Dr Aliyu Bello, Chairman APC, Nasarawa State and organiser of the empowerment programme
“The issue of indegeneship is long gone. The focus now is who will bring progress, nothing else. Aliyu Bello is from Kano. Who will bring progress to the people is the issue.
No more visitors in the world. The world today is a global village. How dare will someone in his right senses look at me and tell me that I’m not an indigene of Nasarawa State?
My great grandfather settled here 250 years ago. My grandfather was born here and my father was born here. My father in ways impacted and today I’m impacting. Don’t dare try that.”
…… Senator Aliyu Wadada
The date was August 10th, 2024 and a Saturday. The people of Nasarawa State especially the less privilege and the vulnerable had gathered to witnessed an occasion that promised to be life transforming in the lives being organised by Aliyu Bello Charity Foundation, a Lafia based Non-governmental Organisation. Also gathered at the Ta’al Conference Hall venue of the occasion were dignitaries from all walks of life. One of the dignitaries billed to give a goodwill message was Distinguished Senator Aliyu Ahmed Wadada, a supposedly close ally of Aliyu Bello, the State Chairman of the ruling APC. Though Bello and Wadada are from two opposing camps that did not affect their friendship so much that Aliyu Bello has been variously alleged to be fronting for Wadada’s Governorship aspiration come 2027.
However, when it was time for the distinguished to speak, the once lively hall was stunned and a pin drop could be heard only interrupted by the usual Wadada crowd during the speech that followed as reflected above.
That speech above has generated passion and stirred up conversation in anger on the lingering and vexed question of indigene and non-indigene not just in Nasarawa State but across the country and particularly in the north and in the states that have very many minor minority population.
Ordinarily this is what it should be everywhere in Nigeria but it is not; so it should not be different even here in Nasarawa State.
Perhaps the distinguished senator should have been more guided and guarded in his comments/ utterances considering a number of factors:
i. He wields a great influence in a section of the youth population who see him as a role model
ii. He is a distinguished Senator of the Federal republic of Nigeria who should not be n seen to be engaged in palm wine joint gossip or talk just anyhow.
iii. The occasion was certainly not a political occasion as most of the people that gathered there were mostly the vulnerable in the society
As many people have said rightly or wrongly, that the speech exposed senator Wadada and cast him as unfit for leadership.
As they try to explain, a leader is one endowed with certain qualities and some of which include calmness, humility, gentleness and good speech that calms nerves and not inflamed passion and anger.
Leadership, the people argue is much more than money one acquires or contributions one may have made. As a matter of fact, they say leadership is a gift, it is an inert power imbued in some people and not in all people which they believe the Senator does not seem to have.
Accordingly, they try to remind the gentleman senator that the marks on his face speaks and proves his identity as to where he comes from but that the people in Keffi have tolerated him for several reasons one of which is his faith, saying the respect and opportunity given him would not have been possible were he to have been an Igbo Christian,Yoruba Christian or even Hausa Christian or any other tribe for that matter and so he should not be unmindful of the gesture to think he belongs.
They equally accused him of being economical with the truth where non indigene is a no issue in the country even as a senator he represents a senatorial district and each of them represent a state on the basis of indigeneship
The people even wondered what prompted the ‘unguarded’ outburst by the senator considering that he is not of the APC but of the SDP. The general public believes that Senator Wadada chose a wrong place to vent his political frustration. The question they further ask is: who was the senator addressing at that occasion, the poor people that gathered and waiting for hand out in the name of empowerment? Certainly not, they said. Senator Wadada is further reminded that a governor of a state is far more than running a student union government or a union of some drunken thugs.
He is reminded to couth his mouth when making utterance considering that he is seeking to lead a people and not a herd of cows or horses for polo.
The conversation in the public domain or the people’s court is that if Senator thought he could use the public arena to address the peace loving people of Nasarawa who have been very hospitable to visitors or settlers on a political matter as weighty as the question of indigeneship, he got all wrong, because such decision as to who governs Nasarawa state is not usually taken at an empowerment programme venue and that at an appropriate time, first the political parties would choose their candidates and the various candidates the people would decide who governs and who would not.
They urge him to sort out his differences with his political party, the SDP or the APC where he is seeking to return after ditching them earlier and that he should leave the people of Nasarawa state alone from his political trouble waters.
According to them, if Wadada believes he is an indigene, he should not bother about what people saying, adding that if one stops to throw stones at every dog that barks does not get far in where it is going to.