A NEW NIGERIA IS POSSIBLE: A CASE FOR THE KWARARAFA ETHNIC NATIONALITIES TO REUNITE FOR A GOAL. BY YAKUBU USENI

 A NEW NIGERIA IS POSSIBLE: A CASE FOR THE KWARARAFA ETHNIC NATIONALITIES TO REUNITE FOR A GOAL.

BY YAKUBU USENI

Kwararafa Empire as fondly and popularly referred to, was formally known and called Apa-Jukun Empire. The name came as a result of her military expeditions to the far Northern Nigeria particularly Kano and other Hausa States that were hit by the attacks gave rise to the name "Kwararafa". For instance, when the Kwararafa Empire launched attacks on Kano, Katsina and Zaria, in one of the attacks  according to history, the entire Kano city was completely plundered and it's inhabitants  scampered  seeking for refuge in Daura  now Katsina State. As the inhabitants of Kano were fleeing for their dear-lives,  a question was put to them in Hausa dialect; what happened (me ya faru)? "an Koro  mu" meaning we have been chased away was their response hence the name "Kwararafa or Kororofa." As the case may be.  See Kano Chronicles as  Translated in "Sudanese Kingdom" by CK Meek (1931).

History has it that as early as 350 AD, Kwararafa Empire (Jukun) left Yemen to Egypt and stayed. And by 570AD, they moved with the kanuri to Ngazargamu the capital of Bornu  where they spent 17 years. From Ngazargamu, the Kwararafa (Jukun) Empire left to Apyi or Be-Pi (APA) where they stayed for 1000 years. It will suffice therefore, to say that the Kwararafa Peoples by these dates were the first people to set their foot on what is today Nigerias soil. Therefore, anyone contending this fact is challenged to bring their own histories for public scrutiny. The Jukun left kanuri at Ngazargamu  as stated above to establish a base at Be-Pi or APA  now in Taraba State with the Idoma, Igala, Alago and other ethnic groups that formed the Kwararafa Empire. The Idoma at that time,  just before they left  were known and called Apkoto. At Be-Pi, the Jukun spent 1,000 years. It was at Be-Pi that the Kwararafa military expeditions to North were carried out. It was at that point according to history that Kwararafa Empire began to disintegrate as a result of leadership tussle. If not all, most of the kingdoms in the Kwararafa Empire moved away from the base to establish their own kingdoms and adopted new names other than Jukun or Kwararafa for themselves. Apkoto adopted Idoma, Igala, Alago,  Gomai, Jukun-Wanu, Jukun-Kona, Jukun-Wapan, Tarok, Bachama, Ebira (Egbira), Etulo, Ankwai, Angas and somany others formed their various kingdoms and adopted new names for themselves as currently the case. It will suffice to say that all of the mentioned kingdoms including those not are mentioned were under one umbrella name "JUKUN" that was later metamorphosed to Kwararafa.  By 1595 AKu Katapka the AKU-UKA led the main body and remaining descents of the Kwararafa or Jukun to establish a new headquarters in Wukari. This was long before Sokoto jihadists set their foot on the Nigerias soil. Worthy of note is that, most of the Kwararafa ethnic nationalities did not participate in the building of the new headquarters Wukari, except the Jukun-Wapan and few others. Though, this view is subject to debate. 

A school of thought was of the view that, Kanuri on their part accepted Islam through the Islamic-Traders from Libya  and other Arab world during  the Trans-Sahara-borders trading routes that found their ways through kanuri States. The  kanuris therefore, got enticed by those traders probably by their mode of dressing (they wore long gown and scarf round their heads down to the neck-region leaving only the face; eyes, the nose and mouth for breathing and to see) and not by jihad.

As a matter of fact when Usman Ibn Fodio finally arrived Sokoto to commence his jihad in 1804, the entire inhabitants of the far northern states were pagans except the kanuris who were already practicing Islam for a very long time.  Usman Ibn Fodios Jihad that was tagged (Jihad for religious purifications), over-ran and plundered the entire Hausa States and had their 'Sarakai' (Chiefs)  replaced with his Fulani kinsmen as Emires except for the kanuris in now Borno State that was  not conquered. Though,  he attacked Borno three times but was however repelled. By 1817 Usman Danfodio himself died. If Danfodios Jihad was for the enthronement of Islam as he claimed, why did he attack Borno that was already an Islamic state long before he arrived Nigeria? Or was the brand of Islam he brought superior to the one the kanuris in Borno State were already practicing? That is for the discern-minds to dance around and proffer solutions to it.

Usman Ibn Fodio Jihad was tailored at land-grabbing for his kinsman to continue to exercise their hegemony over others and not for religious purification as he so claimed. 

