The Tivs Of Benue Want To Break Away

there are silent security reports making the rounds in abuja that there maybe a secession plan by the tivs of benue with their kith and kin in cameroun,there are talks of heavy arms build up and support of prominent tiv people. Already a prominent tiv leader has threatened to declare a tiv nation



Minister faults judgment over army's invasion of Zaki Biam
From Simeon Nwakaudu, Makurdi

FOLLOWING the N41.8 billion judgment debt obtained by the Benue Development Movement (BDM), over the 2001 Army invasion of Zaki Biam degenerates, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), has declared the judgment as being, "perverse" and 'incorrect."

Addressing a press conference in Makurdi on the issue yesterday at the Government House, Makurdi, Aondoakaa said that though he hailed from Benue State, he cannot advise the Federal Government to pay a judgment debt of N41.8 billion, which he claimed was obtained on a faulty background.

He said that the Federal Government had already appealed the judgment of the Federal High Court, Enugu awarding the said amount to the BDM's President, Alexander Gaadi. He noted that the government was ready to fight the case up to the Supreme Court and would only pay the judgment debt if the Supreme Court declares same to be proper.

He said: "Everybody has a responsibility to challenge a perverse judgment. The judgment in favour of BDM leader is perverse. Governor Suswam says it is perverse. I, as the nation's chief law officer says it is perverse and the Federal Government says it is perverse."

The Attorney General declared that Alexander Gaadi, the BDM's President sued the Federal Government in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the Tiv nation. He said should the Federal Government pay the judgment debt, Alexander Gaadi would enjoy the funds to the detriment of the actual victims of the invasion, since Gaadi is not an indigene of the area invaded by the soldiers.

He said that he found the judgment of the Enugu Federal High Court shocking, because the entire budget of the Ministry of Defence, which committed the offence for three years is not up to the money awarded to Gaadi by the court.

According to him: "The budget of the ministry of Defence is how much? That is a judgment debt for a crime alleged to have been committed by the Ministry of Defence. The whole budget for the ministry is how much? Then you ask one individual to cart away N42 billion. There is a problem. If the Supreme Court says that he is entitled to the money, then we pay. But we cannot just fold our arms and see somebody get away with such. It will not happen in this country".

He said that he has explained to the Tiv traditional ruler, the circumstances surrounding the judgment debt obtained by Gaadi, noting that allowing Gaadi to receive the money on behalf of the actual victims was tantamount to the Tiv nation selling their sovereignty to just one man.

Aondoakaa faulted the claims by the BDM President that he was worth N100 billion, which he allegedly lost during the 2001 Army invasion, which the Enugu Federal High Court based its judgment upon. He said that the public would like to know the amount of tax Gaadi has paid on his N100 billion wealth. He noted that it was only in Nigeria that someone would make such claims and still be walking around freely, without being imprisoned for false claims.

He warned Gaadi against taking the laws into his hands on the judgment debt issue, as he claimed in his recent press conference, noting that it was better for the society if Gaadi continued to pursue his grievances through the law courts.

He said that Gaadi should not import the problems of the Niger Delta to Benue State, for, according to him, the Niger Deltans were not benefiting from the crises in their region.

He called on the leaders of Tiv ethnic group to prevail on Gaadi not to declare a Tiv State as he has threatened to do, noting that nobody would be safe in Tivland if Gaadi went ahead to carry out his threats.

The Attorney General declared: "I will wait for him. The day he declares war, I shall have him arrested".

He said that the Federal Government was ready to dialogue with the Tiv people on the process of paying them compensation over the Army invasion of Zaki Biam. He said the process of compensation has already started with Benue State getting the post of the Senate President and two ministerial appointments, which he described as 'deliberate'.

Aondoakaa said the Tiv people should not allow Gaadi throw spanner into the well-designed package that the Federal Government has arranged for them over the Zaki Biam invasion.

Last week, Gaadi alleged that the AGF was blocking the payment of the N41.8 billion judgment debt awarded his group by the Federal High Court, Enugu. Gaadi in a press conference said that Aondoakaa has deliberately refused to advice the Federal Government to pay the debt, despite the Federal Government losing a stay of execution application on the suit.

Gaadi threatened to declare a Tiv State should the Federal Government continue along its line of action.

