Tiv Issues According to Terhemba Osuji

The biggest crime that made Akwaza person non grata was that he allegedly stole cows of Fulani herdsmen. That is a lie, he chased away grazing cows and their Fulani herders in his zeal to implement anti grazing laws or in righteous anger at the destruction of crops and vast tracks of farmland, some stubborn resistant herdsmen may have been killed or brutalized in the process. Ever since, that unforgivable sin, confirmed by a serving governor that anyone spilling Fulani blood had taken a debt? the force of federal might was used to have akwaza declared a criminal militia commander and a N5m bounty was placed on his head. Alongside that declaration, an insidious plot was hatched to tie and link incidents of banditry to Tiv militia commanders like Akwaza and Deyan and Tashiaku. Unfortunately for Akwaza This ransom was declared before the massacres that forced Ortom’s hand to act under cover of the mass burial of the innocents and other events to enact the anti grazing bil and become more...

 In a recent submission to the Centre for values in leadership, in collaboration with the Governors forum, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, suggested that responsible Nigerians be allowed to carry AK47’s to reduce insecurity in the land. Coming from a state ravaged by ethnic cleansing and genocidal slaughter by suspected Fulani herdsmen his suggestion was not greeted by the strong applause it deserved especially from an advocate and government official so highly placed, perhaps because his call may have been perceived as a suggestion based on solving the background of violence in Benue State alone. In retrospect, it is time for Nigerians to not disregard his suggestion and to take the call for  gun possession by all Nigerians more seriously with the flight into worsening insecurity and endless slaughter and killings and burglaries and carjacking’s and kidnappings of Nigerians today, especially since the federal government cannot guarantee the safety of Nigerians, a core hum...

Nigeria is far more polarized and nationalized along ethnic lines than we can ever imagine. The north or more specifically the Fulani and Hausa were unbelievably very well informed about the late Tiv militia commander Terwase Akwaza aka Gana through their shadow information dissemination systems like radio and vernacular communications than many people realize. Infact Gana, was deified to the status of a Tiv national leader by the Hausa Fulani diasporas migreb feared and hated because he was thwarting the incursions of their influence and challenging Fulani herdsmen. From their tribal nationalistic prism very few believe they do not have the right to graze anywhere unrestricted in Nigeria because land was provided by allah for use by all. and their vernacular information systems keep them well informed about vigilante and Militia fighters like Gana who are enemies of the sharia state thwarting their nationalistic agenda. You only need to go to Facebook pages and see them celebrating h...

Herdsmen attacked have resumed according to a press release by Ortom. He also demanded that these herdsmen be declared as the Terrorists that they truly are.  Where are the angry Tiv men and stubborn women I remember and know. Why is Facebook not agog with the news and commentary support, why is the Tiv Brotherhood Page with thousands of members empty of comments. Is it because we do not identity with unknown peasants from remote villages.  The period of peace following the vigorous introduction of RUGA and the sympathy following the ignoble massacre and public burial of hundreds of TIV seems to have induced some sort of slumber and even the MAFO and beef seems to have lost its vigor. No one seems to be sensitized that it starts small in remote villages before towns get overrun. Why is Governor Ortom they only one staking and risking his political career, albeit skillfully, in confronting this menace which extends beyond the political to every Tiv man, we know he is the Govern...

Background: Days before this event (#premuta) I wrote a post raising observations about the seeming lack of planning and public information about the convention to be held in Maryland. Among many things I observed was the failure to update the MUTA’s website and the omission of the venue for the convention in press releases by the state government, they large delegation from the state attending which I suspected would be larger than attendance by residents, followed by the popular opinion, that they unnecessary expense of an entourage would be better applied on other issues. Lastly, was my annoyance that members visiting from Benue had more information about the event than I, a resident, and my negative perception that it was deliberate to keep it exclusive, but I was determined to attend. Convention Reality: I did attend and While many of my observations were indeed true, I was shocked at how my perceptions were in stark contrast to the reality on ground and the realization that a lot...

Benue’s inefficiency and poor planning has been exported to America. Visitors to the MUTA convention from the motherland know more about the event than the residents. The whole event is shrouded in mystery, a simple and cheap dissemination tool like a MUTA Facebook page is hard to find through a random search and MUTA America’s website has not been updated to provide information about this event. Not even Akase’s press release provided they information for the event. Aondu only knows how much will be spent by the entourage of delegates from Benue state for this event. I dare say they will outnumber Tiv diasporans who despite their enthusiasm would be hard pressed to take precious vacation time to attend such an event in a far-flung corner in the state of Maryland on a weekday. Conclusively the cost of the entourage would be sufficient to pay for the school fees and or assist struggling Tiv people in America, forget they pictures you see on Facebook. If I did not know better...