After  Borno State hampered his plans and repelled him, he decided to move his jihad to North-Central Nigeria what is today (Kwararafa Land). A land full with milk and honey, a land whose it's inhabitants are strong fishermen and hunters, very industrious rich in arts and crafts. No wonder the two major rivers in Nigeria, Rivers, Niger and Benue have their confluence in Lokoja Kogi State (Kwararafa land) as they meander through Kwararafa kingdoms and ethnic nationalities giving it's inhabitants all the natural resources their in, including forests, mountains and their natural resources. In several of his bloody-encounters with the Kwararafa People in the jihad, Danfodio was not allowed to peg his flags on the Kwararafa soil. The Kwararafa Empire though by that time had disintegrated into different kingdoms and nationalities spread over the face of Nigeria occupying the entire north central and some parts of far north like; yakassai in Kano, Tudun-jukun in Zaria etc but was never a conquered State. Today, the descendants of Jukun are still living in those places among whom is Senator Yakassai of Kano state

And because none of the Kwararafa kingdom was conquered, that is  why; The AKU-UKA of Wukari is not an Emir,  Gara of Donga is not an Emir, Ukwe of Takum is not an Emir etc all in the present Taraba State. Others are LONG-GAMAI  of Gomai (Shendam Plateau State)  is not an Emir,  LONG-KWO of KWANDE CHIEFDOM in Quaan-paan  and Jap-Jan of Namu all in Plateau are not Emirs. In Nasarawa State, the Andoma of Doma, Osana of Keana etc are not Emirs even though some of them profess Islam as their religion of choice out of their own volition, because religion is a personal conviction and not because they were conquered. Karl Marx the Great-ancient Philosopher rightly philosophized thus: religion is the opium of the masses.  While, the Emirate system is of the Fulanis, the Kwararafa traditional rulers still maintain names of their traditional stools as elucidates above. In Benue State,  Och'idoma is not Emir, ABISE-KU of Abinsi is not Emir, AWASE of Azyoko is not an Emir, the AKU-Gyogo is not Emir, Otse-Tilo is not Emir. Even the immediate neighbor Kwararafa who though, are enjoyed the legacies of the Kwararafa conquests over the Sokoto jihadists also maintain the title of their traditional stool as Tor-Tiv,  and not Emir of Tiv. In Kogi State, the likes of Attah Igala is not an Emir, Ohimegye Igu of KOTON-KARFE (Egbira koto) not an Emir, Ohinoyi of  (Egbira Okene) Ona of Abaji, etc go with the traditional titles of their Stools.  They and somany  other traditional rulers of Kwararafa descent not mentioned here are not Emirs because the Fulani never conquered Kwararafa land and so, Danfodio was not allowed to peg his flags on Kwararafa land.

Why do Kwararafa people keep enthroning these kleptocrates to the helm of affairs while the keep ravaging Kwararafa lands and keep their knees on their necks using the apparatus of state power. Kwararafa land as stated earlier, stretches from Kano in the far north up to the  estuary of Calabar. The Kwararafa People refused to take charge of their land but allowed foreigners  and strangers to sabotage the land; kidnapping people for ransom, taking their women in hostage while they use some as sex-tools, plundering their  resources at will, empower their people at  the expense of the real owners of the land? The answer is simply, the Kwararafa People refused to re-unite, take their land and speak with one voice, and that is why they have been referred to and called minorities even as they  are the majority. It is the Kwararafa votes that decide the emergence of any political leader that emerges to the top of the helm of affairs in this country yet they are given nothing as benefits. Kwararafa shares food to people but do not participate in the eating. A clear evidence is seen in the roles the Rtd.Generals, like: Yakubu Gowon, TY DANJUMA, David Mark, Jeremiah Useni etc, all of Kwararafa decent played in keeping Nigeria one as an indivisible entity only for the Fulani Oligarchs to perpetrate this acts on Kwararafa People? No wonder Tafawa Balewa of blessed memory once said " the Western and Eastern regions of Nigeria are conquered territories while the North Central Nigeria (Kwararafa Land) is a willing-tool."  The question is, is North Central Nigeria not actually a willing-tool? Was is it not with the mass votes from the north central Nigeria that the present kleptocratic government made it way to power and nothing comes to Kwararafa in return, is it not North Central that has been doing all of these over the years? Now, there Agitations and clamouring for the division Nigeria. The question is if Nigeria divides today, where or what is the place of Kwararafa people???????

WAY FORWARD

First, Kwararafa ethnic groups and nationalities must come together irrespective of their religious and ethnic differences not to only shatter, but ruffle the feathers of this tyrannical, nepotistic and kleptocratic  government that brought hardship to the Nigerias populace. Kwararafa People for long have  been mollifying the political ambitions of the Fulani politicians and oligarchy, thereby, making them feel they are the owners of Nigeria, and so,they can decide the direction Nigeria should and must go whether bad or good. It is high time the world knew that real power belongs to the people and  the people are the Kwararafas. Second, the National Population Census is by the corner, register properly and appropriately. The 2023 elections, though, campaigns are yet to commence but you must be deliberate and do the needful when the time is finally here. In the words of professor Ejeikwu Emmanuel Oloja of the University of Abuja; "if we do not act now, the (Kwararafa) generations after us will ask us, why we did not act when there was still time for us to act"? The time is today and now. Kwararafa People cannot afford to delay any further. This existential struggle must be sustained to a logical conclusion.

#God bless Nigeria, God bless Kwararafa Empire#