By Tom Garba

A rejoinder by a faceless group with no true identity of where it exist or operate from attracted my opinion of their miscalculated primitive views and mess up themselves with a wrong perception of Mr. Ben Kure’s recent end of year meeting of other tribes under the umbrella of Kabilu unified forum held at Green Marhaba Hotel, Kaduna on New Year eve.

Gbagyi Youths Progressive Union (GYPU) in Kaduna were its Chairman, Comrade Ibrahim Wadason Ayuba signed a press release regretted and misquoted the viewpoint of Ben’s interview that is aimed at uniting the All Progressives Congress (APC). Kure stated that fair play to all people is what the party stands for. During the meeting Ben emphasised, canvased politics of inclusion to every loyal party members and individuals is what makes Democracy beautiful and the most acceptable act of governance around the world.

I’m waned to say that GYPU got it wrong. Their statement only impugned the innocence of Mr. Ben who on the recorded interview to any sane Man is calling for justice, and equity from the APC key party’s players for people to have a stake in the democratic process of Kaduna state.

GYPU, I want you to excuse my zest to defend the sincerity and honesty I see in Kure. I closely analysed Ben’s response during the new year eve meeting, one with a true balance and the objective opinion will see an impartiality, and his predisposition to the love he has for people whenever they meet to chat a common course. I lover of peace and practiced of true Democracy should appreciate this Man who is thinking the unity factor of Kaduna state is embedded injustice for all that at the end of the day bring about a lasting peace the state ever desire or wish to have.

To any reasonable and rational thinking person that knows the exact principles of democracy will not crucify the likes of Ben for stating the obvious. This is what I understand GYPU have berate ideas and lacks common sense that democracy grows better when people come together to think for themselves a common course to pursue. It’s the more people you have, the more you form a Majority to make you a critical stakeholders. The massive and consolidated votes will place you and give you an edge over others.

My understanding of Kure’s response during the Kabilu’s meeting was that the growing population of other tribes in Sabo, Television, Maraban Rido, Karji, Ungwan Sunday, Kamazo, and many others of voting right have constituted a political strength that can vie for any position and they can be politically elected into any office. This makes them political instrument to vote and be voted for. They are not to be a threat to GYPU, but an eye opener to help the Gbagyi political elites to utilize and maximise their political numerical potentials and values.

GYPU please understand that I’m not holding brief for Ben Kure, who you refer to as the “supposed Special Adviser Political Matters to His Excellency, Mallam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai.” My personal encounter with him is only over the media (Social Media inclusive), and relate only at distance armlet.

As I perused through Your statement one can interprets you to be a Gbagyi hegemony group, posed to fight democracy in Kaduna state at the expense of the fragile peace we are enjoying. Be reminded that When there is no Justice, certainly peace is inevitable, when there is no fair play there cannot be Unity and we will all bleeds in obscurity of hatred against ourselves.

Your group has failed to point out the gray areas Kure actually meant. You ignored few important issues connected to his stands: Kaduna is a city, a cosmopolitan one for that matter, housing all tribes in Nigeria, instances abound where none indigenes give a better representation at federal constituency in Kaduna which you have rightly started. One of such example was Senator Binta Garba, who represented Kaduna South and Chikun Local Government and later went to Adamawa, her state of origin, and won the Northern Senatorial District under APC. This is a feat that should be encouraged a cross the country.

In your statement, you slammed Hon. Ben Kure to have given erroneous statistics of the non-Gbagyi constituting 70% of the Local Government population but you failed to provide the general public with the actual statistics of the Gbagyi having the highest population in Chikun LGA. To my dear GYPU, nobody is saying Gbagyis are not the original settlers, they are and they will ever be, but does it stop others from being indigenes also as the Constitution provided? No! I think you are narrowed down your thinking to fight over what is not an issue. Kure spoke base on what we have in our Constitution, he gave a bigger picture to what will make the state better and as a party Man, he unrivaled the stand of the party that one of its manifestoes is fairness to all. If I should ask a simple question, does GYPU want to say that other “Kabilus” should not Unite? Is GYPU saying that they should not come together to seek political relevance? Ben is encouraging a healthy political struggle and agitations to make them a stronger voice.What is the crime of Kure of saying such a good move? I see, read and hear him to be a politician with a high moral value bend on encouraging Unity of purpose among diverse ethnic nationalities in Kaduna state. Sheath your swords of attacks to the man the world stand in reverence ovation when he speaks. The Man that have been a true voice to the voiceless and emancipator of the people home and abroad.

