By Idris Khalid
The Zaar/Sayawa Community in Bauchi state has noted with concern that the relocation of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Headquarters from Bununu back to its constitutional place in Tafawa Balewa Town was long overdue.
The President of the Zaar Development Association (ZDA), Engineer Isua Galla made the assertion during the 2021 annual cultural festival known as ‘Leemp Zaar’ held weekend at the Central Primary school, Tafawa Balewa.
Galla recalled that since his assumption of office as the president of the association, a lot of positive changes have taken place, particularly, with regard to peaceful coexistence of Zaar people with other tribes within his domain.
He said, “The issue of the Zaar chiefdom and relocation of the headquarters of Tafawa Balewa local government is a cry long overdue. Our struggle and aspiration as peo have to be recognize and every bzaar son and daughter must have a sense of belonging and justice. We are not in a slavery for crying out loud. Let uphold the rule of law, right to life, freedom of movement and religion.
“ZDA under my leadership has been able to bring in new ideas, innovations and development that have simplified the operations of ZDA and fully open the association for development on the bedrock of fairness, transparency, accountability, action and results oriented.”
“We have succeeded in restructuring the ZDA which has in turn led to further cementing the relationship between Zaar people and other Communities living in Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Local government areas of Bauchi state”, he said.
He commended Governor Bala Mohammed for executing meaningful projects that have direct bearing in the lives of his people, describing him as the most Zaar friendly Governor the state ever had
Declaring the festival opened, the Gung Zaar select, Air Commodore Komo urged Za’ar sons and daughters to always love and support one another in order to succeed in life.
The monarch also challenged Zaar Community to always engage in legitimate businesses and avoid engaging in questionable ventures.
While stating that Zaar Community have no anointed candidate in the nation’s politics, Komo urged his people to always vote for candidates that have their interest at heart.
He commiserated Governor Bala Mohammed over the recent demise of his mother in-law.
Also speaking, Governor Bala Mohammed represented the deputy speaker of the State House of Assembly, Danlami Ahmed Kawule, said his administration would reconsider the relocation of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Headquarters from its present position with a view tomake amend for peaceful co-existence of the various communities in the area.
He urged the people to continue to live in peace with one another for the socio-economic and political development of the area in particular and the state at large, and assured them of democracy dividends.
In her remarks, a former member of the State House of Assembly who represented Bogoro state constituency in the legislature, Rifkatu Samson Danna stressed that the unity of Sayawa nation is unnegotiable for development and progress to take place.
According to her, the unity of purpose and working together is un-negotiable if Sayawa nation must progress politically and developmentally.
Danna, also a one-time commissioner in the state, “We in Zaar nation are united and working as one indivisible nation. We know ourselves, we have come together as one nation and so we shall remain in spite of our ethno-religious differences”.
Rifkatu Samson who once represented Bogoro Constituency in the State House of Assembly lamented that, “it was outsiders who are trying everything possible to use religion and politics to divide us, but nothing can separate us because we are of one root”.
When asked by journalists on why she had been silent on the political scene for sometimes now, Danna responded, “I am on political sabbatical, I am watching and studying the political happenings, at the appropriate time, you will hear from me. I am a very staunch member of the ruling All Progressives Congress”.
On the politics of 2023, she said, “By the grace of God, when we get to the bridge, we will know how to cross it. That will not be a problem at all, it is what we are used to and we will do it at the appropriate time”.
Rifkatu Samson described the annual ‘Lepm Zaar’ ceremony as an avenue for all Sayawa people home and abroad to come together to celebrate peace and unity in the Zaar nation, stressing that it is used for sober reflections and plan ahead of the next year.
She therefore called on all sons and daughters of Zaar nation to ensure that they contributed to the growth and development of the Chiefdom to enable it stand firm on its feet saying, “By the grace of God, very soon we will attain the status of well status Zaar Chiefdom”.
