Sir: The task of nation building has long been the responsibility of all and sundry. Indeed, our Constitution is equally emphatic about the need to bring all sections of the country to the collective task of nation building. Constitutionally, this has been regarded as ‘federal character.’
Realistically, the Constitution stipulates the various impacts that could be created on our togetherness as a nation. 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, favour 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 56 per cent of the total population of the state with nearly ten ethnic groups. In other words, the people of Gombe South are predominant in the population index of state. This creates an obligation to treat them with diligence and reasonableness.
To also say that the impact of the menace has continued to be felt mostly by the people of Gombe South is to state the obvious despite the claim of change in the state by the present Inuwa-led administration where there has been absence of equitable distribution of political appointments so far rolled out by his government.
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.
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 the State namely Gombe Central and Gombe North, leaving out Gombe South Senatorial district, where the Tangale-Waja people with four out of the 11 local government areas reside.
Such appointments include both career and non-career ambassadors, chairmen of boards of Federal Government parastatals and ministerial appointments. This lends credence to the cry of marginalisation of the people of the area at the federal level.
The good people of Gombe South – let us shine our eyes and open our hearts to contribute to the progress of our people. Let us not allow ourselves to be deceived again by shallow-minded politicians.
• Yakubu Meshack wrote from Billiri Local Council of Gombe State.
