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Paul Unongo

Paul Iyorpuu Unongo (September 26, 1935 - November 29, 2022),[1] commonly known as Wantaregh Paul Unongo among his kinsmen, the Tiv people, was a Nigerian nationalist, politician, statesman, teacher, and philanthropist. He founded the Community of Tiv Students and is regarded as one of the fathers of modern Tiv politics.[2]

Paul Iyorpuu Unongo
OFR
Minister of Mines and Steel Development
In office
December 1979 – February 1982
Personal details
Born
Paul Iyorpuu Unongo

(1935-09-26)26 September 1935
Kwande, Northern Nigeria Protectorate
(now in Benue State, Nigeria)
Died29 November 2022(2022-11-29) (aged 87)
Jos Plateau State, Nigeria
Political partyNational Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (1959–1966)
Nigerian People's Party (1970–1985)
Social Democratic Party (1989–1993)
All Nigeria Peoples Party
Spouse(s)Victoria Avarave Unongo
Elizabeth Unongo
Children22+
Alma materUniversity of Alberta
Professionteacher, politician

Unongo served as the Minister of Steel development during Nigeria's Second Republic[3]. Before entering politics, he was a lecturer at the University of Lagos, where he played a key role in establishing and consolidating the Department of Psychology and its degree-awarding programs.[4]

In 1975, he was selected as one of fifty distinguished Nigerians, often referred to as the 'Fifty Wise Men,' by General Murtala Muhammed to draft a constitution for modern Nigeria as the country transitioned to civilian rule.[5] Unongo also participated in the 1994 Constitutional Conference, where he chaired the States Creation Committee.[6]

Alongside notable figures like Tunji Otegbeye, Solomon Lar, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, and his role model, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Unongo helped form the Nigerian People's Party (NPP), becoming its inaugural Secretary General.[7] He was a devoted political admirer and student of Nnamdi Azikiwe and served as the official opposition leader to J.S. Tarkaa in Benue State[8].

Early life

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Paul Iyorpuu Unongo was born on September 26, 1935, to Unongo Kwaghngise Anure Abera in Turan, Northern Nigeria Protectorate which is the present-day Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State and his wife Lante Kukwa, an Etulo lady from Adi, present-day Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State.[9] His father, Kwaghngise, worked as a teacher for the Tiv Native Authority.[10][11]

Unongo spent much of his early life under the guidance of his uncle, Jato Aka, a magico-spiritualist.[12]

In 1945, Unongo began his primary education at Gboko Central School, then known as Mbayion Clan Elementary School.[13] There, he encountered Tarka Nachi,[14] the headmaster and father of Senator Joseph Sarwuan Tarka, an advocate for minority rights in Nigeria. Paul also met other Tiv personalities, including Justin Iyorbee Tseayo, who later became the first Tiv professor, and Shima Gyoh, who became the second Tiv medical doctor and a close friend of Unongo.[15]

In November 1958, Unongo secured a part-time position as an Entries Clerk at Barclays Bank, DCO.[16] He was promoted to the rank of Acting Sub-Accountant in 1959. Eventually, he received an admission offer to further his studies in Zaria, prompting him to leave the banking job.[17]

Education

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Unongo received his primary education at Gboko Central School from 1945 to 1948.[18] From 1952 to 1956, Paul studied at Katsina-Ala Middle School.[19] He then attended Government College, Keffi, from 1957 to 1959.[20] In October 1959, he enrolled in the Nigerian College of Arts, Science, and Technology in Zaria (now known as Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria) for Pre-Medicine. This program was essentially an Advanced Level GCE in Zoology, Physics, and Chemistry, and he completed his courses in 1960.[21]

In 1960, he gained admission to Canada to study Experimental Psychology at the University of Calgary. After two years in Calgary, he transferred to the University of Alberta in Edmonton, where he completed his B.Sc. in May 1966 and his M.Sc. in 1968, specializing in Human Experimental Psychopathology. He was then awarded a six-year scholarship by the former Northern Regional Government of Nigeria to pursue a Ph.D. program in Psychology at the University of London. Although he began the program, he dropped out in the same year, 1968.[22]

