BETARA: INSULATING THE EMIR OF BIU

BETARA: INSULATING THE EMIR OF BIU

By: Inuwa Bwala

It is a tradition amongst political office seekers in Borno to pay homage to every traditional ruler they visit in his domain and to seek for prayers.

If this tradition is not known to me and if I were not a witness to the presentation of the forms, to Muktari Betara Aliyu in Biu on Saturday, I might have fallen for the  insinuations that the Emir of Biu, His Royal Highness Mustapha Umar Mustapha II presented the forms to Honorable Betara Aliyu to contest political position.

Beyond that, the Englishman says that pictures do not lie: so, if our verbal testimonies were not enough, one could have easily called for the full film report to ascertain the truth.

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Betara Aliyu could not have been an exception to this well-known tradition of paying homage, and could not afford to go to Biu, even to the frontage of the Emirs palace, where most political activities in Biu take place, without paying the traditional homage and prayers that usually come after such homages.

I find it rather disparaging and uncharitable for people who did not witness the event, only to go behind trying to create a narrative contrary to what transpired in Biu.

It is a verifiable fact that, former Deputy Governor of Borno State and Waziri of Biu, Adamu Shettima Yuguda Dibal, who led others to Biu for the presentation of Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to Honorable Muktari Betara Aliyu made the symbolic presentation, assisted by key stakeholders of Betara’s party, the APC.

Dibal left nobody in doubt about the roles of traditional rulers in politics, to the effect that they are father’s to everybody and bless every son or daughter that comes forward.  

When Dibal eventually presented Betara to the royal father for prayers, after the symbolic public presentation, he went on to show the emir Betara’s forms, as the subject for which prayers should be directed.

Those of us who were inside when the emir prayed for Betara and wished him well did not see when he made any presentation, nay made any partisan statement to the effect that he endorsed Betara.

I am aware that, the outing in Biu could have unsettled many political hopefuls, and was capable of kick-starting campaigns that may seek to smear the royal father.

The leader of the delegation succinctly explained that they were not at the palace to woo the traditional ruler, but to pay the traditional homage and to seek for prayers.

To my mind, as much as I agree that politics is a dirty game and in as much as the rights of every individual is guaranteed to opine, dragging the revered emir into any sort of political controversy will amount to a great disservice to us.

In any case, we have a way we interact with our royal fathers and we do not need political jobbers to tell us how and when to come to them for blessings.

I conclude that, nobody throws stones at a fruitless tree,but a mother tree suffers pelts because of the beauty and sweetness of her fruits. 

Above summation is like the fate of the Emir of Biu, Alhaji Mustapha Umar Mustapha II, in the unfolding politics but that should not deter him in blessing his subjects whenever they seek the same.

BETARA: INSULATING THE EMIR OF BIU