Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Reviewed by
Zacharys Anger Gundu. PhD.
Department of Archaeology
Ahmadu Bello University
Zaria.
The Book, Mlu u Tiv Ken Nigeria by Onov Tyuulugh is a courageous attempt
the endangered status of the Tiv language. The author wants all Tiv people
to begin to engage and think through the Tiv question using Tiv language as a
In a way, I find it clumsy that I am reviewing this book in English when its
written in Tiv. The author had asked that the review be in English for the
benefit of those here, today, who may not understand Tiv language. This is
remains to be seen.
Mlu u Tiv ken Nigeria is written in six chapters. The first chapter which is
that even though this contribution is indelible having saved Nigeria a couple
since independence have treated the Tiv with characteristic disdain to the
point that, the Tiv today have little or nothing to show for giving their
sweat, blood and, intellect to the survival and sustenance of the Nigerian
project. He aptly titles this chapter, Tom- agogo - a powerful imagery and
parallel indicating that the tireless Tiv labour of love for Nigeria is not
valued and nothing more than the ceaseless ticking of the clock.
evolution of the Tor Tiv institution. The author argues that the
discrimination suffered by the Tiv people under the colonial government gave
them food for thought and propelled their best who were directly at the
would articulate the Tiv interest and represent them as other paramount
rulers were doing for their people. A rich and detailed history of the
the first Tor Tiv in September 1947 is given. The intrigues leading to the
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emergence of Gondu Aluor, Akperan Orshi and Alfred Akawe Torkula to the
Tor Tiv title are also vividly revealed. An assessment of the reigns of each
Tor Tiv is done and the reader goes with the strong impression that the
institution has not achieved as much as one would have expected. Contrary to
popular history, Onov Tyuulugh has demonstrated that probably with the
position of the Tor Tiv was heavily tainted by politics much of which was
In chapter three, the author makes a compelling argument that even though
the Tiv are hardworking and very thoughtful people, they have continued to
critical aspects of their core culture and values. According to him, the Tiv
have abandoned their initial spirit of competition for another in which the
object and the competitor (s) are subverted and ultimately destroyed
Angbian, (the Tiv gift to Nigerian politics otherwise called zoning) inordinate
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have continued to stand between the Tiv people and a viable position in the
Nigerian project.
In chapter four, the author makes a case against the military as the
incursions into the polity have according to the author, ravaged the country
system of governance and that Nigerians have generally fared better under
democratic governments.
According to him, Nigeria has gone past the Tiv and it will take
seem to be lazy about the challenge and are unwilling to team up for the
common good. The author thinks a Tiv breakthrough in the Nigerian project
is however not impossible and will come if the Tiv people place premium on
politics in Tivland arguing that Tiv politics is bereft of ideas and dominated
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by money, mischief and deceit. He argues that in the past and the present,
we have put money ahead of life, knowledge, truth and our long cherished
cultural values, an aberration that has not only made the Tiv people
careless in the choice of their leaders but has continued to damage them
collaterally in the Nigerian project. The author ends the book by arguing
that the Tiv people must wake up from their slumber and ensure that their
Onov Tyuulugh’s book is a compelling reading for any student of the Tiv
question in Nigeria. It is a wake up call for the Tiv political class and a
powerful engagement with Tiv elites. While the book indicts the political
class and elites for the Tiv predicament in Nigeria, it attempts to argue that
all hope is not lost and, that determination, clarity and the ability to place
the common good over and above individual interests is what it takes for
the Tiv to have their fair share in the Nigerian project. For the political
class and those aspiring to join their ranks, the book is a hidden treasure
and only those who will have the discipline to read it cover to cover will
know its worth and what value it can add to their struggle to lead the Tiv.
We know that the Tiv population in Benue alone is more than the entire
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population of Kwara state, Ebonyi, Gombe, Ekiti, Bayelsa, Taraba, Cross River
and Nasarawa states. While these are standing alone as political units, the
Tiv are sharing a state with others (and grumbling) who are obviously doing
better in the Nigerian project than they are. How did the Tiv get this rough
and can be disambiguated from the narrow interests and agendas of their
sons and daughters? Is the Tiv political class aware of this agenda? Is it
possible for a people who place more premium on pieces of meat to even have
a political agenda? The Tiv plight reminds one of the fact that today, what
is propelling the world is not numbers nor natural resources but ideas. Onov’s
book is a very good book. Its reading of Tiv culture , history and
many are complacent and satisfied with our poor farming systems, at a time
leadership has failed the Tiv people, that our knowledge is really NO
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him saying Adudu u Tiv gba usu opirin ngu ga. This is exemplary courage
We however do not share some of Onov’s views. For one, Onov’s reading of
early Tiv history is not entirely correct and, more importantly, his chapter
gives the impression that the Tiv have abandoned an ideal (Gbaaondo) and
are chasing new values that are counterfeit. The problem is -and for me this
is a rather big problem-to what extent are the skewed values articulated in
the chapter new values embraced after the abandonment of the old values?.
