OPEN LETTER: For Governor Fintiri’s ears alone

 

Dear Governor Fintiri, 

His Excellency, I am constraint to write to you this open letter to bring to your notice some sensitive and important issues at the wake of sorrow and endless tears in Lunguda land. I decided to make it an open letter after coming face to face with the reality that I can’t access you with this blunt TRUTH except via this medium.

I bear you no malice or ill-will but in view of the fact that Lunguda people have obviously now become endangered specie in their ancestral land before your watch, I will be telling you the truth that may sound unpalatable for corrections so that soon we wouldn’t start farming on graves of our kinsmen.

For record, I didn’t only believe in fresh air administration, but I also worked for fresh air at 2019 polls. Many close to you can testify to that. Needless to tell you how Lunguda land loved you in 2019 by giving you bloc votes which has gone a long way in paving your electoral victory. This is not time for politics, I only wanted to remind you how Lunguda nation stood by you in 2019 election.

His Excellency, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is that Lunguda nation is no longer happy with you. Though I know that all those visiting you at Dougirei with babban riga are not telling you the truth but rather telling you the normal sycophancy slogan, ‘’ranka shi dadde, all is well’’ just to protect their food and maintain their rapport with you at the detriment of the truth. I am reliably informing you now that those telling you that all is well are enemies of your political career. All is not well!

His Excellency, on a low key voice, Lunguda people are saying that you have not been fair to them even after refusing to assume for long that you have finger in the pie throughout the events of provocative attacks on them, but now are saying that your recent disposition is forcing them to make hasty conclusion at the wake of recent events.

In simple terms, Lunguda land is saying that at dawn you are showing them love, at dusk you dine with the other side. Before siesta, you condemn their evil and later you host a fiesta to feast with them. So many events happened that are perceived to be insult on the sensibilities of Lunguda people. This is far from propaganda. Follow me, let me expatiate the murmuring of the Lunguda people.

I don’t need to remind you how last year your convoy was booed and greeted with a protesting IDPs in Guyuk who were carrying placards with inscription that was calling out member of your kitchen cabinet after alleging that is in romance with the accused sponsor of attacks on Lunguda communities. In your presence he was called unprintable names at IDPs camp in Guyuk which forced tears down his cheeks. It is still fresh in our minds how that day you promised Lunguda nation to investigate and serve them justice accordingly. What did we get in return if not deepening silence!

As if that was not enough, Lunguda people also raised alarm after the same member of your chicken cabinet who is accused of shielding the alleged criminal, drove to the residence of the accused warmonger with his official convoy on the first week of January 2021 despite the protest of Lunguda people against the controversial nature of the person and his friendship with your ally. I am sure that you heard about it but you kept mute. Sir, let me remind you this, in a clear case of injustice, if you stand on the fence, you are on the side of the oppressor. 

His Excellency, despite all the outcry against your accused ally, the entire Lunguda land was shock to its bone marrow when they learnt that you appointed him to co-chair reconciliation of the two warring tribes. The question Lunguda people are asking is that, how can a reconciliation between the two warring tribes be chaired by a person accused of being on bed with the alleged sponsor of attacks on Lunguda community? Haba Governor Fintiri!!

What sent a shiver down the spin of entire Lunguda nation is when they were expecting cross examination and query of the member of your cabinet who is alleged to be romancing with accused warmonger, but disappointed to see you rewarding him with a promotion to co-chair reconciliation of people who don’t trust him. I want to find out, is there anything His Excellency is not telling Lunguda people?  

Let me prove further that this is not my voice, rather the voice of Lunguda nation. Two weeks back, Barrister Caleb Atiman who you know took to his Facebook page to write that: ‘’If I may suggest with the persistence destruction of our crops by the Waja people, I advise that we as Longuda community we withdraw from that ‘poster’ peace committee in protest. How do you trust a committee co-chaired by SY friend’’.

'’As far as I am concern, if truly we have good representation from the traditional, political institutions and the LDA then I challenge them they should lead us to government house, I am willing and ready to look at his Excellency face to face and tell him his deputy and SY should be handed over to the DSS for investigation. We have the facts.’’

His Excellency, with all these towering revelations, lunguda people are now concluding that you neither have sympathy nor empathy for their situation that you can’t even issue a statement when over 80 farms of Lunguda people were destroyed over night at Dumna axis. I am sure also the information has gotten to your ear on how JERRY ALBERT from Zakawon of Dumna ward was targeted and butchered yet we didn’t hear a word from you. We want to find out sir, whose interest this deepening silence is protecting?

I don’t want to bring to memory the kangaroo panel of enquiry into Dumna attacks. As far as Lunguda land is concern, the panel that is supposed to be truth panel meant to serve justice to the grieved is mischaracterised as sheer theatre and mere exercise meant to calm down nerves of the cheated. 

His Excellency, Lunguda nation don’t longer believe in your panel of enquiry, your Numan Accord that proscribed militia and hunters group, and most importantly your supposedly reconciliation. We can no longer trust reconciliation where we are taking back our sword while the other party is removing sword behind us.

Let history record that we have told you the truth for correction so that you wouldn’t say we betrayed you 2023. The Lunguda land will remember everything in the future. I believe in the words of Emile Zola when he said, ‘’if you shut up truth and bury it under the ground, it will but grow, and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it bursts through it will blow up everything in its way’’. 

Thank you His Excellency!!

Emme Emma Gwanah

Writes from Guyuk LGA