(By Ogbu Onah on Adinu Whatsapp wall November 15, 2021)
Like I always say when I retuned from Lagos in Oct. 1997 as the Senior State Correspondent of Champion Newspapers, Igede was literally dead in the socio-political equation of Benue State. The military Administrators of the State simply considered Benue as comprising only Tiv and Idoma. To them Igede was Idoma. And the Tiv people in Government believed that too. Consequently, for nearly five years no State military budgets ever considered any projects in Igede including not even the famous Oju/ Awajir road. This became my first area of battle to prove that Benue was compromised of three major ethnic groups.
Each time the military Administrators of Aminu Isa Kontagora and Domnic Oneya, all of blessed memory, embarked on tour of local governments I would avoid the Correspondents vehicle and chose some strategic Commissioners to follow sometimes sitting behind with them. I was interested in Commissioners for Works, Engnr Felix Atume, Information and Culture, late Barr Terlumun Nyagbagh, Education, Dr. Oga Ajene as well as Directors of Rural Development, Engnr Alexander Shaakpera and Water Resources, Engnr Mathew Gbayan. All these were Tiv people. By the time we had rounded the tour of local governments I would have successfully passed my message to them.
But the mockery of my Idoma journalist friends and colleagues got more on my nerves that in spite of my campaign that Igede was not Idoma, our street girls and boys were denying their Igede identity in answer for Idoma’s. In fact, that was the tragedy I saw in that period. Every language in Benue saw Igede as a sub class of people and were openly mocked at, ” akaramememe, anjowuuuu, ” simply mocking my dear language. For intimidation and fear most of our girls and boys hid themselves from their identity.
Whenever my Idoma journalist friends confronted me with this stark reality the only answer I gave them was that they should give me some few months and if they tell an Igede he was Idoma they would insult them back. Fortunately, at that period (97/98) the traditional clothes of Tiv and Idoma were being promoted at every occasion in the State. Aaaaah, eureka, I had found the answer. Every event we attended as journalists in the State I would go to the place where traditional clothes were being displayed. I wouldn’t disclose my identity but posed as an agent. I would intimidate the sellers: “where is Igede clothe”,” where is Igede clothe” I would ask. They would promise to look for it and display another time.
But the one that fetched me this great gain was the with the Ibo seller of traditional clothes called AFRICUT near Railway Bypass, High Level Makurdi. I threatened to call for the closure of his shop if did not display Igede clothe the next time I visited him accusing him of playing ethnicity having known that Benue compromises of Igede, Tiv and Idoma. The next month I went to his shop I didn’t know how he got Igede clothe to display. Subsequently from his shop retailers were picking them to display also at events. Happily, enough when the military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubarka was to pay a State visit to Benue in 1998, the owner of AFRICUT, sought and obtained contract to produce Benue clothe. What you are seeing today as Benue national colours was the product of AFRICUT in 1998. At the reception of the visiting Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubarka, at Aminu Isa Kontagora Open Air Theater, it was this novelty and signature clothes he was decorated with. At the journalists’ stand, all I needed to do was to tell my Idoma friends to take a look and tell me the meaning. Hahahaha. A major battle of my heart had been won. They were not happy by their silent countenance. The matter was to be sealed later with erection of a statute at Government House, Makurdi of three women holding the map of Benue. TIV, IDOMA, IGEDE. Argument closed.
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