Muslim and Christian groups in Bauchi State are at odds over the decision to locate the headquarters of the proposed Sayawa Chiefdom in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the state.
Governor Bala Mohammed, on Tuesday, December 9, 2024, announced the creation of the Sayawa Chiefdom and resolved to site its headquarters in Tafawa Balewa village, under the Bauchi Emirate.
However, this decision has sparked controversy, with the Bauchi State Muslim Parliament, BSMP, criticizing it as unfair and a violation of historical and administrative processes.
The BSMP argued that Tafawa Balewa is predominantly a Fulani community and suggested Bogoro as a more appropriate location for the headquarters.
Speaking on behalf of the BSMP, Mallam Yusuf Abdullahi accused the governor of disregarding recommendations and called for relocating the headquarters to ensure fairness.
“This hasty policy statement, in our estimation and critical examination of facts and figures, logic and reasoning on good governance for the common public good, amounts to a disregard for historical facts, a lack of diligence in due process, an evasive tapestry for equity and fairness, in addition to administrative policy somersaults and egocentrism,” the organization stated.
Yusuf further explained that the coalition of Muslim organizations in Bauchi State firmly supports the establishment of the chiefdom’s headquarters in any location other than Tafawa Balewa, where its original inhabitants, he claimed, were displaced and dispossessed of their lives and properties.
“As a concerned Muslim community desirous of equity and justice for the unjustly treated Muslim community of Tafawa Balewa, we call for equity and fairness—not only in the eyes of an individual wielding power and authority but also in the eyes of the general society,” Yusuf said.
On the other hand, the Assembly of Jesus Army Guard, a Christian organization, defended the governor’s decision, asserting that Tafawa Balewa is the ancestral home of the predominantly Christian Zaar, Sayawa, people.
In a statement released on Wednesday and made available to DAILY POST, the group accused the BSMP of promoting divisive and unconstitutional claims, emphasizing that Nigeria is a secular nation where no group should dominate others.
Bishop O.T. Daniel, the leader of the Assembly of Jesus Army Guard, called for fairness and equal treatment of Christians in Nigeria, highlighting years of inequality in resource allocation.
He urged Christians worldwide to support the Zaar people and ensure their rights are upheld.
Muslim, Christian groups in Bauchi clash over location of Sayawa chiefdom headquarters