Opinion
Fufore Emirate: Prof Alkasum Abba’s Selective Amnesia And Matters Arising
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Fufore Emirate: Prof Alkasum Abba’s selective amnesia and matters arising
By Mustapha Atiku Ribadu (Abusalwa)
I find it very difficult and intriguing to fathom why so many people are losing sleep over the creation of Fufore Emirate despite the fact that the Emirate is only one out of the seven such Emirates and Chiefdoms recently created by governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.
Antagonists of the creation of the emirate have variously described it as a scheme contrived to desecrate the historic Fombina Emirate or whittle its influence, an anathema introduced to divide the Fulbe race on the basis of a primordial mindset by governor Fintiri to subvert the Fulani influence warts and all.
But among all the rabid submissions against the creation of the Emirate, one that I found profoundly amusing is the recent text of a press conference written by Professor Alkasum Abba who vows to approach the court in his resolve to reverse ‘the hand of the clock’ or what he termed as onslaught against the Fombina emirate.
My reason for singling Prof. Alkasum Abba’s press conference out of the multitude of attacks is because of his academic pedigree as a renowned professor of history and secondly because his standpoint mirrors a personality with a tendency for selective amnesia who chooses what to oppose and what to accept based on personal whims not on principle.
Although I respect the professor of history’s resolve to approach the court which serve as the only arbiter on such issues, nonetheless I’m of the belief that such opposition should not come from someone who has consistently looked the other way while the emirate faced series of historic changes in the past which distorted the entire composition of the Emirate.
Such calculated silence in the face of these changes makes his renewed posture as vanguard and a vocal advocate of history suspicious. By this act of commission or ommission, he easily comes as one who borrowed the garb of activism for the expediency of scoring a political goal or other ulterior motives.
Without being immodest, I wish to respectfully remind the professor of his seeming reticence when some spasmodic, strange but critical changes which distorted the history of the Fombina Emirate were introduced for which he maintained graveyard silence.
Professor Alkasum himself was named after Galadima Alkasum, a renowned patriarch in their family. But despite being the custodians of that revered title, the family lost that treasured position as the title was given to Modibbo Raji’s family, while the Emirate later made Galadima onekingmakers in the Emirate. But despite the glaring distortion, Alkasum Abba never minced a word of disgust or disapproval over that historic distortion.
Again, another event which changed the colouration of the emirate happened when the late Lamido moved the position of Wali Adamawa from Prof Alkasum Abba’s family to Hong and made the new title holder a kingmaker, but my elder brother accepted that distortion hook, line and sinker. Never a wimp of dissent came out of him.
Another distortion took place when Adamawa Emirate also moved the title of the Wazirin Adamawa from Yola to Ganye Chiefdom, but despite the historic importance and relevance of that title, Prof. Alkasum Abba never muttered a word of opposition.
Adamawa emirate, which is the biggest emirate in the Shehu Danfodio dynasty, spans up to Cameroon, Chad, and extended to Taraba State. But the incursion of time, civilization, and other vital developments have today reduced the emirate in size and influence. If, in the past, no one was able to prevent the massive reduction of the emirate in terms of land mass and influence, will the current ballyhoo by opponents over the creation of Fufore Emirate make any headway?
In fact, even before the addition of the new emirates and chiefdoms into the mix, there were already seven first-class chiefs holding sway in the enclave once known as the Fombina Emirate. On this, I want to draw the attention of the Professor to note that the only constant thing in life is change as changes must take place in the course of time.
I could vividly recall when the former governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Boni Haruna created Adamawa state university, one of the vocal critics of that policy was Alkasum Abba. But fate and destiny conspired to make him one of the vice chancellors of the university at a point in time. I will, therefore, not be surprised if eventually Prof Alkasum Abba becomes a major title holder in Fufore Emirate as history has a way of repeating itself.
I come in peace.