Your choice of words is really funny. Nigeria was and is not a fraud, just my sentiments talking, don't ask me for an argument to prove my claims.

Yeah maybe, (no need to paraphrase) but skepticism is not what we need now.

Neither does exercising pessimism help make the nation better, or does it? Little understanding? Geez I did all the above you mentioned for your information, so I have a first hand knowledge of how frustrating things are. But did my skepticism change matters, no it did not. For a government to flourish there has to be a balance between faith and skepticism. Don't get me wrong Nigerians have every right to be critical of its foolish government, but enough of these whinings and get your hands busy as well.

as busy as the guy on the front page thread with 4 years experience in jobhunting.

exercise their right to what exactly? I'm sure you've been keeping abreast with the political climate in Nigeria, no less than 1/6th of the "elected" governors have just been deposed as having fraudulently forced themselves on the electorate.
It is not exactly the fault of the common man that fraud is a huge part of our politics . . .

Like someone said . . . democracy in Nigeria is the government of those people, for those people and by those people.

Exercising your right to vote at least makes you a concerned citizen who wants to see changes. Yes the miscreants still win and impose themselves on the people, but do you think an individual who do not care to vote would pursue a cause in hunting politicians down who rigged elections? Or engage in protests to counter the government? I don't think so. Or should we continue paraphrasing the "definition of democracy"? now who is gripes a lot.

@germannig

you are missing the big picture,it has nothing to do with resources or numbers but everything to do with bravery and zeal!

now picture the tivs fighting on one corner,the niger delta fighting on the other corner and the ibos fighting theirs on another corner! haba! even mighty nigeria can't stand it! interestingly these three blocs share boundaries. this might be the begining of the end for nigeria

@nuzo
i seriously don't think that will happen considering the number of ex's in tiv land,besides the hausas have never ever defeated the tivs

my guy,biafra was fought by cowards who couldnt sit down and plan well and actually the war was won by the tivs if you can recollect(or if you are a good student of history)

if isreal can take on the whole arab league then the brave ones can take nigeria.

whoever said anything about biafran support

@4 play
wetin man go do?

Abeg, the Tivs should calm down about this secession talk. I don't want to pay tarriff to import bushmeat from Tivland.

On a serious note, who says if every state become independent the villages wont continue to fight each other for government positions, as is the case in every nook and corner of present Naija.

Does anyone remember any Tiv that is internationally known? I do not remember anyone. The Tivs are one of the most backward tribes in Nigeria. The Politics of Benue is dominated by the Idomas. If the Tivs were as strong as Dranoel makes out, how come a few military men razed Zaki Biam and, as we hear, even burnt the house of that mad dog soldier who was in Ecomog. They should secede already and not sit down and make loads of noise. Hunger and poverty will be their portion, because they are a bunch of Lazy folks. They have nothing to offer the rest of the country, except, like their big Hausa/Fulani cousins further north, a parasitic relationship. Tiv ko, thief ni. Gbe lo jare. 

Mention one TIV MAN that is recognised outside of Nigeria. Tiv= local champions. Who cares about Benue local politics, anyways? Do us a favour, pull out of Nigeria now; you and your poverty-striken lot. Are you pulling out with TIVS in Kogi, Plateau, Taraba or just Tiv in Benue? Yardua will skin your arse, boy.

Better people never secede na ''tifs'' go come secede?

The chickens of TIVS are coming home to roost. Zaki Biam will be a child's play compared to what will happen next.

Do us a favour, pull out of Nigeria now

There is no doubt that Benue has one of the highest HIV infection rates in Nigeria.

From which rat hole you dig these unknown names out. It took you almost 4 hours to do so, yet, one has not heard these jaw-breaking names before because they have not impacted significantly on anything worthy. Now compare them to Iweala, Emeagwali, Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Adichie, Chike Obi, Barth Nnaji, Rotimi, Soyinka, Arunma Otteh (ADB, Vice president-an Igbo), Okezie Aruoma (http://nsh2007-sns2007.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/presenters/aruoma_e.html) , Jerome Nriagu (http://www.sph.umich.edu/iscr/faculty/profile.cfm?uniqname=jnriagu), and hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Igbo and Yoruba, the only two tribes that have ACTUALLY done Nigeria proud, both inside and outside of Nigeria.

Please go and dig for world reknown people of Tiv origin, if any at all, and not these names you have displayed here.