Gbong Gwom Jos

Gbong Gwom of Jos
Incumbent
Jacob Gyang Buba since 1 August 2009
Details
Style	His Royal Highness, His Majesty
First monarch	Dachung Gyang as Gwom, Gbong Duk Shot (King of the Berom Central Tribal Court); Dagwom Riyom; Gwom Kwallak
Formation	1935, Riyom and recognised on 22 February, 1936 by appointment of David McDonald, Resident of the British Colonial Government for Plateau Province
Residence	Jishe, Jos
Appointer	selected through election by the kingmakers (Jos Joint Traditional Council) and approved by the Government of Plateau State

Jos Vwel Berom Jos–Bukuru Metropolis
Metropolitan
Jos Joint Traditional Council
Jos Location in Nigeria
Coordinates: 09°55′00″N 08°53′25″E
Country	Nigeria
State	Plateau State
Time zone	GMT+1

The Gbong Gwom Jos stool (// ^ⓘest. 1935 – present) is a traditional royal institution in the Middle-Belt region of Nigeria, that reigns over the Berom tribe of Jos and Greater Jos (Jos North, Jos South, Riyom and Barkin-Ladi) + parts of Southern Kaduna in what is a collective traditional government called the Jos Joint Traditional Council of Chiefs (high chiefs of the Berom Quartet namely: Barkin-Ladi, Jos North, Jos South and Riyom) of which the Gbong Gwom is President. Gbong Gwom Jos is Berom for 'Most Eminent King of Jos'. It was preceded by the Gwom Gbong Duk Shot in Kwallak, Riyom anglicised as King of The Central Tribal Court the original royal court of the Berom tribe and other native peoples of Jos which was crafted under the auspices of the Government of British Colonial Nigeria (Plateau Province) and presided over by DaGwom Dachung Gyang, King of Riyom since 1935 and ratified in 1936. By 1947 the Gwom Gbong Duk Shot stool became vacant, and Rwang Pam with the help of the colonial government moved the stool to the more central and less extreme location of Jos and evolved into Sarkin Jos (Hausa for King of Jos) albeit very temporarily. Besides governing the Jos Joint Traditional Council, the occupant of the stool and bearer of the title also doubles as the Chairman of the Plateau State Traditional Council of Chiefs. The Gbong Gwom Jos is the embodiment of a unique blend of royalty and the collective tradition of the Berom peoples. Though embedded in the geographic north of Nigeria, it differs from neighbouring royal institutions that are mostly Islamic emirates and vassal states of the Sokoto Caliphate such as Bauchi, Zazzau, Lafia, Bida and Ilorin. From 1935 till date, Fom Bot holds the record of the longest reigning occupant of the Gbong Gwom Jos stool reigning from his accession on 26 August, 1969 to his death on 1 December, 2002 (33 years).

The Gbong Gwom Jos succession doesn't follow the usual dynastic succession laws of many ancient monarchies around the world but follows a much democratic process as determined by the king makers of Jos (Be Gwom Rweis) as such no Gbong Gwom since 1935 has ever been succeeded by his heir. The process is thus heavily sanctioned and influenced by the incumbent politicians that run the government at the time of passing of any given occupant of the throne.

At the coronation of His Royal Highness Fom Bot on 20 March 1970, the Gbong Gwom Jos monarchical institution was elevated to first class by His Excellency, the Military Governor of Benue-Plateau State Joseph Dechi Gomwalk.

Following the death of His Royal Highness Fom Bot, in 2003 renowned historian of the Berom people and the then BECO (Berom Education and Cultural Organisation) president Sen Luka Gwom Zangabat cautioned his fellow tribesmen to desist from portraying divergent views on the succession process to fill in the vacant throne.

List of Gbong Gwoms Jos

• Dachung Gyang (1935–1941)
• Rwang Pam (1947–1969)
• Fom Bot (1970–2002)
• Victor Pam (2004–2009)
• Jacob Gyang Buba (incumbent since 1 August 2009)