Gombe APC And Its Marginalisation Of The People Of Tangale Waja In Gombe South



The Oasis Reporters
December 8, 2022

By Comrade Yakubu Meshack
The task of nation building has long been held as the responsibility of all and sundry.
Indeed, the Nigerian Constitution is equally emphatic about the need to bring all sections of the country to the collective task of nation building.
In Constitutional terms, this has been regarded as the federal character of the nation.
Realistically, the Constitution realised the various impacts that could be created on our togetherness as a nation if the federal character is not enhanced in our constitutionalism.
Beyond the mere entitlement of each State to a position at the Federal Executive Council anchored on the federal character principle, is the awareness of democratic principle of the power of the majority.
Hence, in its entirety, federal character should in this instance be argued as the wisdom of the Constitution to include major ethnic divides in the affairs of the nation. Perhaps as they exist in each State.
That the word “marginalisation” has continued to be prominent in the political lexicon of Gombe State before the 2019 general elections remains an incontrovertible statement of the fact.
The Tangale-Waja constitutes about fifty-six percent (56%) of the total population of the State with nearly ten ethnic groups.
In other words, people of Gombe South are predominant in the population index of Gombe State. This creates an obligation to treat them with diligence and reasonable responsibilities.
To also say that the impact of the menace has continued to be felt mostly by the people of Gombe South despite the claim of change in state governance by the present Inuwa-led administration where there has been an absence of equitable distribution of political appointments so far rolled out by his government is also obvious.
A close scrutiny of the political appointments so far made at Gombe State level and at the federal level under the present political dispensation will make political pundits to wonder if Gombe South is part of the state and Nigeria, going by the glaring lopsided appointments skewed to shut them out of relevance in the scheme of things at the two levels of governance.
Under the change mantra and the existence of the Federal Character Commission it is expected that the marginalisation of the people of Gombe south at the federal level should have become a thing of the past but this is not to be.
Rather, the marginalisation has continued to be tightened around the neck of the people in the area.
Going down memory lane, it remains glaring that all political appointments so far made by the federal government as far as Gombe State is concerned, came from two out of three senatorial districts in Gombe State namely, Gombe Central and Gombe North, leaving out Gombe South Senatorial district, where the Tangale-Waja people, within four out of the eleven local government areas, reside.
Such appointments include both career and non-career ambassadors position, chairmen of boards of federal government parastatals, ministerial positions, just to mention a few. In almost all the dailies, this has no doubt lent credence to the cry of marginalisation of the people of the area at the federal level.
It was with the hope that the Gombe State governor would, in the spirit of equity and justice under the change mantra and federal character template, consider the people for political appointments both at state and at the federal levels as has been done for the other two main ethnic groups in the state.
There is no gainsaying the fact that Tangale-Waja people who once stood out as the engine room of the defunct Northern region under the regional system of government in Nigeria are now being sidelined in spite of their past contributions to the development of the defunct Northern region and the country as a whole in various fields of human endeavour.
However, to continue with this treatment against our people might not survive the force of conscience of the people in the long-run.
As a people and community of origin, Tangale-Waja are more than an individual, we will therefore, not allow ourselves to be consumed by any deceit or political hush-up.
The APC under the Inuwa administration has done it’s worst to us as we have been marginalized in all areas of life, from the set up of his cabinet, his recommendations for federal appointments and lots more.
His promise to give us the ministerial slot has been put in KIV mode, even our lawful positions we are supposed to have obtained have been denied, our rights and freedom to speak against this injustice has been hacked.
In conclusion, this article is a clarion call to the good people of Gombe South to shine our eyes and open our hearts for the progress of our people.
Let us not allow ourselves to be deceived again by the shallow minded politicians who cannot even attempt to fulfill their simple promises to our people.
Gombe South is more than an individual. Enough Is Enough!
is a human rights activist, and writes from Billiri Local Government Area of Gombe State.




