The displaced communities of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area have rejected the pronouncement of the Bauchi State Governor Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed to site the headquarters of Sayawa Chiefdom within Tafawa Balewa town.
The Secretary of the Tafawa Balewa Town Development Association (TABTODA),, Mallam Yunusa Ado, said this while addressing a press conference on behalf of the communities.
He said “for a long time, they had conceded to the creation of the Sayawa Chiefdom if that would bring lasting peace to the area. But we also made it categorically clear that we would never accept inclusion of Tafawa Balewa town in the domain of the chiefdom, not to talk of siting its headquarters there”
He said “This view was severally communicated to His Excellency, Governor Bala Muhammad in different ways and by different and various well respected persons and groups.”
Yunusa said “Tafawa Balewa town was founded by the Fulani; that makes its meaning black stone in Fulani language and all villages and settlements in Tafawa Balewa are not Sayawa villages. How can they pay allegiance to Sayawa Chiefdom?”
He said all the commissions of enquiries that investigated Tafawa Balewa crises, informed the State Government that Tafawa Balewa is not a Sayawa town and they recommended for the creation of Sayawa Chiefdom in Bogoro Local Government Area.
Yunusa alleged that the recent fact-finding committee set up by the government is one sided because it didn’t carry all stakeholders from Tafawa Balewa, it was created clandestinely.
He called on Governor Bala not to disregard all reasonable and sensible advice given to him, because its unjust and it will look like the government is being unmindful of the moral and historical implications and liabilities.
“His Excellency has intended to offer an invaluable gratuity and reward for the wanton shedding of the blood of more than 500 Muslims in Tafawa Balewa (in the years 1991, 1995, 2001 and 2011) to the perpetrators of that monumental violence and savagery, who had never been brought to justice.”
He said “the reason why displaced persons didn’t return to Tafawa Balewa is because government intervened, they stationed security personnel to ensure peace and the matter is still in court, but if government can withdraw all the securities, we will go and take over our land.”
Governor Bala Muhammad had said he was going to create the Sayawa Chiefdom and would site its headquarters in Tafawa Balewa township. He made the statement after he received the report of a fact-finding committee on the creation of the chiefdom.