In 1968, Unongo began his career as a lecturer in Psychology at the University of Lagos. He was instrumental in establishing the Department of Psychology at the institution, where he served for four academic years, from 1968 to 1972. Unongo became the first Tiv person to teach at a university.[23]

Political career

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Unongo had a passion for politics even during his secondary school years. According to an editorial in The Nation newspaper dated December 9, 2022, he admired Nnamdi Azikiwe as a teenager, which led him to register as a member of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) shortly after graduating from secondary school in 1959.[24]

Second Nigerian Republic

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Paul Unongo became actively involved in Nigerian politics in 1970 in the Second Nigerian Republic. Like his mentor, Nnamdi Azikiwe, his early political inclinations were shaped by his desire to see a unified Nigeria that transcended ethnic and religious divisions. He joined the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP), a political platform founded by Azikiwe.

Unongo became one of the key figures in the accord between the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and his party the NPP. He collaborated with Chuba Okadigbo of the NPN, which won the 1979 Nigerian presidential election, to finalize the agreement that allowed the NPN to take office. In the 95-member Senate, the ruling party had 36 seats, while Unongos party the NPP secured 16 seats. Chief Obafemi Awolowo's Unity Party of Nigeria held 28 seats, and Aminu Kano's People's Redemption Party and Waziri Ibrahim's Great Nigeria People's Party (GNPP) had eight and seven seats, respectively.[25]

Unongo and Okadigbo had little difficulty convincing their parties that the accord was essential for building a stable republic. However, the "accord concordiale," as the Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe described it, lasted only a short time.

During the Second Republic (1979–1983), Unongo was appointed as the Minister of Power and Steel under President Shehu Shagari's administration and became a vital member of the Cabinet of Shehu Shagari[26]

Third Nigerian Republic

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He was a prominent member of the Social Democratic Party during the ill-fated Third Nigerian Republic and worked diligently for the victory of Chief MKO Abiola in the 1993 Nigerian presidential election. However, the transition to democracy was unsuccessful. Paul Unongo was actively involved.[27]

At the state level he managed to get Moses Adasu elected as the governor of Benue state on 2 January 1992.[28] He later on played a prominent role at the 1994 Constitutional Conference, serving as the Chairman of the States Creation Committee.[29]

Fourth Nigerian Republic

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At the beginning of the Fourth Nigerian Republic. He joined forces with notable Nigerians like Muhammadu Buhari, Chuba Okadigbo, to establish the All Peoples Party, which later became the All Nigeria Peoples Party. Once again, he was the gubernatorial candidate for his party, but he lost to a new comer George Akume of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who had both Barnabas Gemade and Iyorchia Ayu's support.[30]

He contested again for the seat of the governor of Benue state in 2003. It became one of the most violent elections in tiv history. [31]

Tiv Politics

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Beside the love for politics and his kinsmen, Unongo saw the style of politics played by the Tiv people in the First Nigerian Republic as primitive and decided to bring brighter Tiv minds like Mvendaga Jibo, Paul Belabo and later Iyorchia Ayu onto the political stage. He began his political career by authoring a book published by Megida Books, Lagos, 1969 titled; Where Do We Go from Here? which quickly became popular among the educated Tiv people. The piece had made its way around Tivlands even before Unongo arrived for his political campaigns, demonstrating that the ideas had spread.[32]

With the publication of Where Do We Go from Here? in 1969, Unongo illuminated the primitive lifestyle of the Tiv society, allowing both its leaders and readers to recognize their own realities. Consequently, the work became the most discussed publication of its time.[33]