iyuhwe have been with them for a very long time. These are not even
specific to the Tiv. Take Iyuhe for example, which group or community on
earth has not been afflicted by this social cancer? Iyuhe abounds in the
Bible (the God of the Bible announces Himself as Aondo u gban Iyuhe), we
see Iyuhe everywhere in the Church, in other ethnic groups and even in
intellectual circles. This indicates in our opinion that Iyuhe is not specific to
the Tiv and we must stop using it as an excuse for our backwardness. The
concept of Ijoove is even more interesting. Was there a time in the past
when the Tiv had a developed team spirit before its abandonment? This is
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very debatable . We can talk of a Tiv team spirit in times of stress but
when the stress is over. Have the Tiv not abandoned Dr. Alexander Gaadi
Zaki Biam’ over the invasion and massacre of the Tiv by elements of the
Nigerian army. ? We can make the same argument about the Tiv lack of
entrepreneur spirit (Ivor Veren), one is not sure whether the Tiv have ever
Onov also seems to be too optimistic in this book. He details the money
challenge in Tiv (Nigerian) politics and the pitiable Tiv preference for
pieces of meat in negotiating leadership positions and then argues for the
possibility of Tiv progress without a concrete suggestion of how the Tiv (and
other Nigerians) can overcome this money challenge and embrace issue
based politics. We are of the opinion that the Tiv by preferring those who
have money (acquired by whatever means), those who can beat them, those
who can rig elections and those who lead with impunity have made a choice .
This means unless and until the majority are convinced that this choice is a
wrong one , it will be difficult for the few who think otherwise to be held
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becoming more and more difficult for the ordinary person in Tivland (and
Nigeria) to use his or her voice to bring about the change we need in the
land. The political class because of greed, corruption and impunity is limiting
the chances of peaceful change in our land. It is quite ironical that the Tiv
political class believes that they must grab before they can make an
showing in the level of poverty, insecurity, suffering and decay the Tiv
Tiv Ken Nigeria is prophetic. When the political class abandons their
mandate and the common good, the most effective way of regaining control
for the good of all is sadly through the use of force. For even the Bible says
‘Or u ii koom nan man nan nembe ikyor yo, asombu nan fese je mwar
akela lu ga’. We are approaching such a time in Tivland and Nigeria when
all will be convinced that the only viable way forward is to regain control by
force, what the politicians have taken by force and stealth. This leads us to
Yes, we know that incessant military incursions in the polity have led to
distortions and political mutations. Yes, we have had evil and unaccountable
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military leaders , yes, we have known corruption and lost tons of money
under the military , yet have we really fared better under civil rule? Do we
indeed have a democracy in our land today? How many of us are satisfied
with what we see of our government today and how many are convinced that
with their level of dissatisfaction they can change what is not working
properly today in the next election by merely voting for an alternative? . Are
Ghana were cleansed and stabilized only after the military had made a point
many of us seated here today, the JS Tarkas of the first Republic and the
Aper Akus of the second Republic were not as educated. To what extent has
education helped to clarify (or complicate) the Tiv question? We have seen in
our time, professors and PhD holder literally struggling with unschooled
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muscle men to steal the ballot and deny their mothers and fathers the
numbers invade INEC as adhoc staff and are responsible for much of the
rigging that takes place in Tiv land. Educated civil servants school greedy
politicians in the art of theft and impunity. What has happened? and, how
can we justify the huge investment in our education? How can we get our
education right when Commissioners, Governors and top politicians are not
willing to put their children and wards in the public school system? How can
Agriculture on Tiv soil and yet the Tiv are one of the most backward
farmers in the world? How else can we explain the Tiv fixation on yams
when guinea corn, cowpeas, melon, benniseed and groundnuts are far more
profitable crops. How is yam with all its attendant nutritional problems still a
preferred crop by the Tiv when its cultivation requiring huge parcels of land
and huge man hours is even prone to conflict? How many people know that
fish grown in ponds on plots of land less than half a football field can be
harvested and sold for more than yams grown on Akundu asule pue.? What
is the logic of the Tiv fixation on land when this is no longer a serious
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resource of production? Why are the Tiv not researching their problems in
education and research? How can we get it right? How can the Tiv arrive at
an agenda for their ‘liberation’ and hold those leading them accountable for
the success of that agenda? If Nigeria breaks up today and everyone runs to
pitch his(her) tent, where can we pitch our own? How can we arrive at what
I invite every Tiv person to read this book. If for nothing, it will wake you
from slumber , to beginning to ask those critical question about the Tiv
position in the Nigerian project and take those crucial steps to be active on
behalf of the Tiv people in Nigeria. The Tiv must dream with their eyes open
Bless you.
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