Gondo Aluor

Gondo Aluor (1906 – 17 September 1978) , commonly called Mallam Gondo Aluor, was a Nigerian traditional ruler who served as the second Tor Tiv, paramount ruler of the Tiv people, from 1956 until his death in 1978. Prior to his accession to the throne, he served as a teacher and as the chief scribe and later deputy of the Tor Tiv of the Tiv Native Authority.

Aluor's reign covered the last years of British colonial rule, the independence of Nigeria in 1960, the political turmoil in Tivland during the First Republic and the Nigerian Civil War, as well as the creation of Benue State in 1976. He was at the heart of the conflict between the Northern People's Congress (NPC) and the United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC) headed by Joseph Tarka when he was at the helm of the Tiv Native Authority.

Early life and career Aluor was born in 1906 and was a member of the Ichongo branch of Tiv genealogy, the section of the Ugondo branch. He was from what is now Logo Local Government Area of Benue State and had completed Middle IV education in the early 1920s; thereafter, he started teaching in 1924.

Aluor became one of the two leading contenders for the office of Tor Tiv when it was created in 1946. He was from the Ichongo lineage, and Makir Zakpe, who was a former soldier, was from the Ipusu lineage. Aluor remained in the Native Authority administration and in 1948 was appointed deputy Tor Tiv to replace Zakpe, who was chosen as the first Tor Tiv.

Aluor presided over the Tiv Native Authority and Tiv Central Council as Tor Tiv. These institutions had administrative and judicial functions in Tivland within the framework of the regional system inherited from colonial rule. He was also recognised as one of the principal traditional rulers of the old Benue Province and made a member of the Northern Region's House of Chiefs, and later, chairman of the Benue State Council of Chiefs.

First Republic politics Aluor's early rule coincided with growing political tension between the Northern Regional Government, dominated by the NPC, and the UMBC, a Middle Belt party led by Joseph Tarka. The UMBC received enormous support from the Tiv and challenged the political power of the NPC and regional Native Authority system.

After the military coup of January 1966, the regional political system came to an end. Aluor continued to be Tor Tiv in the new Benue-Plateau State until 1967, when Benue State was created. He became the chairman of the Benue State Council of Chiefs.

Death and succession Aluor died on 17 September 1978 after about 22 years on the throne.

Legacy Aluor was the first Tor Tiv from the ruling lineage of Ichongo, and the only one who challenged the 1946 selection and later sat on the stool. His rule was one of the longest in the history of the institution and spanned the period of transition from colonial rule to independence and the emergence of Tiv politics in the Nigerian federation.

His career also saw the evolution of the Tor Tiv institution. The office was created by the colonial government as part of the centralised Native Authority government and became a symbol of Tiv identity and unity during and after Aluor's reign. A road in Gboko was named after him, Gondo Aluor Way.