I hated this election, Like in Imo, I could not summon the gumption to pick a side in the war for the Benue state Governorship as each candidate all had compelling arguments and credentials to be Governor, it was easier to sit on the fence and let the masses decide.  Now that Ortom has emerged here are a few awed observations: how does a man rise from humble beginnings to rise from driver to LGA chairman to treasurer of the reigning PDP to minister where he was applauded into office on the senate floor due to awe at his background and from there seize the APC ticket at the last minute to become Governor after crossing from the PDP. Along the way he also picked up a PhD. How did he become the valiant defender of the Benue valley after first ceding Agutu and later despite that monumental concession earn the wrath of Arewa when he became mourner in Chief due to his position as governor when he was forced to bury hundreds of his massacred kinsmen. How was he able to leave the APC and c...

I hated this election, Like in Imo, I could not summon the gumption to pick a side in the war for the Benue state Governorship as each candidate all had compelling arguments and credentials to be Governor, it was easier to sit on the fence and let the masses decide.   Now that Ortom has emerged here are a few awed observations: how does a man rise from humble beginnings to rise from driver to LGA chairman to treasurer of the reigning PDP to minister where he was applauded into office on the senate floor due to awe at his background and from there seize the APC ticket at the last minute to become Governor after crossing from the PDP. Along the way he also picked up a PhD. How did he become the valiant defender of the Benue valley after first ceding Agutu and later despite that monumental concession earn the wrath of Arewa when he became mourner in Chief due to his position as governor when he was forced to bury hundreds of his massacred kinsmen. How was he able to leave the APC and ...

Which Way Benue Never has there been an election that rankles the nerves like the election of 2019. Personally it has been a gut wrenching experience made even worse by the increasingly irascible attitude of “Friends” who have become rabid in their almost divine mission of unseating candidates and a mindset intolerant of any discussion; they quickly resort to blocking or sending insults. Nevertheless it is a painful process that must be endured as we meditate and fight over which candidate to support to handle the mission and land mines ahead in Benue fighting for its survival and protection of our ancestral lands. There has never been an election in Benue more important than the election of 2019. The staggered elections meant that the presidential, senate and Nass elections were held on feb 23rd with the governorship and house of assembly elections to follow on the 9th of March. The elections on the 23 swung Benue into the opposition column for the first time since the 60’...

 All I want to know besides placards demanding he marry a tiv woman (Lol) and allegedly going through great expense to rent crowds for him and posing in military regalia, I want to know whether one fearless patriot grabbed the microphone and demanded that Atiku promise to:  1. return Benue Cement to tiv stake holders and pay compensation to the victims of Zaki Biam killed during his regime.  2. Visit Wantereu Paul Unongu like he did Obasanjo to beg for forgiveness. 2. Remove  Fulani and their cows from the Benue valley and allow for indigenously run ranching feeder lots.  3. fund a project to grow a herd of bua tiv, a cow distinct, from a Fulani cow.  I am still waiting for the minutes of the discussion and a picture of him swearing an oath on the swem (after all isn’t he “Zegemule U Tiv”) that he will fulfill the promise.  On Business, and making Benue and Nigeria work again, but when did Nigeria ever work except during colonial times before I was bor...

The Tiv, a migrant people according to legend settled around the banks of River Benue without Kings, but guided by wise elders based on seniority prospered for years in various clans. Along came the colonialists with their inward incursion into the hinterland and the ultimate amalgamation of its Northern and Southern protectorates to form present day Nigeria. Not possessing the workforce to directly administer this territory, the British intuitively had to rule and form a governing arrangement with the existing Caliphate Sultanate system to administer the Benue valley. In return for the collection and remission of taxes to the Crown, the British left the domineering administrative structure of the Islamic caliphate intact thereby giving the caliphate administration control of its northern protectorate province finalized by the citing the location of the headquarters of the protectorate in Kaduna. Through this administrative conquest, Fulani Administrative officers ...

It was only a matter of time before the unguarded utterances by Wantareuh Paul Unongu against Biafra would draw the ire of IPOB (see press release down below) and drag the Tiv nation by default into this debate and identity crises all tribes have about Tiv people.  Besides self-aggrandizement and self-elevation, it is difficult to understand why Unongu was elected or appointed chairman of the Northern Elders Forum in light of the slaughter of innocents in Benue State and it is equally conflicting that Unongu has not resigned his position after these massacres.  Was Unongu allowed to emerge as chairman of the Northern Elders forum in his personal capacity, or as an agreeable Tiv man, better still, whose interests does he represent, is it for a unified Arewa or does he speak for Tiv people, or is he chairman to weather the storm of reactionary statements that would have been more incendiary if there were a Fulani man in his stead instead?  Equally more confusing are stateme...