04/01/2025
SPEECH PRESENTATION BY PROFESSOR SHIMA K. GYOH, AT THE 9TH EDITION OF KYEGH SHA SHWA CULTURAL FESTIVAL HELD ON THE 27TH DECEMBER, 2024 AT BENUE STATE SECRETARIAT FOREST, MAKURDI.
ITINEKWAGH: KPER U TIV NGU HANA?
WHERE IS THE FUTURE OF THE TIV?
This question is posed by a people when they want to take their compass bearing and determine their next direction of their progress. Wantaregh Paul Iyorpuu Unongo also asked the question during military rule when Nigeria was recovering from the civil war. At that time, the Tiv had little problems of internal unity, and the problem was to develop and strengthen Nigerian national unity. Nigeria was trying to overcome the forces of tribal, religious and regional friction that resulted in civil war that nearly split the nation. The reunification effort was headed by General Gowon, and his motto was, “To keep Nigeria One, is a task that must be Done!”
Although the civil war restored Nigerian unity, the forces of disunity are never far from the surface. With huge new income from petroleum, the struggle for cornering resources soon grew and again the factors of disunity—regionalism, region and tribalism have become established and are growing. They reached dangerous heights during President Buhari’s regime. Although the Nigerian Constitution provided that government activities must reflect the federal character of the country, Buhari defended his nepotism by saying he was appointing the people “he knew.” The atmosphere that drove people back to their “ethnic groups” (tribes) was enhanced. De-tribalized people are much admired but often reminded that “Charity Begins at Home!”
SECURITY
Tiv villages are not walled and their houses do not have fences. They do not have armed units while their adversaries are reputed to have well-armed militias. The previous administration created Community Volunteer Guards while the present one has just established Civil Protection Guards (Anyam Nyôr). Each Governor started with plenty of vehicles—cars and motorcycles, uniforms and many supposedly well-trained operatives, with the governors wearing bright and impressive uniforms as Generals! Has there been evidence that any of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in camps have been restored to their farms and villages in the last nine years?
For security, Tiv depend on Federal, State and Local governments. With the possible coming of State Police and strengthening of the Local Governments, we expect that armed attacks on unarmed villagers, often misnamed “farmer-herder clashes” will be stopped. Unfortunately, they still continue.
FARMING
The Tiv are basically farmers, so land is of enormous importance. It is not sold, but inherited from one generation to another within families. The greatest danger to the Tiv is the loss of farm lands to modern conquerors called “nomadic herders.”
There is urgent need industrial processing of agricultural products. Every year, many products are wasted because they are not converted from the perishable state to the form that can last for years or be exported. We urgently need factories for processing yams, oranges, mangoes to avoid the heavy annual wastage. It would be sensible to mechanise production. There is also the need to resume the production of millets, shea nuts, soya beans, cotton and beniseed we used to export. They should be processed right here at home. Production of pepper, tomatoes, ginger and many other crops can be done on industrial scale.
Benue can live up to its reputation of being “the food basket of the nation,” not just in name, but in real terms. Processed agricultural products can be produced in sufficient quantities for home consumption and for export, bringing prosperity to our people and to the nation. National and State security services must competently and adequately protect farmers and their lands.
We need farmers to organise themselves into Cooperatives that can use their union strengths to purchase fertilisers, increase their output by acquiring simple hand-held agricultural machines, starting irrigation and dry season farming. Most farmers in developed countries use irrigation for farming all year, no serious farmer depends on the weather.
EDUCATION
Tiv must regard education as the way forward not just in Nigeria, but also in the entire world. English is the gateway to science and world literature. Tiv is best spoken at home, especially before the child starts school; it is the foundation of our culture. Presently, many Tiv families do not talk to their children in the Tiv language, and many educated Tiv people are no longer able to speak Tiv language without unnecessary admixture with English. I say “unnecessary” because Tiv language need not coin new awkward words to replace those already absorbed into the language like makeranta, takeda, pensul, university; while we need to borrow and adapt more.
CULTURE
Tiv have a rich culture which, to my knowledge and delight, is surviving. Unfortunately, SWEM, the name we call the article for formal ritual swearing is being mistaken as a form of idolatry to be discarded when one adopts the new imported religions. Swem is not and never has been a god. Tiv have never practised idolatry. People swear on the Bible, some on the Koran, but these too are not gods. Swem is too central to Tiv culture to be discarded.
POLITICS
Politics should be a loom on which the unity of the Tiv should be beautifully woven together as a beautiful band that makes the national flag. Because people have different strategies, politics starts with parties. In Tiv land, Party Politics has become a big, long and merciless sword of division. Whether two people are biological or political siblings, the sharp sword of party politics can make them mortal enemies. Party politics should bring opponents working together for the good of the people. There is no horizontal cooperation, Tiv people in federal and state services do not dialogue. There is no vertical cooperation. Each successive governor does not want to continue where his predecessor left off. They start afresh and are reluctant to continue the programs of their predecessors.
Prominent citizens and politicians and are surrounded by fiercely protective supporters and praise-singers who would immediately maul anyone approaching their hero with any opinion short of hero worship. This is unfortunately the pattern all over Nigeria, and people of good-will are shy of giving advice.
Politics today seems to be more about cornering the Federal allocation and sharing it among few friend and relatives. If it were about helping our people in towns and villages attain sovereignty and better efficiency in production, politicians would not be fighting one another. Let the Tiv people in positions of influence and power show good example to the whole of Nigeria by re-orientating politics to development of the land and uniting the people
UNITY
Unity of Tiv in Benue will never be complete if we do not include other ethnic groups that also call Benue their home. The Idoma and Igede must be included in the circle we draw to enclose the Tiv. Tiv tradition requires sharing with minorities (ya na wangbian u ke jime) and democracy demands that all people must have equal opportunities. If the Tiv marginalise our very important comrades in Benue, it shall never go well with the tribe.
AYA TUTU KA UNO?
“Ya” is singular, “Uya” and “Aya” are plurals of ya.
“Tor” is singular, “Utor” and “Ator” plurals of tor.
“Aya tutu” means plenty of settlements. The leader of fighters assembled to go into battle would remind his people that their numbers a huge, so no enemy can defeat them. That is why he would shout to them,
“Aya tutu ka uno?” (who is responsible for these profuse settlements?) His people would reply back, “Ka se!” (it is us!)
The leader has reminded them that they should be brave because the enemy cannot defeat them.
