Vexing Issues from the Selection and Coronation of TOR TIV V (II)
POLITICS
1. As stated in previous notes, while the Tiv nation owes a debt of gratitude to the Governor for the role he played in not only shepherding the process of amending the chieftaincy laws, selecting the kingmakers of the various clans and setting up the coronation committee and prearranging the repair of the Tor Tiv palace, many observers still feel that his prominence and leadership in seeing through these matters still gave him undue political power over the Tor Tiv and in retrospect is subverting the future power of the Tor Tiv. It did not help that many traditionalists were worried about the appearance that the Governor handed the staff of office to the Tor Tiv and many have argued that the staff should have been presented by an elder or by the IJIR TAMEN as a group to the TOR TIV instead of a politician however highly placed.
In the future, it is hoped that the chieftaincy and ascendency procedures and rules are set in stone to allow the process operate independently of the actions of any Governor, house of assembly and politician and that the office of the Governor is severally removed from any planning. Ideally the Governor should simply provide financing and third party logistics to the IJIR TAMIN who would arrange the selection and coronation of the Tor Tiv with the Governor as a revered guest at the occasion.
2. Accusations and allegations are making the rounds that many notable politicians from the opposition PDP including Senators George Akume and David Mark were not invited and did not attend the coronation, these allegations have not been confirmed officially yet, but their absence speaks volumes about the lack of unity and the extent of inter party bickering even during such an auspicious occasion. The list of who and who in attendance seem to give credence that it was an APC affair.
However, one must counterbalance they seeming exclusion or snobbery of the event by the accounts of the senate president who wrote: "The turn out for the coronation was simply overwhelming. The presence of a large delegation of top government functionaries, governors, senators and members of the traditional institution shows that government will continue to support the traditional institution to enable it play its role in modern governance.”
Notwithstanding the high turnout, it must be surpassed in the future despite any political infighting or misgivings.
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
3. At the federal level, the planning committee and the tiv community did not find a way to get Osibanjo the Vice President to make an appearance for such a monumental occasion, the Vice President was allowed to send the Minister of Agriculture Audu Ogbeh, an Idoma man, in his place thereby relegating the coronation of the Tiv to a seemingly local affair and not respecting the fact that the APC benefitted massively from the votes of the 4th largest tribe in Nigeria.
4. Back within the state and according to reports, the planning committee did not have a seat and canopy reserved for no one less than the OCH'IDOMA, the paramount ruler of the Idoma people the other majority tribe the Tiv share Benue state with. Not only that, the Governor either by omission or commission did not acknowledge the presence of the Och'Idoma who journeyed all the way from his palace in Otukpo for the occasion nor did protocol officers find it necessary to go into overdrive to clear a reserved area for the monarch after being forewarned of his presence. It was reported that he may have stood for an indeterminable amount of time before one of the delegations offered him a chair under the sun. There are various conflicting reports that the Ochi Idoma managed to bear the ignominy and or left the coronation midway in a huff.
Idoma nationalists already peeved from past real, imagined and perceived slights over the years took to social media to vent their rage. One of them Andrew Adah Okpe asked in shock:
"IS IT TRUE THAT OUR SELF ACCLAIMED "PASTOR" GOVERNOR ORTOM AND THE TIV NATION EMBARRASSED HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, THE LION OF IDOMA KINGDOM-OCH'IDOMA AGABA IDU (DR) ELIAS OBEKPA AT TOR TIV CORONATION?
Information reaching me through one of my ear as well as the attached picture indicated that the lion of the Idoma kingdom, His Royal Majesty-Och'Idoma, Agaba Idu (Dr) Elias Obekpa and his entourage were embarrassed during the coronation of the Tor Tiv the 5th in Gboko. For the records, The Och'Idoma is a paramount ruler like his Tor Tiv counterpart. He is the vice chairman of Benue state council of chiefs as dictated by the Tiv oligarchy and currently the chancellor of Federal University-Kashere Gombe state. On the above premise, the Och'Idoma deserved a special place and recognition in an occasion such as the Tor Tiv coronation. As the vice chairman of Benue state council of chiefs, ideally, he was supposed to be the chief host of all traditional rulers that graced the event. He was supposed to be given a chance to special prominence. But in contrast, I heard the Och'Idoma upon his arrival to the venue of the event with his entourage were kept standing and later made to sit under the sun throughout the event. As if that was not enough, our "pastor" governor, Samuel Ortom did not recognize the Och'Idoma when he spoke officially and observed protocol. As the saying goes, he that goes for equity must come with a clean hand and he that lives in a glass house, must not throw stone. I want the governor and the Tiv nation to refute this allegation.”
