Date Published: 04/30/09
Adamawa: Nyako’s Religious Segregation
By Dr. Stephens Manzo El-Manu
Indicators abound proving above all else that the Murtala Nyako-led government of Adamawa state is prosecuting an ethno-religious agenda. In just a short time, this administration has been accused severally of ethno-religious cleansing in media and at various public fora. It is worth noting that since Gongola days; no administration suffered attacks bothering on marginalization and its related cries like the Murtala Nyako’s. Unlike any of his predecessors, the governor’s blatant dislike for Christian faith and its teeming faithfuls is already attracting widespread wariness.
Besides the calculated lopsided appointment of key government officials, the hundred percent control of educational institutions by core Fulani /Muslim faithfuls, the fraudulent funding of the Almajiri Qur’anic Education System vis-à-vis the neglect of the Christian Sunday School System and the vigorous pursuit of nomadic education and settlement that focuses only on Muslim/Fulani nomads sends curious and provocative signals down the spines of Christian faithfuls throughout the state.
Worst still, the government has of recent slashed down drastically the monthly running cost of the Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board. It happened about a couple of months ago when the board’s monthly running cost was brought down to a ridiculous one hundred thousand naira only, while the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board continues to enjoy its regular N2 million monthly running cost.
In the wake of these antecedents, there is no way human proponents or even angels can convince the Christian community that the Nyako-led administration understands or is in any way interested in upholding the principle of equality. This is because so far, all state decisions regarding socio-economic services and distribution of human capital as well as economic empowerment schemes have been concentrated within the Muslim section. It is unarguably so that this administration has deliberately pursuit lopsided policies in all its resource distribution and in all cases to the disadvantage of the Christian community. What is therefore clear to the Christian community is that these things could not have occurred coincidentally.
The Christians in Adamawa will not forget in a hurry that when Murtala Nyako took the reins of power in May 2007, he announced among other things during a statewide broadcast that under his leadership the state was going to discontinue all pilgrimage sponsoring involving both Muslim and Christian pilgrims. According to the governor, pilgrimage was mandatory only on those who could afford the cost of reaching each of the two holy lands. As such, his administration was resolved not to engage in wasting public resources for the benefit of a select few. Another argument advanced by the governor was government sponsoring of pilgrimages often ends benefiting only political associates or friends and family members of those within the corridors of power. “Therefore”, according to the governor, “that practice undermines the spirit of equality and fair play which his administration intends to uphold above all else”.
However, this position was perceived by discerning Christians to be another government’s crafty plan to ridicule the Christian pilgrimage by denying indigent Christians the opportunity of fulfilling one of their religious obligations. It was not far too long when discerning skeptics were confirmed right. As usual it all happen when another round of pilgrimages came. To the Jerusalem bound pilgrims, the governor kept his word and that gave rise to only about 8 pilgrims including regular state officials performing the 2007 Christian pilgrimage. But surprisingly, the governor altered his stance and allocated N360 million to the Mecca bound pilgrims for the same year’s pilgrimage.
It could be recalled that this flagrant religious segregation occasioned by fraudulent appropriation of state funds was 4 th on the schedule of allegations leveled against governor Nyako in the 23 rd June 2008 impeachment notice served on him. It was at this point that more people realized that there was more to Nyako’s “no sponsoring pilgrimage policy” than meets the eye. What discerning skeptics saw that majority could not see initially was a secret plan intended to relegate Christianity to a second-class status.
In a scampering effort to whitewash the governor’s smeared image, the then Commissioner of Information, came on air on the ABC Hausa program tagged, Taba Kidi Taba Karatu, and vomited crass fabrication of lies that the N360 million was given to the Muslim Pilgrims Board on loan basis and has since been paid back into the state coffers. To that sheepish balderdash flows the following questions: since both pilgrims’ boards derive their funds from the state government exclusively, where and how was the loan awardee expected to raise money and pay back the loan? What was the loan sought for, since it is the state government that finances all projects of the board? How the transaction was documented and where is the document? Who guaranteed for the board and what was the moratorium period? Was there any such money appropriated in the 2007 budget as approved and passed by the state Assembly to that effect? What was the interest that accrued on the loan? Why was the same generosity not extended to the Christian Pilgrims Board? And is a state governor empowered by law to award loans without recourse to legislative support? Except the governor answers to these questions he remains an enemy to Christian faith.
Due to the selective reduction of running cost affecting the Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board only, activities of the board are said to have practically been grounded. As there is no way the meager one hundred thousand naira could be enough to buy sufficient stationeries let alone run generators for alternative power supply, keep vehicles on the road, maintain correspondence with Israel and other relevant agencies and to carry out other essential services. As at today, the board is only a shadow of itself and its staff are said to be consoled by the euphoria of the years penultimate the Nyako administration hoping a wind of change will usher in another round of elections when they will harness their ballots to blow away this government of segregation.
During the last lesser Hajj (Umurah), Governor Nyako and other numerous Muslim worshippers traveled to Saudi Arabia aboard a charter flight costing the state the sum of five hundred thousand dollars (about N70 million). Notwithstanding the governor’s privilege to fly charter flights, this time around there was more to it than meets the eye. Unarguably the governor flew that charter flight just to catch an opportunity to pay for other Muslim compatriots, which he swore not to do. The decision we believe was taken to keep the public lost on a path in his selective pilgrimage funding.
Without an iota of doubt, there is a sinister motive in the chest of this government about Christians and their religion. If Governor Nyako mean well for the teeming Christian population who voted him in massively during the governorship re-run, he should embrace the spirit of federal character in the administration of resources.
In a nutshell, it is worth pondering the fact that all educational institutions in the state are being manned by core Muslims and someone will want us to accept that it is a mere coincidence. How? It is humanly inconceivable to postulate that no one single Christian was found fit by ‘Nyako’s standard’ to head any of the numerous educational institutions in the state. Unlike Lamido Aliyu Musdafa, a supposed Ndottijo (elder statesman) that Nyako should be is playing out differently in a ‘partiality game’, preferring one faith group above the other.
In the wake of present circumstance, the government of Nyako cannot dissociate itself from ethno-religious cleansing. Nevertheless, the Christian community remains committed to the peace enterprise no matter how fiercely provoked. We will continue to coexist peacefully with our Muslim brothers and never allow any antic to put us on collision course with them.
Admiral Nyako with his government is hereby advised to desist forthwith from segregation and treat the citizens with equality. After all, he being a retired high ranking military Officer should know better the power of religion and how its faithfuls could go volatile once they feel their religion is been treated with levity where they know they share equal status with other faith groups.
Dr. Stephens Manzo El-Manu
Nigeria Council of Jerusalem Pilgrims
17 Ibrahim Kashim Way ,
Jimeta – Yola
Adamawa State .
