By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Gbagyi, the indigenous people of Kaduna state have decried all round marginalisation in their home state in Kaduna, North Western Nigeria.
The Kaduna indigenes said to be the largest ethnic tribes found in eight LGAs of the state also alleged that their people are being killed on daily basis in the state by unknown gunmen.
President of Gbagyi Development Union (G.D.U), Barrister Ishaya Tanko Damina made the startling revelations in an interview during their General Congress meeting held at the Union’s Town Hall in Ungwan Romi new extension in Kaduna.
According to him, the Gbagyi people are being marginalised socially, politically, economically amongst others, adding that the monthly General Congress meeting is where they congregated and discussed issues affecting their people directly.
“The monthly meeting is where we congregate to discuss issues affecting Gbagyi people directly, especially in respect of our security and well being, economy of the country and the state.
“Is very unfortunate that each time we come here we discuss issues that affect us because we’ve been marginalised in many ways. And our people, in several places are under siege, have been displaced from their ancestral homes.
“Our people are predominantly farmers, loving and kinds. Everybody know that Gbagyi man is a peace loving and kind human being, who does not fight or quarrel with anybody. He’ll rather loose his possession or land to give way for neighborhood or intruder to have peace.
“And that has been the situation in Kaduna which we have leaves peacefully with every ethnic nationality, but often time we’ve been marginalised.
“The government has marginalised us and create polices that are inimical and disadvantage to us. And this has cause us a lot of pains and discouragement that most our people have developed political apathy because they feel that politics is not beneficial to them anymore.
“They feel that to vote and be voted for, the out come is not always positive but always in favour of the big and the riches or the money bags and therefore make their people to become political apathy.
“This is hitting us so much, and government is taken advantage of that to bring polices that are not good, and this is our grievances.
“Recently two of our own local governments chairmen were removed for reasons that are frivolous. Five chairmen were declared to be involved in corruption. Two reprimanded and 3 suspended for six months.
“Out of the 3, two were Gbagyi people. The two are Executive chairmen of Chikun and Kagarko LGA. This is a serious blow to us. This, we feel is an agenda.
“We know LGAs that are corrupt, their own are so overwhelming. But none of them were remove because they’ve something we don’t know. To us this is not correct. We’ve been marginalised politically, socially, economically.
“Politically because we’re not been appointed into sensitive political offices in Kaduna state despite we’re the largest ethnic tribes in Kaduna state, having been found in 8 local government areas of the state.
“We hardly had SSG, commissioner for Works, Finance, Head of Service. We hardly had three or four commissioners. Even now as we speak, we don’t even have one commissioner from Chikun LG and Kagarko and even in all this LGs.
“Gbagyi man suppose to be Senator in Kaduna central. So our people have not been given juicy position to make good money for fight politically. We, our people have been relighted to the background. They cannot compete favourably with this money bags politically
“For any Gbagyi person to come out with the support of any of the money bags politician, you must dance to their tune at the expense of your people. We’re calling on the government to look into the issue we keep bringing to them that we’re marginalised, that were under serious security siege.
“If you go to the out sketch, our people are being kill everyday. As the meeting commences, you observed that we took a minute standing prayer for the soul of our people that have been killed.
“Every blessed day our people are being attack and kill in numbers. Some, we don’t know about their killing after several days we could find them. Their bodies decomposed. That’s the challenges we’re facing, we’re having in our LGs.
*We’re praying, government should do the needful so that Gbagyi people will not become a monsters or involved in anything inimical to the state that’ll result to breakdown of law and order”, the stated..
During the meeting, two Gbagyi people indicated their interests for vie for bye election to fill the gap created over the demise of a Gbagyi man who was member representing chikun/Kajuru state in the state house of assembly, late Madami Garba Madami, shortly after inauguration.
Barr. Damina advised the Gbagyi people that law allowed them protect themselves were possible but advised them to quit where necessary instead of losing their lives.
Personalities present at the end the monthly general Congress meeting of Gbagyi Nation, an indigenous Kaduna State umbrella body, were Comrade William Emmael of Indigenes Equity Foundation, the parent body of Indigenous Ethnic Youth Leaders of Nigeria, Leaders of thought, Elders Council and the Convener; the Order of Nigeria Entity (ONE).
The purpose of the attendant is the plan to visit 5 States on familiarization tour including FCT, to meet the President-Generals on the forthcoming Gbagyi Carnival in FCT by Nov. 4th for peace, unity and progress of Nigeria.