Mvendaga Jibo's insight on this treatise is worth quoting: Unongo's primary aim, as expressed in the publication, was to transition the Tiv people from a 'primitive lifestyle' to a modern one, accompanied by prosperity. He sought to deepen a participatory political culture in which the Tiv would have a more substantial voice in their governance, challenging the existing conditions where they had not fared well in the Nigerian political economy. In short, he called for a political break from the status quo. This represented a direct challenge to the type of politics the Tiv had experienced under Joseph Tarka.[34] From every angle, the publication was a call for revolution in Tiv land.[35]

When Unongo wrote the foreword to the significant volume Paul Unongo: The Intelligentsia and the Politics of Development, published by Aboki Publishers forty years later to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his earlier work, he expressed: The vision and impetus for 'Where Do We Go from Here?' were driven by the dire situation I found among my people in the then Benue-Plateau State, under the leadership of the governor Joseph Gomwalk. My quest was for sustainable poverty alleviation, empowerment, and the development of the Tiv people.[36]

Unongo ran for the governorship of Benue State in the 1979 elections but lost to the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), to which Joseph Tarka belonged. Aper Aku, the candidate representing the NPN, won decisively. However, Unongo's struggles continued.[37] He contested the governorship again in 1983 under the platform of the NPP but lost again to Aper Aku from the NPN.[38]

He attempted again to be elected as Benue State governor in 1999 on the platform of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) but lost to the Peoples Democratic Party (Nigeria) (PDP) who had Barnabas Gemade, David Mark and Iyorchia Ayu as the leaders in the state. He sought justice at the election tribunal in Makurdi but was unsuccessful at both the tribunal and the Court of Appeal.[39]

He contested again to be the governor of Benue state in 2003. It became one of the most violent elections in Tiv political history. This was completely against what Unongos political ideologies were. so, he decided to take a back seat in Tiv partisan politics.[40]

Katsina Ala State

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Unongo has always been a strong proponent for the creation of more states in Nigeria and has also agitated for the creation of Katsina Ala state.[41] He argued that the Tiv people should also have a minimum of 2 states with each state having a population of over 2.5 million people. He suggested that the Tiv who were carved into Taraba state during its creation(which is excessively large) and the Tiv carved to form the Nasarawa state would have been adjusted to conveniently accommodate two states; Benue and Katsina Ala states. This would in turn solve the communal clashes and political marginalization experienced by the Tiv on their ancestral lands in both Nasarawa state and Taraba state.[42] His argument gained momentum and the attempt was made once by General Ibrahim Babangida in 1990 during the creation of the 9 states[43] and later twice by General Sani Abacha in 1996 during the creation of the 6 states.[44] His efforts were always frustrated by the Tiv political elite. The last attempt on the matter was made again by General Sani Abacha in 1996 when he wanted to honor Lt General Victor Malu with a state. The matter was still opposed by the Tor Tiv IV, Alfred Akawe Torkula.[45][46]

Criticism

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Unongo has faced criticism for attempting to assume multiple roles—godfather, father figure, social critic, and activist—within Tiv politics during his time.[47] His political maneuvering made many Tiv elites uneasy, particularly when he supplanted Paul Belabo as the candidate for the Nigerian People's Party (NPP) in the 1983 governorship election, leaving Belabo feeling very bitter[48] also noted that when Paul Unongo was appointed Minister in Shehu Shagari's NPN-controlled administration, he viewed Aper Aku's leadership as a threat to his ambitions of becoming a prominent leader among the tiv and in Benue State. To gain an advantage, Unongo allegedly sidelined Paul Belabo, the NPP's gubernatorial candidate, to enter the 1983 race himself. Additionally, Unongo had a fallout with Chia Surma, whom he had appointed as a commissioner under the Gomwalk administration in what was then Benue-Plateau State.[49]

Retirement From Partisan Politics

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After his outing in the 2003 Benue State gubernatorial election, Unongo decided to retire from partisan politics but remained a significant voice in Nigeria’s political landscape, particularly in Northern Nigeria. He became a founding member and the Convener/Leader of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), a group established to protect the political, economic, and cultural interests of the Northern region.

