What Has Hausa Tribe Got To Do With Installation Of Sardauna, A Fulani Title ? Hausas Kick Over Name Dropping
The Oasis Reporters
January 3, 2020
Reactions Over Benue indigenes kick Against planned Sardauna installation
When the news broke in the media that Benue indigenes were kicking against the planned installation of a Sardauna in Oturkpo, Benue State, enlightened Hausa intelligentsia quickly tried to reach out to the media.
“There’s fraud in this kind of information because it is a bid to lure and drag the majority peaceful Hausa population into conflict with other equally peaceful tribes that may spiral into mayhem, to the detriment of the Hausa population.
“In the first place, “Sardauna” as a title has nothing to do with the largely Hausa population. Recall that the first premier of Northern Nigeria was Sardaunan Sokoto. He was a Fulani prince and great grandson of Othman Dan Fodio the jihadist who eliminated the Hausa Sarki’s or kings and installed his sons as emirs across Northern Nigeria. The British that later came to colonize Nigeria 100 years after saw the Fulani Emirs entrenched all over the north and without studying the history of the region, rather conveniently ruled the north indirectly through the Fulani colonizing invaders that took Hausa indigenous lands.
The Fulani have been ruling ever since, imposing their will on the majority Hausa population. More often than not, Hausas are used as cannon fodder in proxy political battles, bringing the large majority into conflict with other tribes, where there are supposed to be no issues at all.
Most of northern Nigerian political leadership is usually vested in the Fulani, not Hausa. We urge the citizenry to note that there’s a world of difference in the two languages, even though, the majority in both tribes happen to be Muslims, just as minority in both tribes are Christians.
“Please be better enlightened enough on this issue to call a spade a spade. Let the media say the Islamic people or Muslims or Fulanis, but as far as this Sardauna issue is concerned, it absolutely has nothing to do with Hausa. Even the names mentioned are Fulani names. If any fire comes out of this, any attack on the Hausa or their settlements is unwarranted, wrong. This is how they drag the Majority Hausa name into issues that are of no concern to them. If there’s any Sardauna, that’s for the Fulani and not Hausa Thank you for understanding”.
For a newspaper to publish that “The Benue State Government and the Hausa community in the state have disagreed over plans by the Hausa community to install a Sardauna in the ancient Otukpo”, is pure fallacy. There’s no iota of truth in that statement.
In the same story, the Punch newspaper claims that “It was gathered that the Hausa community had concluded plans to install one Balla Bello Muhammed as the Sardauna, Otukpo”.
“The above statement is evidence of yellow journalism. The names, Balla Bello Muhammed appear to be of Fulani origin, even though some of it is Islamic.
So how can the silent Hausa population conclude plans to install a Fulani as Sardauna, a Fulani title ? Is there any precedence anywhere that Hausas install Fulani kings and heirs apparent?
Please keep us out of any line of fire, we urge the press”, concluding their statement.
The concluding and absolutely misleading story by the newspaper says, “The coronation, it was learnt, had been fixed for February 2021 with dignitaries from the northern part of the country already penciled down for invitation.
But it was gathered that the planned installation of Sardauna had started to generate controversy as indigenes said it was a ploy to islamise the town and Idomaland in general.
On Saturday, a group, Idoma Heritage, warned the Hausa community against introducing an alien stool in its domain.
The group, through its president, Ocheyinu Ogidi, vowed that the coronation would never hold.
Ogidi said, “Warning to those planning to disturb the peace of Otukpo and the entire Idomaland. The only chief we have in Otukpo, apart from Ochi’doma, is Ocho’tukpo in the person of HRH Ocho’tukpo Oduh, Chief Dr John Eyimonye.
“This is your intention and we are stern on this warning; it cannot happen now or in generations to come. All Idoma sons and daughter, please note and be on alert.”
In reaction to the development, the Benue State Government ordered that the planned Sardauna installation be suspended.
The Press Secretary to the Benue State Deputy Governor, Benson Abounu, said in a statement that the state government had already reached out to the leader of the Hausa community in Otukpo, Alhaji Mamuda.
He said, “And we have informed him that there is nothing like Sardauna Otukpo in the Benue State Chieftaincy Laws of 2016. Accordingly, the Deputy Governor directed Alhaji Mamuda to call off the intended coronation and he accepted to comply forthwith.”
Hausa Intelligentsia continue to was their hands off this Sardauna issue. “Call a spade a spade “, they continue to say, urging everyone to keep them out of the firing line. They are Hausa, not Fulani, and their tribe has no such title.
