…To organize peace, unity carnival.

by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna

Gbagyi – the indigenous people of Kaduna State – have decried an all-round alleged marginalization in their home State in Kaduna, Nigeria.

The Kaduna indigenes, said to be the largest ethnic tribes found in eight LGAs of the state, also alleged that their people are being killed on daily basis in the state by ‘unknown gunmen.’

President of Gbagyi Development Union (G.D.U), Barrister Ishaya Tanko Damina, made the startling revelations in an interview during their General Congress meeting held recently at the Union’s Town Hall in Ungwan Romi New Extension in Kaduna.

According to him, the Gbagyi people are being marginalized socially, politically, economically, amongst others, adding that the monthly General Congress meeting is where they congregate and discuss issues affecting their people directly.

“The monthly meeting is where we congregate to discuss issues affecting Gbagyi people directly, especially in respect of our security and well-being, economy of the country and the state. 

“It’s very unfortunate that each time we come here, we discuss issues that affect us because we have been marginalized in many ways. And our people, in several places, are under siege; have been displaced from their ancestral homes.

“Our people are predominantly farmers, loving and kind. Everybody knows that Gbagyi man is a peace-loving and kind human being, who does not fight or quarrel with anybody. He will rather lose his possession or land to give way for neighborhood or intruder to have peace.

“And that has been the situation in Kaduna, which we have leaved peacefully with every ethnic nationality, but often time we’ve been marginalized. 

“The government has marginalized us and creates polices that are inimical and disadvantageous to us. And this has caused us a lot of pains and discouragement that most our people have developed political apathy because they feel that politics is not beneficial to them anymore. 

They feel that to vote and be voted for, the outcome is not always positive but always in favour of the big and the rich, or the money bags and, therefore, make their people to become political apathy.

“This is hitting us so much, and government is taking advantage of that to bring polices that are not good, and this is our grievances.

“Recently, two of our own local government chairmen were removed for reasons that are frivolous. Five chairmen were declared to be involved in corruption; two reprimanded and 3 suspended for six months. 

“Out of the 3, two were Gbagyi people. The two are Executive Chairmen of Chikun and Kagarko LGAs. This is a serious blow to us. This, we feel is an agenda. 

“We know LGAs that are corrupt, their own are so overwhelming. But none of them was removed because they have something we don’t know. To us this is not correct. We have been marginalized politically, socially, and economically.

“Politically because we are not being appointed into sensitive political offices in Kaduna State, despite we are the largest ethnic tribes in Kaduna State – having been found in 8 local government areas of the state. 

“We hardly had SSG, Commissioner for Works, Finance, Head of Service. We hardly had three or four commissioners. Even now as we speak, we don’t even have one commissioner from Chikun LG and Kagarko and even in all thess LGs.

“Gbagyi man is supposed to be Senator in Kaduna Central. So, our people have not been given juicy positions to make good money to fight politically. We, our people have been relegated to the background. They cannot compete favourably with these money bags politically.

“For any Gbagyi person to come out with the support of any of the money bags politicians, you must dance to their tune at the expense of your people. We are calling on the government to look into the issue we keep bringing to them – that we are marginalized, that we are under serious security siege.

“If you go to the out sketch, our people are being killed every day. As the meeting commences, you observed that we took a minute’s standing prayer for the souls of our people that have been killed.

“Every blessed day our people are being attacked and killed in numbers. Some, we don’t know about their killing; after several days we could find them; their bodies decomposed. That is the challenges we are facing, we are having in our LGs. 

“We are praying, government should do the needful so that Gbagyi people will not become monsters or involve in anything inimical to the state that will result to breakdown of law and order,” they stated.

During the meeting, two Gbagyi people indicated their interests to vie for bye-election to fill the gap created over the demise of a Gbagyi man, who was a Member representing Chikun/Kajuru in the State House of Assembly, late Madami Garba Madami, shortly after inauguration.

Barr. Damina advised the Gbagyi people that, while the law allowed them to protect themselves, they should, nevertheless quit where necessary, instead of losing their lives.

Personalities present at the end of the monthly General Congress meeting of Gbagyi Nation (an indigenous Kaduna State umbrella body) were: Comrade William Emmanuel of Indigenes Equity Foundation, the parent body of Indigenous Ethnic Youth Leaders of Nigeria, Leaders of thought, Elders Council and the Convener; the Order of Nigeria Entity (ONE).

The purpose of the attendant was the plan to visit 5 States, including FCT, on familiarization tour, to meet the President-Generals on the forthcoming Gbagyi Carnival in FCT by Nov. 4th for peace, unity and progress of Nigeria.