Gbagyi youth group Centered on attacking the person in Kure, chasing the mere shadows of hatred than accepting the reality on ground. They have failed to properly address the burning issues raised. The Kure I know who was two times campaign Director of Mallam Nasir Elrufai in 2015 and 2019 worked to return him a governor for the second term is far above the primordial sentiments of what GYPU stands for. Kure who I can beat my chest is one of the honest Nigerian politicians we have, his record in the past from the Banking sector to a politician of enviable and credible records. A grassroots Man who was a Chairman of Jaba, one of the elitists LGA we have in the state can be seen a politician with no selfish interest to stoop low in planning a seed of discord among the good people of Kaduna he dearly love. Your irking presumption is bad and condemnable.

I read your statement well, I saw it lacking the ingredients of people that are happily enjoying the social interaction, socio economy as the result of how other non Gbagyis brought and shares with the Gbagyis, the suppose first settlers of Chikun LGA. It beat my imagination a group of suppose enlightened youths and educated should think calling for a people’s unity become trouble instead of praising the ingenuity of Ben to have preached a revamped politics of Fairness and inclusion.

May I also reiterate this fact to GYPU that the densely populated communities of Sabo, Television, Maraban Rido, Ungwan Sunday, the likes of Kamazou, and many others are far outnumbered the exaggerated 70 Gbagyi communities revealed by their press release. These over the years has proven beyond doubt because their votes are indispensable factor to any one to win an election. Meaning with no votes of theirs no one can win an elective position.

It’s without a doubt that Ben Kure is far doing more than expected as a political adviser to Governor Nasir. Calling him names saying your minds of wickedness and hatred against him has reduced you to mere toothless attacks Dogs. His constant proffering solutions in stabilizing the APC party,and it is on record because of his political wisdom many are being decamped to APC, he was the campaign Director-General of Nasir campaign organization, it is a enough for someone with clean conscience to admit that Ben is a good man. This is without gainsaying that Elrufai has found him tested and trusted, he is a value-added bigger politician whose worth is unmeasured. Your hate speech, a campaign of calumny is fueling his general acceptance in APC, the party he worked hard to reinstate the present government.

All I’m saying, if your doors and hands are wide open for the non-Gbagyis to become whatever they want to become politically, then issues raised by Mr. Kure should not be your headache. Kure’s idea of Unity to canvass votes because of their numerical strength is obvious and undeniable truth. His view I think is a wake-up call to all people with political interests to work under a common force to achieve their political aims because APC is a party of justice and fairness.

I heckle down the long meaningless of GYPU’s press release, whose main crux of the matter is only on a little paragraph four where they quoted Kure to have degraded them to be a people of 30% in number and gave 70% to other tribes (Non Gbagyis). This sentence attracted venom reply to reprimand a Man the World know is noble, straight forward in dealing with people, and has vast experience in a political matter of not only Kaduna state but the entirety of Nigeria. GYPU woefully failed to tell the world how Gbagyis are 70% majority.

Gbagyi Youths you have actually blundered around with uninformed lengthy release with no iota of conviction, you have only reduced yourselves to attacks Dogs in the name of the youth group gasping for what is known, wanting a total freedom as original owners of Chikun LGA which you are. You end up disgracing the entire Gbagyi nation by showing up your flub mindset of the fact that the whole story was not having Kure as the originator and the real source, he only responded to the yearning of a group. If not stag illiteracy, I don’t think you should reply Ben, instead your reply should be directly be channel to the Kabilus unified forum.

My last words to GYPU, accept the fact because they are sacral and we will all be at peace. The words of Ben Kure are words of wisdom. He spoke the minds of many political gladiators in Kaduna State. He is known to be a Lion in the jungle who cannot be wounded or attack and he still a relevant political beacon plotting a good chart of a new Kaduna State under the leadership of Mallam Nasir Elrufai.

I read your attack press release on him having no any substance as you mess up around with the truth. Verily and without mincing words the densely populated aforementioned areas if united will have a political muscles that your agitation will never stand if they remain united.

My advice, unite with the other Kabilus because Unity is a strength and you will achieve and gain your political ground. Politics of giving and take is the end thing anywhere in the world not politics of Gbagyi hegemony or disjointed press release against Kure, that will not give you the desire results.

I come in Peace!

Tom Garba
Wrote this opinion from
Garun Kurama, Lere LGA Saminaka
Kaduna State
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