Why Idoma and Igala People must learn from the Tivs… -By Abdullahi O. Haruna

My Idoma and Igala people must learn politics from the TIVs, while we are always emotional in political decisions, the Tivs are taciturn and tactical. In Igala and Idoma lands, everyone including religious leaders speaks for us, forgetting that in a land where you have so many spokespersons, you bury your concerns easily. For tomatoes to be useful, it must be gathered in a basket, otherwise, it remains scattered companions of destiny. We must be deliberate and reflective in our political engagements.

We must also learn from the Igbos, they channel their demands through their traditional organizations. Here, every pastor and Imam speaks for us and in doing that, they lose out the main points because, in politics, negotiation is the engaging tool of getting what is yours, and what should be yours. You don’t demonise what is yours, you join in the sharing formula. See the recent ministerial nominations, Igbo states got almost two slots each, even with their status as a predominantly opposition States. See Benue, the Tivs got the ministerial slot even when they reign as the governor. In kogi, the ministerial slot should have been two but the inaction of our elders caused us the second slot. The igalas voted overwhelmingly for the APC in the last elections but this effort was dwarfed by our elders who were busy endorsing Atiku with our religious leaders demonising Buhari. While we did this, the Ebiras , Okun, Koto and Kakanda kept their plans to the chest. They didn’t dance to the war front brandishing their strategies, they played the game with ‘Ibe’. Politics is tact, it requires emotional intelligence. It has no room for prejudices, biases and sentiments. Didn’t you see Festus Keyamo and Dino Melaye calling themselves brothers yesterday? That’s how politics is played, compromise, horsetrading and not vicious hate preaching.

Our people must learn the political strategies of the other tribes, we must have leaders to speak for us. Religious leaders should cease from speaking on politics, they make us lose out than make gains. Everyone to his tenth just the same way politicians shouldn’t speak on celestial issues.

Gaskiyally musing