Joseph Tarka
Encyclopedia
Senator Joseph Sarwuan Tarka (1932–1980) was a Nigerian politician from Benue State
and a former minister for Transport and then Communications under General Yakubu Gowon
. He was one of the founding members of the United Middle Belt Congress
, a political organization that dedicated to protecting and advocating for the country's Middle Belt
.
, Benue State
. His father was a village teacher and administrator, of Tiv
origin.
After completing his education he became a teacher for a while at Katsina-Ala Middle School, before going on to further studies at Bauchi Rural Science School.
He became a member of the Tiv Native Authority Staff Union and of the Northern Teachers Association.
In 1957, he emerged as president of the United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC), which formed an alliance with the Action Group
, the dominant South West party.
These two predominantly Christian parties contested the pre-independence election of 1959 and the subsequent election of 1963 against the mainly Moslem Northern People's Congress
. Both elections led to violence in the Middle Belt
, which contributed to the military take-over by General Yakubu Gowon
in August 1966.
Tarka was reelected in 1959. He was arrested in 1962 on charges of treasonable felony with some other Action Group leaders, but was acquitted for lack of evidence.
.
In the lead-up to restoration of democracy with the Nigerian Second Republic
, Tarka aligned with northern politicians to form the National Party of Nigeria
, on which platform he unsuccessfully competed in the Presidential elections. He was elected Senator for Benue East in 1979, and was appointed chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriation, a position he held when he died on 30 March 1980, aged 48.
His son Simeon Tarka was elected to the House of Representatives in 1979.
Benue State
Benue is a state in the Middle-Belt region of Nigeria with a population of about 2.8 million in 1991. Tiv, Idoma, and Igede are spoken predominantly. There are other ethnic groups as well. These include Etulo and Abakwa...
and a former minister for Transport and then Communications under General Yakubu Gowon
Yakubu Gowon
General Yakubu "Jack" Dan-Yumma Gowon was the head of state of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975. He took power after one military coup d'etat and was overthrown in another...
. He was one of the founding members of the United Middle Belt Congress
United Middle Belt Congress
United Middle Belt Congress was a political party in Nigeria during the nation's First Republic. The Party was a fusion of two major middle belt organizations, the Middle Zone League and the Middle Belt Peoples' Party...
, a political organization that dedicated to protecting and advocating for the country's Middle Belt
Middle Belt
The Middle Belt is a human geographical term designating the region of central Nigeria populated largely by minority ethnic groups and stretching across the country longitudinally. The Middle Belt is indeterminate in that it lacks designated "borders" and is charactized by a heterogeneity and...
.
Background
Tarka was born on 10 July 1932 in Igbor, GbokoGboko
Gboko is a town in the Benue State of North-central Nigeria. The population is over 500,000, mostly Tiv people. It is the traditional capital of the Tiv tribe and it has the official residence of the Tor-Tiv, who is the paramount traditional ruler of the Tiv people spread in Benue, Taraba, Plateau...
, Benue State
Benue State
Benue is a state in the Middle-Belt region of Nigeria with a population of about 2.8 million in 1991. Tiv, Idoma, and Igede are spoken predominantly. There are other ethnic groups as well. These include Etulo and Abakwa...
. His father was a village teacher and administrator, of Tiv
Tiv
Tiv are an ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in West Africa. They constitute approximately 2.5% of Nigeria's total population, and number over 5.6 million individuals throughout Nigeria and Cameroon. The Tiv are the 4th largest ethnic group in Nigeria. Tiv language is spoken by about 6...
origin.
After completing his education he became a teacher for a while at Katsina-Ala Middle School, before going on to further studies at Bauchi Rural Science School.
He became a member of the Tiv Native Authority Staff Union and of the Northern Teachers Association.
First Republic
Tarka was elected to a seat in the Federal House of Representative in 1954 on a non-party basis, at age 22.In 1957, he emerged as president of the United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC), which formed an alliance with the Action Group
Action Group (Nigeria)
Action Group was a Nigerian political party established in Ibadan on March 21, 1951, by the Ègbe Ọmọ Odùduwà led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The party was founded to serve as the platform for realizing his primary objective of mobilising the Yorùbá into one political umbrella...
, the dominant South West party.
These two predominantly Christian parties contested the pre-independence election of 1959 and the subsequent election of 1963 against the mainly Moslem Northern People's Congress
Northern People's Congress
Northern People's Congress is a political party in Nigeria. Formed in June 1949, the party held considerable influence in the Northern Region from the 1950s until the military coup of 1966....
. Both elections led to violence in the Middle Belt
Middle Belt
The Middle Belt is a human geographical term designating the region of central Nigeria populated largely by minority ethnic groups and stretching across the country longitudinally. The Middle Belt is indeterminate in that it lacks designated "borders" and is charactized by a heterogeneity and...
, which contributed to the military take-over by General Yakubu Gowon
Yakubu Gowon
General Yakubu "Jack" Dan-Yumma Gowon was the head of state of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975. He took power after one military coup d'etat and was overthrown in another...
in August 1966.
Tarka was reelected in 1959. He was arrested in 1962 on charges of treasonable felony with some other Action Group leaders, but was acquitted for lack of evidence.
Later career
After General Gowon took charge in August 1966, Tarka was appointed Federal Commissioner of Transport and then of Communications, resigning in 1974 after allegations of corruption from a fellow-Tiv named Godwin Daboh were published. Daboh's action was allegedly instigated by Paul Unongo and Benue-Plateau State Governor Joseph GomwalkJoseph Gomwalk
Joseph Dechi Gomwalk was a Nigerian police commissioner and the first Military Governor of Benue-Plateau State after it was formed from part of Northern Region...
.
In the lead-up to restoration of democracy with the Nigerian Second Republic
Nigerian Second Republic
The Second Republic was the republican government of Nigeria between 1979 and 1983 governed by the second republican constitution.- Founding :...
, Tarka aligned with northern politicians to form the National Party of Nigeria
National Party of Nigeria
The National Party of Nigeria was the dominant political party in Nigeria during the Second Republic .-Formation:The party's beginning could be traced to private and sometimes secret meetings among key Northern Nigerian leaders after the proscription of political parties in 1966 by the military...
, on which platform he unsuccessfully competed in the Presidential elections. He was elected Senator for Benue East in 1979, and was appointed chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriation, a position he held when he died on 30 March 1980, aged 48.
His son Simeon Tarka was elected to the House of Representatives in 1979.