From Moses Nyitar, Makurdi
Since the coming of our nascent democracy in 1999, taking a closer look, and in consideration of other factors that led to the collapse of the First and Second Republics, the people of Central Nigeria (Minority Ethnic Nationalities along the Niger and Benue Rivers) have been left without an umbrella leader after the death of Senator Joseph Sarwuan Tarka on March 30, 1980.
The Niger/Benue Area is a creation of Igala Kingdom by an Attah Igala, which was institutionalised by the coming of Jukun Federation from their spiritual leader and Commander-in-Chief, Aku Uka. Confirming the existence of the Area structure was the Republicanism of the Tiv Nation, which was engineered by the charismatic late J. S. Tarka on the platform of the United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC).
The aim and objective of this organization – Niger/Benue Area – is for the Middle Belt to have a foundation towards making a leader, after 35 years of Senator J. S. Tarka’s demise, leading her people through guidance and protecting The Area from Political, Economic and Social marauding invaders and paid mercenaries, with membership, which cuts across ethnic and religious divides. From its recent survey and votes conducted by the 4,900 wise men of the 490 ethnic nationalities mostly from the North Central, the initial 21 candidates were reduced to 10.
The survey saw the emerges of Senator Jonah Jang as the choice of Niger Benue Area (Middle Belt), with these number of votes cast: Senator Jang emerged winner with 1,511 votes, Senator David Mark, 715, Hon. Labaran Maku, 714, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, 623 votes, Lt. Gen. T. Y. Danjuma, 559 votes, Senator George Akume, 402 votes and Prof. Jerry Gana, 376 votes.
This has become a clarion call on Senator Jonah Jang (winner), Senator David Mark (1st runner up) and Hon. Labaran Maku (2nd runner up) to unify the autonomous states within the context of Nigerians in the ‘middle’, which has become Berom/Eggon/Idoma and other nations, through their illustrious sons to lead the people of Central Nigeria into her promised land, under the theme “Making of a Leader and the Final Returning of Peace to Senator J. S. Tarka’s Grave” coming soon.
For better understanding of this, Senator Joseph Sarwuan Tarka was the founder and President of the United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC), a political organisation and party that he dedicated to protecting and advocating for northern minorities, drawing the separation between the principally Islamic North (Hausa/Fulani and Kanuri) and the secular Christian/animist (Igbo and Yoruba) of the South dominance.
Born on 10th July 1932 at Igbor, Benue State of Nigeria, Tarka’s father was a village teacher and administrator of Tiv Native origin. After completing his education, he became a teacher for a while at Katsina-Ala Middle School, before going on to further his studies at Bauchi Rural Science School, then becoming a member of Northern Teacher Association and the Tiv Native Authority Staff Union, respectively.
In 1954, he vied for a political seat under non-party basis and was elected into the Federal House of Representative at the age of 22. In 1957, Tarka emerged as the president of the UMBC, which formed an alliance with the Action Group (AG), the dominant South West political party under the leadership of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
These two predominantly Christian/Animist parties contested the pre-independence election of 1959 and the subsequent election of 1963 against the mostly Islamic dominantly Northern People’s Congress (NPC) under the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, to largely fight the Northern oligarchy so as to emancipate the region largely populated by minority ethnic groups and stretching it holds across the geographical region of central Nigeria borders by a heterogeneity and diversity of the people and their cultures.
Both elections led to violence in the Middle Belt (Central) region of Nigeria, which contributed to the Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu’s inspired military coup on January 15th, 1966.
In the lead-up to restoration of democracy before the Second Republic, during the reign of General Yakubu Gowon, Tarka was appointed Federal Commissioner (Minister) of Transport and then of Communication, before his resignation in 1974 after allegations of corruption from his fellow Tiv brother, Godwin Daboh (late) was published.
Godwin Daboh’s action was allegedly instigated by J.S. Tarka’s ‘godson’ (Paul Unongo) and erstwhile Benue-Plateau State Governor Joseph Dechi Gomwalk (late) to checkmate his godfather’s prowess.
In 1979, Tarka aligned with his old foes (Northern politicians) to form the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), on which platform he unsuccessfully competed in the presidential elections. Then, he was elected Senator for Benue East In 1979, and was appointed Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriation, a position he held when he died on 30th March 1980, at aged 48.
As for the winner of our survey, Da Jonah Jang, he was elected Senator Federal Republic of Nigeria, 28 March 2015 on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing North senatorial district of Plateau State, after serving as governor for 8 years in the state from 2007 to 2015. He had previously served as Military Governor of Benue State and defunct Gongola State (now Adamawa and Taraba) as an Air Commodore, during the military regime of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida from August 1985 to August 1986 (Benue State) and August 1986 to December 1987 (Gongola State) respectively.
Jang was born on 13th March 1944 at Du in Jos South Local Government Area of the State. In 1965 he enlisted as an Air Force Officer Cadet at the Military training School in Kaduna State. He was given flying training at Uetersen in former West Germany (1965 – 1966) and further training at the Nigeria Defence Academy, Kaduna.
He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in 1969 and promoted to Lieutenant in 1970. Attended a course on Supply Operations Training (Logistics) in Denver, Colorado, United States and was promoted to Captain in 1972, Major in 1975 and Wing Commander in 1978, serving in most of the Nigerian Air formations during this period. He voluntary retired from the Nigeria Air Force in 1990. Sen. Jang took a Bachelor of Divinity Degree at the Theological College of Northern Nigeria (2000 – 2002).
Da Jonah David Jang, in 2007 successfully contested the governorship election in Plateau State on the platform of the PDP and was re-elected on 26 April 2011, before coming to the hallow chambers of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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