma sons ‘fooled’ themselves during PDP primaries and lost, I lamented that some cool cash that would have
built say, a Cassava Processing Facility in Ugbokolo was lost.
The second issue is on the performance of the outgoing
Senate President (David Mark). We castigated and ridiculed him. Truly, he
deserves to be so castigated for some blazing lost of opportunity to develop
the land, but I believe the constitutional structure does not allow him perform
the miracles we so much expected from him. For example, he has no say over Suswan and Akume’s decision to squander LG allocations meant for Ogbadibo for
example.
Before I delve into the issue that should preoccupy
Idoma people in this dispensation, let me identify the key challenges facing us,
to include [1] Poverty, [2] Unemployment, [3] Worsening Health situation, [4] Lack
of govt presence (not even police post in most communities), [5] Rural – Urban drift
etc. All of these issues are interwoven and are resultant effects of absence of
LG allocation having a landing foot on Idoma land. Akume, and Suswan for 16
years decides(ed) the fate of over N0.75
Billion monthly allocation meant for LGCs in Idomaland. These is over N85
Billion annually and in the 16 years reign of the two, well over N135 Billion
of LG funds allocated to Idoma LGCs were squandered with nothing on ground to show
for it. Truth is, if Ortom reverses
the trend it is because he chooses to be a nice guy not because any law compels
him. Sadly, these resources were needed to build and maintain health
facilities, build and repair Trunk C roads, drive agriculture and employ
people. The little that came from this wholesome amount entered few pockets and
returned back to Abuja into private pockets. Nothing is spent on the land to rejuvenate
economic life. It is hard to believe that is some Idoma communities, folks still
resort to trade-by-batter or have their miserable farm produced bought off them
by middle men at low prices, with women often heard lamenting home from weekly
markets.
The health situation in Idoma land is more appalling. Thanks
to the Catholic Church that have built pockets of hospitals but in this day and
age, pregnant women still travel over 25
km from hinterland to deliver babies, resulting to high infant and adult
mortality. Ante natal is a strange topic in most communities in Idomaland.
Thousands still die from preventable diseases like malaria, TB, etc..
Constitutional
Structure
The current constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria does not favour Idoma people. Of the 23 LGCs in Benue state, we have 7
(9 when you include Obi and Oju which I left out of this analysis for a
reason). As it stands, if Idoma boycotts election as some suggested on social
Media, Tivs and Igedes will form 2/3 to elect a governor. We are
inconsequential. (Don’t be offended o).
Anyone who knows the men that represented us at the
1979 and 1999 constituent assemble should ask them what they went there to do,
that Idoma came back weak and undermined from both conferences. What political
mathematics did they solve there? These two constituent assemblies and the constitutions
from them failed Idoma people as follows:
1 [1] Inability to enshrined LG autonomy in the constitution
and even gave the Governors the power to conduct LG elections.
2 [2] Failure to enshrined power rotation (among senatorial
zones in states) in the constitution.
3 [3] Failure to achieve State-wide character in
appointments and resource allocations (as in the Federal).
The recently held National Confab addressed the first
points: LG autonomy and giving INEC powers to conduct LG elections. But the constitutional
review process to achieve LG autonomy failed to achieve 2/3 support from state
Houses of Assembly. It is on record that all APC states voted against it and our APC members (Audu Ogbe et al) should define what their goals are in
the party (for Idomaland) and not just follow follow..
2015
General Election
How did we perform in the just concluded elections? A
quick analysis in the gubernatorial election points to a poor one. Idomaland
accounted for only 17% of total votes casted with only 125,653 votes out of 736,810.
This count is almost what only Gboko and Katsina Ala alone returned in Tivland.
!!!This is an average of 18,800 per
LGC compared to average of 40,535 in
Tivland. Yet some folks want to be governor of Benue state. I dey laugh...! How
can you achieve that when your constituency cannot account for 30% of total
voting population? Please stop fooling us. Again, democracy is about votes not
ethnicity or position in government or marriage.
Amazingly, most Idoma folks don't deem it necessary to
travel home to register there and vote (like others) but prefer to stay back in
Abuja/Lagos or obodo oyibo shouting ‘changi’on Facebook. Some travelled home
only during elections to mobilise the community that have no PVC. I, yours sincerely
is guilty as well as my efforts to transfer PU to Owukpa failed – no thanks to
INEC. I travelled home in between the
election and what I saw baffled me. In the Ugwu-Amuta family (where I belong),
there are about 25 eligible voters but only 1 has a TVC but no PVC. The PU in
Iga Uroko has over 70 of such families and can achieve a voters’ number far above
2,000. If sons and daughters in cities and Diasporas return home, that PU can
have over 7,000 voters. Unfortunately, not up to 200 votes were casted there
(any number above that is rigging). So, when I saw the votes count from
Idomaland, I was not surprised. Is this one David Mark’s fault also? What is the
solution to this voters’ apathy? Please read on...
In the new political dispensation, Idoma must be
strategic in what she wants and I will attempt to suggest 2 classes of issues:
a [1] What we should demand, and
b [2] What we must do
What We should
Demand
Considering our low Political Purchasing Power (in number
of votes), we are lucky to have presented a Senate President for 8 years,
command some Federal appointments like Minister, DGs etc all by the personal
efforts of David Mark (his hates can lick their pen). We must not be satisfied
with appointments and positions anymore. It serves the generality of our people
little and does not develop local economy. We should demand constitutional
review to achieve [1] Local Government Autonomy, [2] State-wide power rotation
among senatorial zones, [3] State-wide character in appointments and resource
allocations. In addition, we should demand the abolition of the State
Independent Electoral Commission and give INEC powers to conduct LGC elections.
If we can achieve these items during the 4 years of APC, we should be satisfied. And as
David Mark exits senate presidency, he should be ashamed of himself for failing
to give us LG autonomy. Shame.!!! Woooooooh ! !! !!! (That’s how we troll
failures in Idoma !!!!).
What We
Must Do
In 1982/3, a presidential candidate in person of Chief
Obafemi Awolowo counted it necessary to fly into and campaign at Ugwu-Okpoga
(my first time of seeing a helicopter and we told the story for years). This was because we had voter numbers but
today, no presidential aspirant torched ground in Idomaland. They won’t come
because of 125,000 votes.
We urgently need to reverse the voters’ apathy through
a deliberate political awakening. I recommend the following steps:
a [1] Awareness Creation
b [2]Incentivising Voters Registration
c [3] Lobbying INEC to open Voters’ registration centres
close to critical mass, and compel distribution of PVC on timely basis.
d [4] Encourage Idoma sons and daughters to return home for
voters’ registration and community mobilization
e [5] Information sharing on voters registration efforts.
Suffice to say that the above should happen 2 years
before general elections with a single goal of converting 70-90% eligible
voters into actual voters in 2019. We can undertake these tasks individually
and collectively.
Before you leave, please complete this poll:
https://plus.google.com/+MathiasAmuta/posts/XHn9fx8QuLe
A ongmalipum.... al a w’ainya choor.
