Alapa your narrative is near truth but check it very well, therein lies the injustice called Kogi state.
Our own General Anaja was the brain behind the coup that brought Babangida to power, Immediately the coup succeeded, Babangida tricked him into believing that the coup has failed and they were been rounded up, Anaja, toying the parts of previous Igala heros who wouldn’t succumb to the enemies Judgment, took his own life, Babangida got power, consolidated himself and the next thing he did was to purge the military of Igala elements fearing revenge. That was how General James Onoja and over a hundred Igala officers from the rank of Captain and above in the three arms of the Military were unjustly retired.
Then, he went on to create Kogi state against our Okura agitation, he severed us from our Idoma brothers with whom we had majority in Benue state to make us a subjected people in Kogi state.
The intention to marginalize and subject the Igala Nation was hatched and perfected at creation of Kogi state.
While the Igala’s were 56 percent of the population of the old Kabba province that metamorphosed into Kogi state leaving the other components with 44 percent, she also was coreced into Kogi state with six local government from Benue state, the other components from Kwara had just five local government, so at creation, Kogi had just eleven local governments with Igala having more. But those who were bent on subjugating the Igala Nation created additional five local governments of Ogori, Ajaokuta, Kogi and two more for the Kwara entrants and left the Igala people with no additional
Again, in delineation of Federal constituencies, the Igala’s who had two senatorial districts in Benue state were merged into one while the minority components from Kwara were given two, to worsen the situation, our representation in the house of Representatives was reduced from four to three while the minority components were given six, equating our representative capacity with half of a population of the minority which total sum is far less than us, what could be more politically annihilating.
As of the foregoing design is not bad enough, our representation in Benue House of Assembly was 16 with my Olamaboro having two representatives, but in Kogi state, it was reduced to 11 with Olamaboro in all been submerged in to one State constituency.
The grand plan to marginalize the Igala’s was set rolling by the Colonial masters who balkanized the Igala Nation and had her filtered into the various regions of old on ground of her resistance to early attempt at colonization.
Thus today, you have the Igala people filtered in several states without a voice, for example Benue, Enugu, Anambra, Delta and Edo states have significant numbers of Igala indigenous people.
We are not concerned nor intend to Lord it over any tribe in Kogi state, but the attempt by some tribal jingoist such as Tom Ohikere and Alapa Tom Sevwe to castigate the Igala Nation and make her appear overlording is not supportable with facts and figures.
The truth is that the Igala’s are the truely marginalized people in Kogi state and Nigeria in general but we have remain a voice and a people despite all of that because like our Igbo brothers we are naturally resilient and have the can do spirit. We will keep surging on, if you doubt me, ask our Benin and Jukun age long brothers. We are an irrepressible race.
In Kogi state, we come in peace but we are the Elder brother that accommodates all.
Barrister Salifu Oguche Usman
Abuja – Nigeria
