By Salihu Bashir Nguroje
The Northern Cameroons, which the Mambilla plateau of Sardauna LGA in Taraba State constitutes a part, was neither a colony nor protectorate of Northern Nigeria, but a mandate of the League of Nations (1922 to 1945) and later, a trusteeship territory of the United Nations (1945-1961) handed to Britain to administer after Germany was defeated by the allied forces in the First and the Second World Wars.
At the close of colonisation and the independence of most African countries, particularly the British colony, Nigeria and the French colony, Cameroon in 1960, the political future of the Northern Cameroons was not decided until the plebiscite of 1961 conducted under the supervision of the United Nations. At the end of the plebiscite (referendum), the people of Mambilla Plateau voted to be part of Nigeria.
There is no doubt, Mambilla plateau is one of the most beautiful and rarest attraction centers in Africa but regrettably, there has never been any attempt by our government to develop the plateau even though we know that many countries of the world including some African countries have their economies largely resting on tourism.
One would sometimes have a feeling that, the Mambilla Plateau would be better off if during the 1961 Plebiscite the people of the plateau voted to be part of Cameroon instead of Nigeria.
Apart from tourism, the plateau is capable of supporting the country’s economy considerably. For instance, the Mambilla Plateau houses an expansive tea plantation which is the second largest in the world after the Kolukkumalai Tea Estate in India. In term of cattle rearing and dairy production, the plateau is proudly the best in West Africa and the Mambilla Hydro-dam if harnessed, is capable of solving power problem in Nigeria once and for all.
It will interest you to know that non of the above mentioned important national assets is presently put to use except the Mambilla Highland Tea which after several years of neglect is back to production but at a very low and miserable capacity.
The most disturbing story of this very important place in our country is that; because of bad road, the plateau is about to be cut off from the rest of the country. Travelling to the plateau for the first time, one will wonder if there are inhabitants where he is going because of the condition of the road.
In fact, if in two years’ time nothing is done, the plateau will be completely cut off from all other parts of this country and the people will have no option than to resort to their hitherto relationship with Cameroon which in some part of the plateau is just a trekkable distance.
The plateau has produced several important personalities including Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives (former) and a serving Senator in the country’s House of Assembly. Even if the government is unaware of the situation and the plight of the people of Mambilla Plateau, we believe that these people who were born and brought up on the plateau do not need to be reminded that a very important place in Nigeria is gradually disappearing from the map of the country, hence the need to do the needful before things get out of hand.