In his later years, Unongo became an elder statesman, offering counsel and mentorship to younger politicians and leaders across Nigeria. He was frequently called upon to mediate political disputes and provide guidance on national issues. Among his mentees were Gabriel Suswam and Samuel Ortom.

In 2017, Unongo succeeded Maitama Sule as the Chairman of the Northern Elders’ Forum[50]. Until his death in 2022, he held the position of Chairman of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council.

Personal life

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Unongo was married traditionally to Victoria Avarave Unongo and Elizabeth Unongo and have over 22 children, both biological and adopted.[51]

The Tiv love mysteries, myths, and mythical figures,[52] and have hence transformed Paul Unongo into a subject of endless mythological tales. According to these stories, he disappeared for years as an infant, nurtured by benevolent spirits, the guardians of the world and was trained by his uncle Jato Aka a magico-spiritualist. [53] This has resulted into having the ability to evaporate during critical moments, such as when facing a roadblock set by hostile opponents and during a vehicle accident. He was also believed to have the supernatural ability to appear at meetings where discussions revolved around his death or potential harm to his interests. Party loyalists and admirers claimed that no man born of a woman could bring about his demise. This was the essence of Unongo—the man around whom an aura of mystery was woven. [54]

These are just a few of the fantastic stories that circulated about him, and he did little to dispel these rumors. In fact, he seemed to enjoy and even reinforce them, whether intentionally or not. For example, He preferred to travel at night and often wore white regalia with an oversized medallion hanging from his neck. He introduced himself at a significant Tiv event,[55] referring to himself as the Oracle and Traditional Leader of the Tiv people.[56]

To add to the effect, he would often appear on ceremonial days dressed in the complete regalia of a traditional Tiv man, attire typically reserved for a select few traditional Tiv people. [57]


