Disquiet in Guyuk over alleged ethnic, religious exclusion as group writes SOS
• Allegations, handwork of mischief makers – Chairman
A chorus of public indignation has trailed alleged ethnic and religious exclusion of a large section of the citizens of Guyuk local government by the executive chairman of the council, Mr. Shalom D. Kassah.
Rising from a crucial meeting, a group under the aegis of Guyuk Concerned Citizens in an SOS said the action of the chairman is antithetical to the drive and aspiration of governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to ensure inclusive governance.
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A statement by the convener of the group, Samson Caleb made available to this medium indicated that a brewing and pent up tension is building in the area as a result of the action of the chairman calling on governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to step in and prevent a looming crisis.
“This area has become a flash point of ethnic and religious conflagration in the past due to self centered leaders who uphold exclusion as a cardinal principle.
“We thought the incumbent chairman will take a queue from governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri’s policy of inclusive governance by carrying all shades of people along regardless of their ethnic and religious colouration.
“Since he straddled the reins of authority, Fintiri’s watchword is fairness, inclusion and equity; that is why he ensured that women, youth and other vulnerable group are given high stakes both at the states and local government levels.
“We expect the chairmen to follow suit. But unfortunately, in Guyuk local government, the reverse is the case. The chairman has taken it upon himself to exclude a large section of the people from his government on the basis of their ethnicity and religion affiliation,” Caleb said.
He noted that it is unfair for all the ten elected councillors of the local government to come from the same ethnic and religious affiliation adding that as if that was not enough even the five supervisory councillors which the chairman handpicked and his advisers share the same ethnic and religious affiliation with the chairman.
“It is incumbent to state here that all the ten elected councilors were from the same faith and ethnicity, the five Supervisory Councilors came from the same faith and religious background.
“This is in addition to the fact that the executive chairman, vice chairman, secretary and chief of staff all came from the same religion and ethnic stock,” he noted.
Caleb said it is imperative to denounce the action of the chairman in view of the demographic distribution of Muslims and other ethnic nationalities in the area which the chairman deliberately sidestepped leading to heightened anger, anxiety and enveloping tension in the area.
“It is incumbent to state that in Guyuk local government, the population of Muslims is around 40 percent while other ethnic nationalities constitute more than 60 percent of the population, yet the chairman only appoint men and women from his religion and ethnic group despite the plural nature of the polity.
“Despite the fact that Purokayo, Bobini and Bodeno wards are the exclusive domains of Muslims and Hausa/Fulani ethnic stock, the politics of exclusion has ensured that only Lunguda Christians emerged as the councillors of the three wards.
“We wish to register our profound and unequivocal concern over the development, we also call on our governor to save the situation and avert a looming anarchy and disorder as a result of the untoward and totally unacceptable action of the chairman,” Caleb added.
But dismissing the allegations as the handwork of mischief makers, the chairman in a phone interview with our correspondent said he has included Muslims and other ethnic nationalities in his cabinet.
“I’m shocked by this blatant lie. Let me tell you that the said allegation is the handwork of idle minds and mischief makers who want to distract me from performing my duties of providing dividends of democracy to my people.
“To set the record straight, I have appointed two Muslims in my cabinet, one of them, Abdullahi Gambo is an Adviser while I appointed the other Alisko Aliyu as a supervisory councillor.
“I even appointed an Igbo man in my cabinet. In the history of Guyuk local government, I’m the first chairman to appoint a Muslim as adviser. So disregard the allegation as the handwork of the enemies of the local government,” Kassah said.