To date neither the Governor, the planning committee, or the Tor Tiv have made an official apology publicly leaving the task to random Tiv nationalist sensitive to maintaining relations to make excuses not well received by all.
Summary: Needless to say, these two grievous events should have not ushered in the reign of the new Tor Tiv IV and by these accounts, the coronation did not go as perfectly as would have been expected. However it is not too late and efforts need to be made to mend fences with the OCH'IDOMA by the Tor Tiv paying a personal visit at his palace in Otukpo and pressure be applied to have either the Vice President or President either to pay a visit or organize a grand reception for the Tor Tiv in Abuja the Federal Capital.
In the future, all efforts must be made with the use of sweet tongues messengers to bring the high and the mighty from all corners of the globe both internally and externally to pay homage to the Tor Tiv and visit the TIV traditional capital of Gboko.
LEGITIMACY
5. During the coronation ceremony, two strange events occurred, the Tor Tiv V elected to take the oath of office using the Bible instead of the Swem thereby breaking rank with the pantheon of Tiv deities and ancestors and a certain man from Kwande mounted the throne before the conclusion of the investiture of TOR TIV V. Some observers have noted that these events may have made the coronation of the Tor Tiv invalid most especially as that man could claim he is the Tor Tiv and be seen as such in certain quarters.
6. A Tiv nationalist, John Mka in his interesting conspiracy theory article concerning the Nyitshe drama summarized the intricacies of that event and he wrote:
"Today we have seen the coronation of the most academically astute Tor Tiv of they all...A professor , and academic per excellence, HRM Orchivirigh Prof Ayatse , Tor Tiv V, to seat on the throne of his forebears , and coordinate the trado - cultural , economic , and social political affairs of the Tiv nation...A man very qualified in every sense of the word , a pure blooded descendant of TAKURUKU ANYAM AZENGA, AWANGE SWEM KARAGBE U TIV, A man of Kwande descent , Kwande the source of Tiv mythology , and trado - religious world view and persuasions of our nation , long before the advent and subsequent onslaught of biblical Christianity...Caught up in a frenzy of Pentecostal fervor and zeal, fueled on by a fellow Pentecostal, his excellency Governor Samuel Ortom, of Benue State, HRM dis countenanced the age long tradition of taking the oath of office by the instrumentality of SWEM, and publicly deitified, and castigated SWEM as a mere instrument of idolatry' and took the oath of the traditional leadership by the Christian bible...indeed a noble yet misguided evolution.
Who then is Stephen Nyitse ? So far, the young man has been variously described as an errant disrespectful Tiv boy, we are not likely to decipher Stephen Nyitse with ease, what was his motivation, and why take such a curious action, how was Stephen able to pull such a stunt without any hindrance before the act, who sent Stephen Nyitse, and what was the gain envisaged.???
More curious is the fact that Stephen Nyitse is reportedly from Kwande, is this mere coincidence, is it not just possible that Stephen Nyitse, is SWEM KARAGBE ' S emissary as HRM Orchivirigh Prof Ayatse ' s MAN FRIDAY, on the activation of SWEM? Wherein this man Friday was to remain unobtrusive, but following the open rejection of SWEM, TAKURUKU and handlers of same decides to make an open and attention grabbing statement by placing Nyitse on the throne ahead of HRM?
This is getting a bit longer than I would have wished considering our busy readers, I will rather the Tor Tiv V and all key stakeholders deal wisely with Stephen Nyitse,” I can't help but recall the old testament bible story of Uzzah, a handler of the Jewish ark of covenant, the ark reportedly tether almost falling, and Uzzah zealously rushed in to prevent the imminent fall, a noble deed yet misguided, Uzzah never lived to tell the story...”
People familiar with how folklore and urban myths and legends are created will appreciate the issues and questions raised by Mka which provides added flavor, unresolved controversies, and another layer of questions to be debated by the TIV nation in the future about the coronation of the Tor Tiv
Despite all the misgivings, perceived slights, and controversies the Tiv nation and the world in general celebrate the coronation of TOR TIV V.
Long Live His Majesty
Long Live the Tiv Nation
By Shagbaor Terhemba Osuji, The "Lam Kwa Yuum Tor Tiv" hails from Mbayion
#theLamMeNaTorTiv
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