Engineer Isuwa Galla, is the National President of the Zaar Development Association (ZDA) nationwide in this interview with Yahaya Audu in Bauchi he speaks about the long awaiting Sayawa Chiefdom, Zaar culture and the relocation of Tafawa Balewa, Headquarters from Bununu back to designated place constitutionally
Zaar ethnic culture is one of the most enviied in Bauchi State. What is your take on how people look at culture now adays?
Well, now adays, culture as defined is a way of life. Right from our forefathers culture sustained them to where they were and is also sustaining us to where we are today. In modern days I think the Lamp Zaar where we showcases the rich culture of our people is also used as an avenue to unite the Zaar people to come together, discuss on a common cause and also be able to champion some development projects and also exchange pleasantries. So, basically, we use it as an avenue for such things.
Lemp Zaar has now adays been mixed with modernization and civilization. What do you think are some of its implications?
Actually, modernization is also changing some of our things, and as we speak now many minority languages have gone into extinction or are at the verge of doing so. So, as for us, the Zaar nation if you observed, of recent we have been naming our children with native names to reflect where they come from and to also sustain the language. So, most of our people does that. We also encourage the younger generation to follow suit so that the culture and the language will not vanish during our time and it will not even die at all. We want to ensure that we pass the culture and the language from generation to generation, but sincerely speaking, modernization has changed so many things in such a way that only few minority languages are in existence today.
Lemp Zaar have been the trademark of Sayawa people. How will you describe the cultural event?
Coming on board two years back, we decided to make it an avenue where we celebrate our people that have done something, that have touch positively on the lives of so many people in one way or the other. Last year the distinguish guest of honour was Rt. Hon Speaker Yakubu Dogara who we thanked him for how he has lifted so many people in the community and basically the Zaar Development Association, ZDA on how the community will also be developed. So, this year’s Lemp Zaar too, we picked one of our son, prof Sulaiman Bogoro who has done well in the past and is still doing it now. So, such avenue we use it to acknowledged what they have done to the community and to us, we thank them and at the same time wish them well.
Considering the fact that you picked these personalities and thank them for the good things that they have done for the community. What do you think others should do?
They should take it as a challenge so that they too can contribute their own quota and be acknowledged as well you know, that is the brain behind it. People’s names are being written in gold by virtue of what they have done and how they have touched lives of other people so that they should rather look at the good side of it then the negative side of it, they should be motivated so that at the end of the day, they can proudly point at one or two things that they have done to their community and people will applaud them even if it didn’t reach their turn but atleast they will testify to it and they will be getting some praises from different angles. So, during my regime, i think that is how we programmed it.
What difference have made with regards to how Lemp Zaar is celebrated compared to previous years?
I think I have to thank my people for the confidence bestowed on me and for supporting me, without their support we wouldn’t have been able to even organise a befitting Lemp Zaar the way we have done , you can see from the turnout and most importantly thiis year. We are so happy, i termed it as a success because the government recognized us, the presence of government is enormous, we had many dignitaries coming fromfar and near, we had the wife of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Bauchi state, the Wife of the Deputy and the Speaker of Bauchi state House of Assembly was there in person you know, we had also chairman of the occasion, the honourable commissioner of finance was there and other dignitaries. The Akuka of Wukari delegations were there, the Longomai of Shandam came, and the immediate past president of ZDA Bala Gambar were all there amongst others.
Do you think culture can be seen as another way of promoting peace in the society?
Of course. Like I said during my speech, i said we been able to mend our ties with the minority amongst us too, we cried as minority been marginalized or something like that but even among us there are other minorities, the Tapshin people, the Boi People, the Bijim people, the Sogdawas, the Afizares, the Jar people, our ties with all of them have been mended, we were able to share a common view, how to work out modalities for sustainable peace in the land, development, in fact the aim is achieved.
Lemp Zaar have been celebrated for quite some time. How has it impacted in the lives of your people?
Well, apart from call for unity and development like I said, of recent, we have been working on the ZDA National secretariat project which is engulfing some millions of naira. I think we were able to make some appeal fund last year, in fact is almost 70 percent completion now as I speak and I am praying to God that by next Lemp Zaar we will be able to commission it. So, that is another way of capacity development a structural ground we have some other things like youth awareness, We also sensitise our youth on the dangers of use of drugs so that they shouldn’t derail, we want them to be responsible for them to be able to take over from where we stopped. We also go into talking with village heads, hamlets to call their youths to order so that moral values will not deteriorate in such a way that we will have problems of controlling our youths.
