By Rayyanu Bala. Iam deeply constrained to write this rejoinder to the above opinion piece circulating on some social media platforms. Although writing such a rejoinder may amount to dignifying the author, who, from all indications, was out to plant the seed of acrimony and discord among the peace-loving people of Nasarawa State, However, I select to write only to stop the author on his track to mislead the unsuspecting and gullible among us. For the purpose of putting the record straight, Nasarawa state was created by the late General Sani Abacha in October 1996, principally to jumpstart the socioeconomic development of the people of the then lower plateau, and it has been proven now that the creation of Nasarawa state has really served as a conveyor belt for the development of the hitherto underdeveloped lower plateau; the exercise (state creation) has facilitated the spread of socioeconomic amenities and opportunities for the people of the lower plateau. Therefore, there is no amount of sound words that can deceive people into believing that Nasarawa State was created to serve the interests of one religion or the interests of Hausa or Fulani, as the author wants us to believe. By the nature of our sophistication, we in Nasarawa State have since outgrown such a sentiment.The name Nasarawa was chosen not with the intention of mocking any religion or tribe in Nasarawa State, as the author of the said article is insinuating. Far from it. The name Nasarawa/NASARA which translated into English means victory, was chosen just to symbolize the successes recorded after a long but protracted battle by the people of the lower plateau for self-rule. Yes, from start to finish, the author of the write-up has only succeeded in exhibiting his detestation for Islam and Muslims in Nasarawa State. Or how else can one describe this statement in his write-up? “Thirdly, there is the fact that Islam did not spread among the indigenous people in this region due to the jihad wars, because as at the time the British came and in all early colonial documents, Islam as a religion was practically non-existent among the indigenous people of Upper Benue (Nasarawa). There is hardly any Alago, Agatu, Afo Gade, Eggon, or Egbura Muslim today who can claim that his or her family has been Muslims for the last 6-7 generations (from 1850–1880), and that is why most family names within this area are not Islamic or even Hausa-influenced”. He even went on to adduce that “Islam started spreading among the indigenous people of Nasarawa at the beginning of the colonial era when there was greater mobilization and political integration and when the British encouraged indirect rule, which favored the Fulani/Hausa settlers and their Emirates over Indigenous people. So, in what aspect were these invading jihadists victorious”? From the above quotations, every right-thinking individual cannot help but be convinced about the deep-rooted hatred that author harbours against Islam and Muslims. One grievous mistake some people are making is that in Islam there is nothing like an old or new convert; once you accept Islam, you become the same in ranking before God. The one that is higher in ranking is the one that is more pious. What that author is trying to achieve is to create a big division among the ranks of Muslims in Nasarawa State using the veil of ethnicity. But he is late in coming, as all Muslims, regardless of ethnic or cultural background, see one another as one, and that is what Islam has been preaching all along. Of course, there are some people in Nasarawa State today who are not comfortable with the present political arrangement and want to disrupt it at all costs using all necessary tricks; but they would surely fail as the history of the creation of Nasarawa State is full of instances where ethnic and religious differences played no part. For example, neither the late HRH Otaki Agbo 11, the Osana of Keana, nor the late HRH Mallam Ishaku Bulus The Esu Karu, Late Gamu Yare, Chun Mada, Late HRH Bala Abene Angbazo, Aren Eggon, Late HRH Paul Azige, the Zhe Migili, and Late HRH Isa Mustapha Agwai 1, the Emir of Lafia, Late HRH Muhammadu Chindo Yamusa, the Emir of Keffi, Late HRH Usman Idrisu, the Ohimege Opanda, Late Ibrahim Ramalan Abubakar, the Emir of Nasarawa, Late Yahaya Ari, and the Andoma of Doma, among other traditional rulers, considered their religious or ethnic background before they signed the Memo for the creation of Nasarawa state. Also, John Awa Viko, Late Emmanuel Otaki Elayo, Late James Akabe, Late Amos Idakula, Mr Philip Iyakwari, Mr Anthony Sani, Mr Philip Ajeh, Late Ignatus Nuhu Aboki, Senator Solomon Ewuga, Mr Philip Dada, Mrs Mary Galadima, Dr Aaron Abubakar, Umaru Sulaiman Azores, Late Adamu Musa, Sulaiman Ubam, Late Abubakar Kana, Muhammadu Wada, Late Ibrahim Okposhi, Late Yahaya Sabo, Ahmadu Al-makura. Sarkin Kwandare, the late Kasimu Idris, and the late Dr. Dalhatu Araf, among other important personalities, equally did not view their different ethnic or religious affiliations before they signed the Memorandum for State Creation. All these important personalities whom God has blessed us with in Nasarawa State were all unanimous in believing in the creation of Nasarawa state and in the unity of the people; hence, they fought relentlessly without any due consideration to their respective ethnic and religious identities until the dream for creation of Nasarawa state was realized. We must therefore not allow anybody much less, the author of that piece to waste these efforts of our founding fathers in Nasarawa State. We must all shine our eyes and be wary of those failed politicians who have nothing other than disdain for our collective intelligence. The people of Nasarawa State have come of age.