OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR AHMADU UMARU FINTIRI ON THE CREATION OF FUFORE EMIRATE
His Excellency,
Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, Executive Governor, Adamawa State,
Government House, Yola.
Your Excellency, sir,
I write this letter with the utmost respect for your office and the role it plays in leading and changing the destiny of our beloved Adamawa State. Also with utmost sense of responsibility, this communication is compelled by a matter of grave concern for the future of our state – i.e. your government’s recent policy on the creation of emirates and chiefdoms, particularly the establishment of the Fufore Emirate and the planned coronation of the appointed Emir scheduled for February 5th.
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2. Your Excellency, while your efforts to promote inclusion and harmony among the diverse ethnic groups in Adamawa State by this policy are honestly understandable, it is however critical that you ensure such policies are anchored firmly on justice, equity and respect for the unique history, customs and traditions of all our communities. Justice, as you well know, is indivisible; it cannot be applied partially or selectively! It must encompass every group equally for it to inspire trust and confidence in governance.
3. But with due respect, Your Excellency, the creation of the Fufore Emirate and the appointment of the occupant of its stool have raised serious questions of justification. Traditional entities such as Yungur, Ngada, Kilba, Higi, Margi and Njai chiefdoms that were also created, were supposedly created based on their distinct historical and cultural identities. Similarly, the Chamba and Bachama chiefdoms of Ganye and Numan respectively that were preserved, also were supposedly based on their distinct historical and cultural identities. But, premised on the same principles, the rationale for severing the Fulbe (Adamawa Emirate) metropolis and establishing Fufore Emirate becomes suspect. It has created a perception, and rightly so, that the Fulbe history, customs and traditions are not accorded the same respect and preservation as those of other groups in the state by your government. If it had, then Gurin and Ribadu, the nucleus of Fulbe leadership in Adamawa emirate, could not have been severed from Yola, the seat of the emirate. The three units – Gurin, Ribadu and Yola – form the heart of Fulbe enclave in Adamawa. Why did you severe them apart if the intention is not to destroy the Fulbe role in the development of the state?
4. Your Excellency, this perception is further reinforced by the backdrop against which this policy was formulated. First, is your widely spread alleged political objective in a campaign statement where you were reported to have vowed to break the Fulani calabash (*zan pasa koriyan Fulani*). Second, the anti-Fulbe ideology, posture and rhetorics of the newly formed Gongola Peoples Forum. Not only did the group suddenly become advocates and defenders of these policies but also recently put itself as the vanguard of the your politics, with even one of its critical members, in a sort of a hey-hat hilarious moment, calling for the change of the state’s name from Adamawa to Fintiri State.
5. Your Excellency, most of those who oppose the creation of the Fufore emirate, like myself, do so against these two backdrops. If the policies are truly aimed at entrenching justice in society, which we will always support, then it must be seen to be justice for all; and not misplaced vengeance and vendetta against others – in this case, the Fulbe people! It is essential you dispel this perception by ensuring that your policies reflect fairness and unity, not bias or vendetta.
6. On account of this argument, therefore, I urge Your Excellency to view the creation of the Fufore emirate as an error, and I humbly reconsider and reverse the decision, and halt the scheduled coronation ceremony of the appointed emir. Your Excellency, I appeal to your sense of justice and statesmanship to act decisively on this matter and foster genuine reconciliation among all ethnic groups in Adamawa State. History will remember leaders who prioritize fairness and unity over short-term political expediencies. I trust that you will heed this call for the sake of justice, equity and the enduring peace of our state.
7. Let me, however, respectfully state that should the policy and situation remain unaltered by the end of this week, it may become necessary then to challenge its validity through legal means to ensure that justice is upheld.
Yours respectfully in the service of our people,
Signed:
Umar Ardo, Ph.D
(Senior Citizen and Key Stakeholder in Adamawa State Development)