Sir, how were you able to attain peace in Tafawabalewa?
You know, Tafawa Balewa to say, once people hear the name Tafawa Balewa, there this impression that is registered in their minds that it is a trouble proned area but you discover that those troubles that had happened in the past were externally influenced. It is not that Tafawa Balewa people either go out to attack a particular place, no, the problem used to come from different quarters, there are some invaders people who were used to invading the community not necessarily the community, the come and wreck havoc. But with the peace process started by the former Speaker of the National Assembly Rd. Honourable Yakubu Dogara which keyed into it and the one Barrister Kefas Magaji is championing now and I think it will bring a lasting peace to that area in such A way that we will never witnessed any uprising again. For quite some time you will believe me that normalcy has since returned but there are some people who are still living with some reservations simply because they are not staying there, so they felt that there is no peace there but I am telling you everybody there is enjoying that freedom of life, freedom of worship, freedom of association and what have you. Everybody is free to practice all these rights in Tafawa Balewa as I speak to you now. Right now if there is anybody who felt he can harass you, We can take it up and the law will take its full cause, that, i assure you.
Are you saying that adequate measures have been put in place to that regard?
Yes, adequate measures have been put in place, we do communicate wig our brothers in Bununu, they feed us with information, if there is any problem they alerts us, when we get problem we do alert them, we exchange information with each other, we try to find the good cause of any emerging problem. For instance, if there is an issue, let’ssay cattle rustling or whatever, we wade into it, we call the community leaders, the youth and all the stakeholders, and the de spite is resolved amicably. If you ask any police here or the DPO, they will tell you all these things that I am saying. So, we try to not condone any thing in that nature so that we can live peaceful with one another.
Ok sir, the issue of zaar chiefdom?.
If you check the Zaar Sayawa people, we are peace living and lawabiding people. Going by our population, We deserved to have a leader and that is what we have been agitating for for quite a very long time and series of commissions and committees that were set up by the government, starting from Shehu Auwal, Babalakin, Justice Oputa and so many , have recommended the creation of sayawa chiefdom in Tafawa Balewa but I see lack of genuity from the part of the government as the cause of lack of its implementation. If a commission or committee or commission is setup by the government make recommendations that this thing should be done and at the point of implementation you implement only 45 percent and abandoned the rest, you see, that alone is also a problem. If the previous administrations had done the needful and everything is sorted out , i think we wouldn’t have been where we are today. On our part as Zaar community we have already complied with an Executive order that we should select one of us to be turban as the Gung Zaar, which we did, we call him the Gung Zaar select, we selected him as our community leader pending when everything will take its cause and the government deemed it fit to give him staff of office, and then the palace, the escort and many other things would be put in place. But honestly speaking, previous administrations in the state have not been sincere in terms of implementation, they have already approved the chiefdom, the chiefdom has already been created, but they failed to implement it fully. So, we are appealing to the government of the day to look at the issue and do the needful so that this issue would be put to rest once and for all so that we can move ahead to focus on development issues in the area.
As a people sir, how ready are you for the chiefdom?Â
Yes, we are ready for it in such a way that any time the government call on us we will sit down and discourse and there won’t be any problem. We are very much ready. This something we have been agitating for, a verylong time and we promised to be lawabiding even in our waiting days.
What do you in stock for the youths in your area?
Recently, we had these challenges of some youth carting away Some public propertis, stealing solar cells, people’s motorcycles. When I got wind of it I called the youth wing, i was tough on them. Thank God, now they have changed, they keep vigil, mountin some checks at night, because they know that most of the activities of those bad eggs is done mostly at night. So, many were arrested and the act has significantly dropped of recent.
One of the major problems of these youths is the issue of drugs. The youth of nowadys I just don’t know, some of them are so reluctant and lazy, they want it now now, and somehow, the politicians uses some of them and later dump them, so, at the end of the day they resort to all sorts of vices, but I think they have brought under control for now.
What are some of the problems confronting the Zaar land?
