This letter is primarily directed towards we the Indigenous people of the Plateau, especially the youths of the Plateau, because it is very obvious that we do not have elders anymore. Even If such elders exist, they have decided to adopt the strategy of cowardice for reasons best known to them. Hence we the youths have to take our destiny into our own hands and ensure that we do not fail our own children just as our parents have failed us.
It is hightime we the Indigenes of the Plateau, those whose ancestors have lived on the Plateau for thousands of years tell ourselves the truth. And not just to tell ourselves the truth alone, but this time around to take concrete steps and actions based on this truth.
It is now very clear even to the blind that there is a sinister agenda against not just the Indigenous people of the Plateau but the entire Indigenous people of the Plateau-Gurara-Gongola region, the larger Middlebelt region and Southern Nigeria.
Hear this and allow this sink into your brains O great youths of the Plateau. O great descendants of the ancient Nok civilization and Kwararafa Kingdom.
Nigeria as a country has not just failed you, but it never cared about you in the first place. This may be hard for some of us to accept, but the truth they say is bitter.
Nigeria as a mere geographical expression and not a nation in the real sense has always been programmed from the beginning by the colonial masters to primarily cater for the interests of the Hausa-Fulani Muslims and secondly, people affiliated to the presidency and political leadership at a particular political dispensation.
Some of us were not born in the year 1993 when the first Jos crisis took place, others were young and did not understand what was happening. Then that of 2001, 2004, 2008 and 2010 took place.
Ever since 2010, the enemies decided to change their strategy since they realized that they have failed through open street-to-street confrontations in the urban centers. Then they adopted the new strategy of expand and occupy the rural areas. This we first witnessed in 2010 with the Dogo na hauwa massacre where hundreds of people who were mostly children and women were massacred in cold blood. Since 2010 till now, hardly does any week or month go by without dozens of defenceless villagers being massacred in their sleep.
The Indigenous people around Jos urban have been the primary target of these people as we have seen these attacks occur most frequently within LGAs surrounding Jos city like Riyom, Barkin ladi, Jos south, Bokkos, Bassa and most recently the rural parts of Jos north LGA. This should clearly help us understand that the agenda from the first Jos crisis of 1993 has not yet changed, the only thing that changed was the strategy, tactics and nomenclature. Then it was called Jos crisis or Indigene/Settlers crisis, now it is called Farmers/Herders clashes. It also comes in other forms such as Bokoharam, ISWAP, Bandits e.t.c (several heads of the same snake).
Unfortunately, it seems like the enemies of the Plateau have successfully outsmarted we the Indigenes, because most of us decided to never look beyond our ethnic identities.
Not until recently, many of us ignorantly said to ourselves “Ai wannan rikicin Yan Berom da Fulani ne, Ba ruwan mu.”. However, before our eyes, the attacks shifted from the Beroms to the Ron people in Bokkos, then Irigwes in Bassa and now to the Anaguta people in Jos north LGA.
While we were busy arguing and accusing each other’s ethnic groups, these strangers have been consolidating their foothold on the Plateau. Meanwhile our brethren from Southern Kaduna are also experiencing exactly the same issue. Over there (Southern Kaduna), they started with the Asholio/Kagoro people in Kaura, then they moved to the Ninzom/Numana people in Jema’a/Sanga axis, then to the Adara people in Kachia, and now recently to the Atyap people of Zangon Kataf LGA.
Can’t we all see that these people absolutely love it when we fragment ourselves into smaller groups per LGA while they themselves unite amongst themselves all the way from Nigeria to Niger republic to Senegal to Mali to Mauritania to Cameroon??
My beloved Plateau people, let us take a good look at the Southern Kaduna people for example. In terms of culture, history, languages, origin, social and religious values, we are exactly identical with these people. If you put a group of Plateau and Southern Kaduna people in a room, not even we ourselves can be able to identify who is from Plateau or Southern Kaduna. Southern Nigerians and the Hausa’ fulani muslims can never differentiate us. Even we ourselves can only differentiate ourselves when we see the tribal names. And what if the people are using names like SAMSON ISHAYA or ESTHER YOHANNA? Then it becomes absolutely impossible for us to differentiate each other.
However, In spite of these glaring similarities, we never hear of any regional synergy between Plateau and Southern Kaduna people. Even for we the Plateau Indigenes to come together under one umbrella and voice to radically fight for the integrity and progress of our people becomes a problem and a pipe-dream.
Most of us Plateau indigenes are not aware that there are at least 5- 6 million Indigenes of the Plateau. This is exactly about the same population of regional ethnic groups like the Ijaws, Kanuris and Tivs. Southern Kaduna people also have about the same population as we the Plateau Indigenes. Put together, that is about 11- 12 million Indigenes. This is more than the entire Fulani population in Nigeria put together and automatically takes the position of the 4th largest ethnic entity in Nigeria (assuming we all identify under one name).
Now, imagine by the time we include the Indigenous people of Taraba, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Southern Bauchi, Southern Gombe, Niger east & FCT, Southern Borno, Niger North & Kebbi south to this mixture. That would be around 40 million people, enough to match each of the 3 major ethnic groups, the Yoruba, Hausa’ and Igbo in terms of absolute numbers.
For those of you who do not understand these areas I just mentioned, I am talking about the Sayawa, Bachama, Michika, Kilba, Marghi, Bura, Chibok, Eggon, Mada, Jukun, Mumuye, Tangale, Waja, Gbagyi, Zuru e.t.c peoples.
These are people who are physically, historically, socially, culturally, linguistically, religiously and mentally the same with Plateau and Southern Kaduna people.
So, my dear Plateau brother and sister, it is up to us to either continue to remain smaller, weaker, fragmented and easily defeated by championing the ethnic interests of our individual tribes, LGAs, villages and clans or we can think wider and start working on regional solidarity, alliances and interests. The ball is in our courts.
Take a good look at the kind of national and international attention the Yorubas and Igbos command whenever they come out in one voice or in solidarity on a particular issue. Don’t you admire such and wish such privilege for our own people?
Our parents made the very big mistake of believing in the existence and unity of a ONE NIGERIA. This mistake has been our biggest undoing. Our Fathers, Grandfathers, and Uncles died in the Nigerian civil war in their thousands in order to keep Nigeria one. Alas, the same united existence of Nigeria is now being used to destroy us.
It is no longer news that the police force and the military openly take sides with our enemies.
Hear this out loud o indigene of the Plateau!
A country whose security system has been compromised and now serves only the interests of a certain group of people does not deserve your loyalty. I as a bonafide indigene of the Plateau, I personally refuse to be loyal or pledge my allegiance to Nigeria as a country anymore.
My allegiance and loyalty only goes to the people of the PLATEAU, the greater PLATEAU-GURARA-GONGOLA region and a proposed KWARARAFA REPUBLIC if and when Nigeria ceases to exist. And I hope you do so too my beloved Indigene of the Plateau, because a man who continues to hold on to a sinking ship will eventually sink with that ship.
If you are a proud son or daughter of the PLATEAU, you read this letter up to this point, you received this letter with a greatful heart and believe in the contents therein, please do well to share it on your wall/pages/groups with your friends and families.
You can also like, follow and comment on this page/group PLATEAU- GURARA- GONGOLA as a way of showing your support.
Together, we shall overcome!
Written by
NOAH KALLAMU
Plateau Gurara Gongola.
