By Moses Gbande
For the Tiv Nation, celebrating its rich cultural heritage is not only necessary, but of utmost priority. This is what informed the celebration of the 2022 Tiv Day held at Imon, the spiritual headquarters of the indegenous Tiv people of Nasarawa State.
The Tiv Day, like any other Cultural event, is a day, the rituals of the people are performed in line with their culture and tradition. However, the 2022 Tiv Day was not an exception, as the planning committee headed by Hon. Mike Ato, Chairman and Hon. Peter Igbacher Kwembe secretary, lined up series of activities for the day’s event.
Though, the 2022 edition, was adjudged to be a very remarkable outing of Tiv Sons and Daughters who thronged in their gorgeous indigenous cultural attires, featuring cultural dances, the famous Kwagh-Hir puppets and beauty peageants. The event was surreptitiously hijacked by politicians who turned the arena into a campaign premises to drum support for governor A A Sule’s 2023 governorship re-election ambition.
But, the interesting part and cheering news for that day was the passionate way the Royal Father, the Emir of Lafia, and Chairman Traditional council of chiefs, HRH Justice Sidi Bage Mohammed (Rtd) and his entourage humbly stormed the venue to graced the occasion.
His speech was also a celebration on its self, as it rekindles the hope of the Tiv people in the state, especially when openly declared his dismay over the prolonged absence of Tiv people in the council of chiefs in Nasarawa state.
He stressed that, he has taken the matter up at the council meeting, and is uptimistic that, government has taken note of it, and sooner or later, the matter would be addressed and Tiv people would be given their rightful place, where their Chiefs would be recognised beyond a mere representatives of cultural Associations.
“Today, is the happiest day in our lives, as we have gathered to celebrate with our kith and kins who have lived together with their neighbours for a long time. I commend Senator Tilley Jacob Gyado for all the comppements he just said about His Excellency, Engr A. A. Sule, it is timely.
“I am always concerned, and I have raised it in the council, on why Tiv are not represented in the council. Tiv People are indegenous of Nasarawa state. I am not making any political statement, but we have remained committed to see that the Ter Tiv Stool in Nasarawa deserved to be recognized as a chiefdom of its own. So that if their is any issues, we will seat together with their representative, and have the first hand information, and find a solutions to it. I am very sure that very soon, you will get your rightful place in Nasarawa state”.
Dignitaries who honoured the occasion stressed the need for Tiv people to be law abiding and continue to live in peace and to tolerate one another and support the government of Engr A. A. Sule and vote for his return in 2023 to continue with the good work he has started.
Chairman of the occasion, and the second republic senator from Benue state, Chief Sen. Jacob Tilley Gyado, OFR, expressed joy over several interventions made by the governor of Nasarawa state, Engr. A. A. Sule and the Emir of Lafia, in recognising and treating the Tiv people in the State as best friends. Insisting that, the Tiv people are the peace loving people and will never be known for any originator of problem in the State.
He equally advised the Tiv people in the State to consider themselves as bonafide citizens of the State, and warn them against allowing themselves to be mislead by any body.
Hear him;, ” Nobody should distract you, or mislead you to cause problem. You are the indegenous people of Nasarawa state. Where you live now was the then Benue-Plateau state before Benue was carved out, and later Nasarawa got went out of Plateau state, and the adjustments had to cut TIV into different boundaries, and therefore, no one can deny you of being from here. But the legitimate task before for you is to continue to be law abiding , and keep doing things that will endure you with your neighbor. Don’t be a threat to peace with anybody. Do not take law into your hands or result to self-help”.
Speaking on the political secne, Senator Gyado canvasses support for the re-election of Engr A. A. Sule as the governor of Nasarawa state come 2023, assurring them that the Governor is passionate about their plights. “Tiv people, you have a bargaining powers but over the years, you have allowed yourselves to be used by greedy politicians. I want to advice you to give Engr A. A. Sule 100 percent of your votes in the 2023 election. And I assure, he will not let you down. Hold me responsible if at the end of the day, Sule turned out to mislead you”.
Highlights of the event was the display of the famous Kwagh-Hir puppets, performance of various dancing groups, launching of a N500m appeal fund as well as the presentation of beauty-peageant, handsome man of Nasarawa and Queen Mother Dance, as well as confirmation of traditional tittles on fourteen persons.
Those honoured during the occasion include; Engr A A. Sule, Governor of Nasarawa State, as the (Zege Mule U Tiv- Nasarawa State); Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong, Governor of Plateau state, ( Akpabam U Tiv, Nasarawa state); Senator George Akume, Minister of special duties ( Akinde U Tiv Nasarawa state): Chief Senator Jacob Tilley Gyado- (Jime Nor U Tiv, Nasarawa state); Hon. Dr Joseph Kigbu, fmr Member House of Representatives, Lafia/Obi ( Zege Tsar U Tiv, Nasarawa state); Rt Home. Ibrahim Balarabe A., Speaker, Nasarawa state house of Assembly, (Asor Tar U Tiv, Nasarawa state);, and Chief (Mrs) Mbawuese Joy Tor Tsuwa, Business Tycoon Benue State, (Suma Kwase u Tiv, Nasarawa state), among others.
Nasarawa Reporters 