I think one other problem of Zaar land in particular, all the Zaar, when I say Tafawa Balewa people is not only Záar people that are in Tafawa Balewa, we have the Tapshin, we have the Sigdawas, the Afizares and all of them share common believe with me in this aspect. The relocation of Tafawa balewa local government headquarters from its constitutional place to Bununu Which have been described as unconstitutional by many calls for revisit. Now, if the problem was due to crisis then as it was alleged, i think as normalcy has since returned, definately the government should have look into that area and also returned local government back to its original place because somebody from Tapshin, Lere and some other places crossing Tafawa Balewa to Bununu is a long distance to them, even the people in Zwall, they felt Tafawa Balewa is closer as a centre and in even in the Nigerian constitution Tafawa Balewa is still the Headquarters. So, if government can decide to may be give Bununu an Area Development, i think it will be a plus for going forward. If there will be room for the creation of other local government areas and Bununu is given local government, no problem with that but as it stands now, bringing the Headquarters back to Tafawa Balewa will impress so many people. So, we are appealing to the government that since there is no more problem the LG Headquarters should have come back to its constitutional place.
Sir, are you satisfied with the way Bauchi state resources are shared amongst the 20 local government areas, i meant in terms of distribution of developmental projects?
Now, with the coming of this administration, i think each LG is now having this sense of belonging that Bauchi state belongs to all of us. But before now there will be a year that you will see the whole budget, a particular LG like Bogoro will be excluded from anything in the budget, even in Tafawa Balewa some areas will be carved out, they will not see any presence of government there throughout that year and that projected year will come and go. But I think with this government in place, i believe they are trying their best and I think the future is bright because they try to distribute it equitably, everybody will testify now that yah! there is a road linking Burga to Alkaleri which will benefit many people, even in Sabon Kaura here you can see so many things, people are saying ah! now we are feeling the presence of the government unlike before where you see only the speaker, Dogara attracting projects to the community, but from Bauchi state government, nothing.
Sir, from what you are saying, sounds like your people have suffered marginalization for long by the Bauchi state government?
Of course, of course. The marginalization has been there, we have been marginalized for long. And like I told you, many budget will come and go you will see nothing nothing, although the last administration tried in terms of security but in the area of development? Nothing. We did not experience any uprising like we did during other administrations in the state, we thank God we experienced calmness throughout the period of last administration and we are hoping that such will be sustained during this present administration of Senator Bala Mohammed. In terms of infrastructural development and other things during the last administration it was just some pockets of them somewhere and I don’t think the government of Bauchi then has tried in that regard.
Sir, you have underlined so many problems which one do you want the government to address first?
You see, the relocation of Tafawa balewa local government headquarters to Bununu need to be reconsidered by the government of the day, if government is really for the masses like they say Democracy is the government of the people by the people and for the people, i think what the majority want is that government should bring back the local government Headquarters to Tafawabalewa town where the constitution of the land recognized. You talked about the issue of Zaar chiefdom, you know many people have their rulers and leaders and the Emir of Bauchi is the chairman council of chiefs. So, if given the chiefdom, the Zaar people will celebrate very well because that is what we have been agitating for, that is why you see, at times you see people without leaders, without Emirs, so many things goes wrong and some of them that are narrowly minded they won’t understand, anything you are bringing to them whether it is good or whatever to help them but because they have that grievances in them they will tend to reject you with what you have. So, i think in the interest of justice and fairness, for lasting development, progress, sense of belonging and to also balance everything, Zaar/Sayawa chiefdom should be actualized.
Finally sir, what would be your message to the government and to your people?
The government of Bauchi state headed by Senator Bala Mohammed, Kauran Bauchi, the one we know, We salute his courage and congratulate him on hi 100days in office and also want him to stay focused the way he started. He started on the right footing. And also the issue of Bauchi, Bauchi state is an industrial state, we have so many companies in the state that are dying, we have the furniture company, Asbestos, meat processing, etc. So, if these companies are revamped and put back to usage it can engage so many people, the youths will not be iddle to become ready made tools in the hands of some selfish politicians to make use of. S, i want to appeal to the governor to be concerned with the welfare of the citizens, in terms of development, good education like he is doing in BASOVCA and so many agencies, the government of the day is trying very well. They should keep it up, they should continue and I pray that God will streghten them and grant them more wisdom to pilot the affairs of the state.