See also: Tiv religion and beliefs

References

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  1. ^ Paul Unongo The Intelligentsia and the Politics of Development. Aboki Publishers, Shimawua Atimga, Terhemba Shija, Terhemba Wuam. 2010. ISBN 978-978-8409-65-6.
  2. ^ Tiv Politics Since 1959. Mandate International Limited, Mvendaga Jibo. 1993. ISBN 978-978-32380-0-8.
  3. ^ Nigeria, Echoes of a Century: 1914-1999. Ifecha Azikiwe. 2013. ISBN 978-1-4817-2926-0.
  4. ^ The Case for Nigeria. Paul Iyorpuu Unongo. 1968.
  5. ^ Phillips, Claude S. (1980). "Nigeria's New Political Institutions, 1975-9". The Journal of Modern African Studies. 18 (1). Journal of the Modern African Studies. Claude S. Phillips: 1–22. doi:10.1017/S0022278X00009423. JSTOR 160408.
  6. ^ Constitutional Conference 1994/95 Minutes of Proceedings. Nigeria. Constitutional Conference · 1995. 1995.
  7. ^ Governance and Legislative Control in Nigeria Lessons from the Second and Third Republics. International Scholars Publications. Kunle Awotokun. 1998. ISBN 978-1-57309-273-9.
  8. ^ Governance and Legislative Control in Nigeria Lessons from the Second and Third Republics. International Scholars Publications. Kunle Awotokun. 1998. ISBN 978-1-57309-273-9.
  9. ^ Paul Unongo The Intelligentsia and the Politics of Development. Aboki Publishers, Shimawua Atimga, Terhemba Shija, Terhemba Wuam. 2010. ISBN 978-978-8409-65-6.
  10. ^ Paul Unongo The Intelligentsia and the Politics of Development. Aboki Publishers, Shimawua Atimga, Terhemba Shija, Terhemba Wuam. 2010. ISBN 978-978-8409-65-6.
  11. ^ Tiv Poetry and Politics A Study of Tarker Golozo. University of Michigan. Apegba Ker. 2002. ISBN 978-978-052-523-1.
  12. ^ Paul Unongo The Intelligentsia and the Politics of Development. Aboki Publishers, Shimawua Atimga, Terhemba Shija, Terhemba Wuam. 2010. ISBN 978-978-8409-65-6.
  13. ^ My Odyssey, My Country. Cephas Sallem Kan Tardzer. 17 May 2012. ISBN 978-1-4691-9928-3.
  14. ^ Tributes to a Great Leader, J.S. Tarka. E.R. Nwankwo. 1982.
  15. ^ Biographies of Federal Executive Council. Research Section, Federal Ministry of Information. 1979.
  16. ^ "Decolonising Barclays Bank DCO? Corporate Africanisation in Nigeria, 1945–69". University of Birmingham. Stephanie Decker.
  17. ^ The History of Political Change Among the Tiv in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Tesemchi Makar. 1994. ISBN 978-978-156-389-8.
  18. ^ My Odyssey, My Country. Cephas Sallem Kan Tardzer. 17 May 2012. ISBN 978-1-4691-9928-3.
  19. ^ The Case for Nigeria. Paul Iyorpuu Unongo. 1968.
  20. ^ Political Factbook & Who's who in Nigeria. Mobolade Omonijo. 1999. ISBN 978-978-041-500-6.
  21. ^ Political Factbook & Who's who in Nigeria. Mobolade Omonijo. 1999. ISBN 978-978-041-500-6.
  22. ^ Beyond Hate and Violence Understanding the Tiv Struggle for Citizenship Rights and Social Justice in Nigeria. Caltop Publications (Nigeria). 2002. ISBN 978-978-35972-4-2.
  23. ^ Awo, on the Trail of a Titan Essays in Celebration of the Obafemi Awolowo Centennial. David Olatunbosun Oke. 2009. ISBN 978-978-8088-68-4.
  24. ^ "Nigeria, Echoes of a Century: 1914-1999". Ifeoha Azikiwe.
  25. ^ Paul Unongo The Intelligentsia and the Politics of Development. Shimawua Atimga, Terhemba Shija, Terhemba Wuam. 2010. ISBN 978-978-8409-65-6.
  26. ^ Steel Development and Nigeria's Power Status Lecture Delivered by Paul Unongo at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos on Thursday, 24th July, 1980. The Institute. ISBN 978-978-2276-03-2.
  27. ^ "Tiv Politics Since 1959". Mvendaga Jibo. Mandate International Limited, 1993.
  28. ^ Beyond Hate and Violence Understanding the Tiv Struggle for Citizenship Rights and Social Justice in Nigeria. Iyorwuese Hagher. 2002. ISBN 978-978-35972-4-2.
  29. ^ 27th June-9th August, 1994 COnstitution conference. Nigerian constitution conference. 1994.
