The decision by the Bauchi State government to create and cite the Chiefdom of the Sayawa ethnic group at Tafawa Balewa town, in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State has become a subject of considerable controversy.
Such kind of dispute arises due to conflict of interest amongst diverse ethno-religious groups, which that of Sayawa is not an exception.
Nobody is in doubt about the fact that chiefdoms play a vital role, like other traditional institutions, in maintaining social harmony, dispute resolution and practice of cultural heritage in a society. Chiefdoms mostly serve as a bridge between the government and the people in ensuring people at the grassroots benefit from policies and programmes introduced by the government in addition to the transfer of cultural identity to the generations yet unborn, while advocating peace and unity among the people.
The proposed citing of the Sayawa Chiefdom in a controversial location raises a lot of questions waiting for the right answers on the legitimacy of the matter before things go out of hand.
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On this point, people have begun to interrogate the secret rationale behind the pronouncement made by Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed (Kauran Bauchi) to locate the Sayawa Chiefdom in headquarters of Tafawa Balewa LGA considering the historical background of the area dominated by Muslim community.
Unarguably, after the 1991 Sayawa crisis, which consumed hundreds of lives, all the previous committees set up by the past administrations at both the state and federal levels came up with a recommendation that the Sayawa Chiefdom should not be positioned in Tafawa Balewa, which contravene the interest of the Sayawa agitators who are the minority tribe.
Now that the Sultanate Council has voiced out its concern in defence of the Muslim community and the caliphate for justice to prevail, all eyes will remain open on the next line of action to be taken by the government of the day.
Garba Adamu Gwangwangwan wrote from Bauchi, Bauchi State
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