Some few days ago, His Excellency, the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala AbdulKadir Muhammad, (the Kauran Bauchi and Kauran Daular Usmaniyya), made a public pronouncement to the effect that he was going to create the SAYAWA Chiefdom and would site its headquarters in Tafawa Balewa Township. He made the statement while receiving the report of a Fact-Finding Committee on the Creation of the Chiefdom which he appointed clandestinely.
We the Muslim people of TAFAWA-BALEWA for a long time had conceded to the creation of the 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. This view was severally communicated to His Excellency, Governor Bala Muhammad in different ways and by different and various well-respected persons and groups.
In open disregard and defiance against reasonable and sensible advice, the Governor is obviously insisting on and is bent on doing just that.
What it means however, is that 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 five hundred (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.
The irony of it all, however, is that Governor Bala Muhammad, as the KAURAN BAUCHI AND AS WELL, THE KAURAN DAULAR USMANIYYA is today bent on unjustifiably giving out an integral part of the Caliphate. Not only that History will not forgive him for this misadventure, but even His Majesty, Malam Yakubu, the first and only SARKIN YAKIN SHEHU DAN FODIYO would not forgive him for this betrayal.
More seriously however, is that, His Excellency knows too well that for about 14 years now, the Azhan (the Muslim call to prayer) has never been raised in Tafawa Balewa, (whereas the Azhan had been ringing for over 300 years when the town was founded and named in FULFULDE by some Fulani herdsmen and farmers), no Khamsus Salawat, no Friday Prayers, not to talk of Eid Congregations.
With this commitment to site the headquarters of the Chiefdom in Tafawa Balewa, knowing fully that one of the important criteria of becoming a Chief (as stated in the bill for its creation), is that one must be a Christian, even if one were of SAYAWA extraction he would not qualify to be one, if he is a Muslim. With all these, the Governor has thus committed to finally burying ISLAM in TAFAWA-BALEWA, once and for all.
Your Excellency Sir, we are too weak to confront you on what you are committed to executing. You are the Executive Governor of Bauchi State and we are the helpless, downtrodden, displaced and inconsequential Muslim people of TAFAWA-BALEWA town. We appreciate that the blood of our brethren that was spilled has no value in your eyes Sir. We, however, cannot forget, neither can we forgive the blood of our grandparents, our parents, uncles, brothers, sisters, friends and children that was wantonly and severally spilled. The pain still remains in our hearts. You cannot perceive it Sir, because we read in your body language that you don’t give a damn to that. We still get the smell and the stench of about 100 decomposing bodies of our brothers and sisters that were killed (in the Gidan Hakimi where they took refuge in 1991) as we were pushing them into the mass grave, we dug right inside the District Head’s palace. You never experienced this sadness, grief and ignominy Sir. And it is on this mass grave that the throne of the Chiefdom shall be placed KO Sir?
As a Governor Sir, you have all the powers to do what you intend to do. Please go ahead and do it Sir. Please do just that Your Excellency. Who are we to stop you Sir. But as you do that please remember the words of the Believer among the Courtiers of Pharaoh, as he was advising Pharaoh when he intended to kill Moses alaihis salaam, and the Believer addressed him thus:
{ یَـٰقَوۡمِ لَكُمُ ٱلۡمُلۡكُ ٱلۡیَوۡمَ ظَـٰهِرِینَ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَمَن یَنصُرُنَا مِنۢ بَأۡسِ ٱللَّهِ إِن جَاۤءَنَاۚ قَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ مَاۤ أُرِیكُمۡ إِلَّا مَاۤ أَرَىٰ وَمَاۤ أَهۡدِیكُمۡ إِلَّا سَبِیلَ ٱلرَّشَادِ }
[Surah Ghāfir: 29]
O my people, sovereignty is yours today, [your being] dominant in the land. But who would protect us from the punishment of Allāh if it came to us? Pharaoh said, I do not show you except what I see, and I do not guide you except to the way of right conduct.(Suratul Ghaafir, verse 29).
BAMU DA KARFI SIR, BAMU DA YANDA ZA MU YI. A DAKEMU, A HANAMU KUKA. So, in our own case, we shall resort to the prayer of Prophet Noah (may the peace of Allah be upon him), when he says:
{ فَدَعَا رَبَّهُۥۤ أَنِّی مَغۡلُوبࣱ فَٱنتَصِرۡ }
[Surah Al-Qamar: 10]
“So, he invoked his Lord, Indeed, I am overpowered, so help”.
Your Excellency Sir, MUN BARKA DA ALLAH
Professor Salisu Shehu,
Walin Tafawa Balewa