  30. ^ Beyond Hate and Violence Understanding the Tiv Struggle for Citizenship Rights and Social Justice in Nigeria. Iyorwuese Hagher. 2002. ISBN 978-978-35972-4-2.
  31. ^ "Tiv Politics Since 1959". Mvendaga Jibo. Mandate International Limited, 1993.
  32. ^ Chieftaincy and Politics The Tor Tiv in the Politics and Administration of Tivland. Mvendaga Jibo. 2001. ISBN 978-3-631-36816-9.
  33. ^ Chieftaincy and Politics The Tor Tiv in the Politics and Administration of Tivland. Mvendaga Jibo. 2001. ISBN 978-3-631-36816-9.
  34. ^ J.S. Tarka The Dilemma of Ethnic Minority Politics in Nigeria. Aboki Publishers. 2003. ISBN 978-978-8098-03-4.
  35. ^ "Tiv Politics Since 1959". Mvendaga Jibo. Mandate International Limited, 1993.
  36. ^ Paul Unongo The Intelligentsia and the Politics of Development. Shimawua Atimga, Terhemba Shija, Terhemba Wuam. 2010. ISBN 978-978-8409-65-6.
  37. ^ Chieftaincy and Politics The Tor Tiv in the Politics and Administration of Tivland. Mvendaga Jibo. 2001. ISBN 978-3-631-36816-9.
  38. ^ Chieftaincy and Politics The Tor Tiv in the Politics and Administration of Tivland. Mvendaga Jibo. 2001. ISBN 978-3-631-36816-9.
  39. ^ "Tiv Politics Since 1959". Mvendaga Jibo. Mandate International Limited, 1993.
  40. ^ "Tiv Politics Since 1959". Mvendaga Jibo. Mandate International Limited, 1993.
  41. ^ Chieftaincy and Politics The Tor Tiv in the Politics and Administration of Tivland. Mvendaga Jibo. 2001. ISBN 978-3-631-36816-9.
  42. ^ The Middle Belt and the Federal Project in Nigeria. Mvendaga Jibo. 2003. ISBN 978-978-33231-5-5.
  43. ^ Transition Without End Nigerian Politics and Civil Society Under Babangida. Lynne Rienner Publishers. 1997. ISBN 978-1-55587-591-6.
  44. ^ Nigeria During the Abacha Years 1993-1998. IFRA-Nigeria. Kunle Amuwo, Nicole Chevillard, Alex Gboyega, Daniel C. Bach, Enemaku Umar Idachaba, Attahiru Jega, Michèle Maringues, François Misser, Abdul Raufu Mustapha, Yann Lebeau, Chidi Odinkalu, Richard L. Sklar, Stephen Wright. ISBN 979-10-92312-08-9.
  45. ^ Hagher, Iyorwuese Harry (2002). Beyond Hate and Violence Understanding the Tiv Struggle for Citizenship Rights and Social Justice in Nigeria. Nigeria: Caltop Publications (Nigeria). ISBN 9789783597242. Retrieved 15 September 2008.
  46. ^ Egwim, Ambrose Ihekwoaba (2020). The Dynamics of Federalism in Nigeria. Springer International Publishing. ISBN 9783030491536. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  47. ^ Hembe, Godwin Nyor (2003). J.S. Tarka The Dilemma of Ethnic Minority Politics in Nigeria. Aboki Publishers. ISBN 9789788098041.
  48. ^ Korgba, George Tyoikyaa (2008). From the Ivory Tower to the Boardroom An Autobiography. Spectrum Books. ISBN 9789780297558.
  49. ^ Korgba, George Tyoikyaa (2008). From the Ivory Tower to the Boardroom An Autobiography. Spectrum Books. ISBN 9789780297558.
  50. ^ Mbeke-Ekanem, Tom (2020). Beyond the Execution. Page Publishing Inc. ISBN 9781642982794.
  51. ^ Gbenda, Joseph S. (2005). Eschatology in Tiv Traditional Religious Culture. Chuka Educational Publishers. ISBN 9789783725737.
  52. ^ Bohannan, Laura and Paul (2017). The Tiv of Central Nigeria Western Africa Part VIII. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781315295794.
  53. ^ Paul Unongo The Intelligentsia and the Politics of Development. Aboki Publishers, Shimawua Atimga, Terhemba Shija, Terhemba Wuam. 2010. ISBN 978-978-8409-65-6.
  54. ^ Gbenda, Joseph S. (2005). Eschatology in Tiv Traditional Religious Culture. Chuka Educational Publishers. ISBN 9789783725737.
  55. ^ "Nigeria's Benue clashes: Mass burial after farmer-Fulani clashes". BBC. 11 January 2018.
  56. ^ Gbenda, Joseph S. (2005). Eschatology in Tiv Traditional Religious Culture. Chuka Educational Publishers. ISBN 9789783725737.
  57. ^ Gbenda, Joseph S. (2005). Eschatology in Tiv Traditional Religious Culture. Chuka Educational Publishers. ISBN 9789783725737.
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