Senator Suswam talk in TIV dailet about him not forget the tradition. SWEM KA TSAV GA, SWEM KA AEREN A TIV - GABRIEL SUSWAM

BY slimsmixta blog

The senator representing Benue North-East at the red chambers of the National Assembly, and the former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, has advocated the return to Swem, the ancestral deity of the Tiv. 

The senator was speaking at an event he attended in Benue State which had many prominent sons of Benue state and the Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty Professor Jame Ayatse in attendance. 

Senator Gabriel Suswam, who spoke in Tiv, gave credence to swem saying "Swem ka Tsav ga, kpa ka eren i Tiv" meaning, "Swem is not witchcraft but an act of the Tiv".

The senator held that if swem is invoke it has potential to stop criminality and end most of these crisis that are currently ongoing among the Benue Tiv speaking communities because the people causing problems fear Swem more than elders, because of its efficacy.

Swem has proven its efficacy recently when the people of Ushongo Local Government Area invoked it, which led to the arrest and discovery of  a criminal syndicate who who specialised in killing and burying his victims in shallow graves within the Local Government Area. 

In accordance with the custom, the paramount ruler of the Tiv nation, Tor Tiv was usually sworn-in with the Swem.

However, the current Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse declined to be sworn-in with the Swem, stating that he is a Christian and was sworn in with Bible, an act the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom gave approved of.

However, analyst are of the opinion that the African Traditional Religion and custom is different from Christianity and the two are different and play different roles. 

An elder, who spoke to me but pleaded not to be mentioned, said the Tor Tiv lacks the powers to govern the Tiv nation successfully as he has abandoned the culture which he represents.

He cited an event that happened at the coronation of the Tor Tiv in Gboko.

A suspected mentally unstable man sat on the stool of the Tor Tiv before he was sworn-in.

Wether the chair was replaced before the the Tor Tiv sat on it does not matter, the elder added. 

He further stated that the Tor Tiv can not preside over what he denied already stating the Tiv have a history and tradition. 

"The swem is like the Ark of the  Covenant in the Bible, which was the symbol of God; it is the symbol of the Tiv", he concluded.