POLITICS TODAY

By Mujahedeen Alkali

Ama Hausa is a settlement harbouring people from the northern part of Nigeria especially, the Hausa community. The word Ama Hausa is like Zango commonly refers to in Hausa as a settlement which harbours travelers mostly in the West African sub.region. In all the eastern states in Nigeria, Ama Hausa is referred to as a settlement place for the Hausa community.

One of the Igbo states with a strong ties with Ama Hausa is Imo state where every northerner or Hausa man feels at home. There is a strong bond between the natives and the non natives. A Hausa man in Imo is always at home away from home. For decades, the existing bond between the native Igbo and Hausa man has been like that of cousins. This is mostly why you have a larger population of northerners in Imo state than any other Igbo states including the south south region.
Since 1999, the Hausa community in the south east has been contributing to the emergence of many of the elected governors and that was why the Imo state government under Ikedi G. Ohakim allocated a choice plot to the traders from the north to help in boosting their economic activities. The place is like Second Dubai simply because it has since become a beehive of economic activities 24/7.
In years past, the Hausa community in the south east particularly in Imo state act, speak and decide under one umbrella. They speak with one voice and act unanimously. That bond of brotherhood which has for long kept the spirit of one ness together is today under threat and under siege.
Last year, the Imo state government donated 200 Hajj Seats to the northern community in the state for distribution to its members and the furore that followed what most members term as a scam is threatening the peace and harmony that the community has been known for.
Apart from the unjust distribution of the Hajj Seats as narrated by those aggrieved, another issue tearing the northern community apart in Imo state is the personalization of the plot or land allocated to the community years back by the Sarkin Hausawa in Owerri. In a press conference held in Kaduna by the Chairman of Arewa United for Peace Foundation, Alhaji Nura Shattima, he accused the head of the Hausa community in the state of favouritism and nepotism stating that the Sarkin Hausawa or Eze Hausa is busy disuniting the already unity among the northern settlers in the state
According to Shattima, only few people were given Hajj Seats last year from the 200 allocated to the community while the rest were either sold or dashed to those who did not deserve them.
On land grabbing, he accused the Sarkin Hausawa also known as Eze Hausa of trying to personalize what belongs to the community. The Arewa United for Peace Foundation therefore called on Imo state governor, His Excellency, Hope Uzodinma to call the Eze Hausa and his cohorts to order for trying to bring disunity in the Hausa community in Imo state. The Foundation appealed to Gov. Uzodinma who has been Hausa community friendly since coming into power to call the Eze Hausa to account for the Hajj seats given to him last year and also ensure fairness in the allocation of plots to those who deserve them.
Alhaji Nura Shattima commended the Imo state governor for his support to non indigenes in the state and assured that the Hausa community would always support and cooperate with the government to develop the state.
” Governor Hope Uzodinma is friendly, accommodative and very kind to non indigenes in Imo and we assure him of our unflinching loyalty anytime and any day. We want him to count on us as we are always behind his laudable and progressive policies”, Shattima affirmed.
The chairman lamented that the Eze Hausa has betrayed the trust given to him by the non indigenes residing in Imo as they unanimously made him their leader after his father died but he has now turned against the entire people who made him what he is today.
The Eze Hausa of Imo was appointed after the death of his father during the administration of former governor Rochas Okorocha
Ama Hausa a once peaceful settlement in Owerri is now facing leadership crisis resulting from personal greed, selfishness and incompetence on the part of its leaders and something drastic needs to be done to save the once peaceful Hausa community which has been leaving peacefully with its host and good neighbors.