The Sama Nation: An open letter to Professor Maxwell Gidado

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The Sama Nation:An Open Letter to Professor Maxwell Gidado,
The Chief of Staff,
Government House, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria.

 Sir, I have taken time to reflect on Sama life and times before this my thoughts.
THE SAMA NATION:
1. After you were sworn in as Chief of staff to His Excellency the Governor of Adamawa State, I texted you, impressing upon you that as the only Sama in powerful position in the Fintiri administration, I urged you to leverage on the opportunity to draw our Sama people closer to the government through deliberate upliftment into strategic positions.
2. I note sadly, that the opportunities to assert such influences are slipping away in the critical first year of the Fintiri administration.
3. I believe in justice and the rule of law, mindful of equity and fairness to all. With the largest population and significant contributions to the social and economic development of the state, the Sama deserve more than what we are getting from Adamawa State.
4. Spread significantly in five local government areas of the state, with these percentages, thus-
a) Ganye 92% 
b) Toungo 93%
c) Jada 90%
d) Mayo Belwa 35%
e) Fufore 30%
The largest ethnic group in the State, with the most fertile land, producing the common food commodities in significant quantities, including yams, maize, rice, guinea corn, cocoa, palm oil, cassava, banana, sugar cane, honey, cattle etc. It is the food basket of the state.
5. The Sama land is the most endowed area in Adamawa State but the least developed or exploited. With the bowels of the Sebshi mountain range stretching from Zing in Taraba State to Toungo covering Mayo Belwa, Jada and Ganye local governments, harboring precious stones and various solid minerals waiting to be exploited. The mountain also presents beautiful ecotourism sites matched only with Tinapa complex of Cross Rivers State. Why should development elude the Sama land, which in other climes, could have been turned into an Eldorado?
6. The political fortunes of the Sama in Gongola/Adamawa State is below expectations! The Mummuye, fewer than Sama, had produced the first Governor of Gongola and went on to have three-tenure Governorship of Taraba State. With our numbers, at best, we settled for Deputy Governor in Adamawa. During the tenure of some regimes, Sama had not even a Commissioner in the executive council of Adamawa State. What's the jinx?
7. With a good number of qualified and dedicated civil servants especially in the teaching, judiciary, medical and administrative fields, the Sama remain short changed and dumped in favour of mediocrity. The Sama remain underrated and hopeless while less endowed ethnic groups are showing strong presence in the governmence of our state. 
8. If democracy is the rule by the majority, should the Sama suffer the inadequate and scanty show in the key sectors of governmence in Adamawa State? At some point, there were 5 Sama out of 21 members of the State House of Assembly. No  indigenous ethnic group in Adamawa has such presence in the legislature. But what did the set achieve with that advantage? Lack of Unity and group focus, the opportunities slipped without achievement. They failed to strategies for common good of their communities or even grab the leadership of the house during the tumultuous period of the assembly.
9. The recent appointments into boards and parastatals of the Fintiri administration is a typical case in point where the Sama ethnic group was bastardised, humiliated and bruised unabashed. Where less populous ethnic groups such as our 'slaves' the Bachama group from Numan LGA alone grabbed many chairmanship and membership positions in the appointments, the sama group could only manage to get one chairmanship of a nascent board, and membership in few agencies. The crowning of the humiliation on the Sama was the replacement of a qualified sama (ex Perm Sec) who acted as chairman of the Muslim Pilgrims Board, appointed by the Governor Fintiri aadministration, who steered the Adamawa Pilgrims to the Holy Land in the last hajj. Instead he was appointed a Commissioner in a commission in the latest appointment exercise.
10. In reflection, the Sama had a minister during the Tafawa Balewa regime. Mr Dominic Mapeo was minister just before the military coup that toppled the government. Earlier the Sama land was represented at the United Nations by Alhaji Abdullahi Danburam Jada, who was first a minister in the North Regional Government led by the Sardauna Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello. Today, the same Sama people are hardly present in any significant positions in the Government of narrowed influence such as Adamawa, not North East nor Northern Nigeria or the Federal Government. A pity!
11. However, be it as it may, the problem is not that of the Governor or the system but it is the Sama himself who inflicts the tragedies on self.
12. Enough is enough. Our hopelessness, timidity and despondency is enough, enough! Where are the sama elites? Where are the Robins? The Biradams? The Kaigamas? The Innocent Sandas? Where are the retired and Current professionals? It seems there's a glut in the political and leadership succession in the Sama group. Since the era of the Gang Maken, Gang Jiddas, Dominic Mapeo, Abubakar Seupen Gurumpawo, Jared Gangseu etc. Sama went to slumber!?
13. Where are the Sama High Flyers? The Professors, Prof Gidado, Dr Mrs Gidado, Prof Saidu, Prof Dikko, Alh Said Umar, etc. etc.The religious differences and selfish toggar must be cast aside and the knitting of Unity toggar for the development of the communities, along with other ethnic groups in our society is required urgently now. Please don't throw away the golden opportunities. You are the catalyst. Act now by convening Sama General Meeting to Parley, to Brainstorm for good, for posterity,
14. I hate division. I hate compartmentalism. I hate tribalism and religious bigotry. I love peace and brotherhood. I cherish justice, fairness and freedom. Let the Sama (Chamba) and the land of abode get its fair share of the Democratic Dividends in the Adamawa Enterprise. We can. We should.
Sa'adu Abubakar (Gambe).
Rtd Educationist, former Chairman Retired Chamba Senior Civil Servants Forum.
Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria.
28th June 2020.

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