Tension in Taraba as ethnic groups give Ishaku 30 days ultimatum to address alleged injustice

Some major ethnic groups in Taraba State on Friday lamented alleged injustices meted out to them by some actors in the state and urged Governor Darius Ishaku to address the alleged injustices within 30 days.

At a press conference in Jalingo, Chairman of the groups, Obed Ameh who was flanked by some tribal leaders alleged that Mumuye, Fulani, Tiv and Kuteb ethnic groups were made to suffer unjustly in the state.

The groups alleged that since 1996 when the stool of Ukwe Takum (a Kuteb chief) became vacant due to the demise of the late Ukwe Ali Ibrahim Zorto, there have been attempts to deny the Kuteb people access to the stool.

“This later culminated in series in that area that consumed several lives and property worth billions of naira.

“We want to draw the attention of the world to an alleged devilish plan to appoint three third class chiefs in Takum town which has never happened anywhere in the world. The gazette to this plot is being developed.

“We wish to call on the state government, to, as a matter of urgency, fill in the vacant stool of Ukwe from Likam ruling house within 30 days so as to avert further crisis in Takum.”

The group also said the state government should create Chiefdoms for the Mumuye in Jalingo, Lau and Ardo-kola local government areas in the interest of justice.

This is even as the group said the Kwararafa, Chanchanji, Chonku, Kona, Bakula, Bakin-dutse chiefdoms were wrongly created and major ethnic groups were denied their cultural and traditional rights of rulership, instead minorities were made to rule over the majorities in the areas, urging the governor to correct the injustice.

On the vacant stool of Lamdo Bakundi in

Bali local government, the group called on the government to install a new chief from the deceased lineage without further delay, just as was done in Donga and other places in the state.

While lamenting the Jukun/tiv crisis in the state, the groups said the over one year crisis that has claimed many lives and destroyed property worth millions of naira would have been averted if justice was on a play.

“We wish to call on the warring factions to sheath their sword and the government should urgently set machineries in motion to allow both parties who were displaced to go back to their homes to continue with their normal businesses unconditionally.

“We also urge the state government to take proactive measures to ensure that the Hausa/fulani who were displaced in the Jukun/hausa-fulani crisis of 2014 in Wukari are allowed to go back to their land unconditionally and their property given back to them so as to allow peace reign in Wukari.”

Reacting to the allegations, Taraba State Commissioner for Information and Re-orientation, Danjuma Adamu said the people reserved the right to express their feelings in a violence-free manner and that government will look into their grievances if presented through the right channels.

He explained that some of the issues pre-date the administration and that the governor was following due process in addressing them in the interest of peace.

Adamu said the people were free to return to their places and that nobody was preventing the Hausa-fulani in particular as presented by the group from returning to Wukari.

“Due process was followed in the creation of the chiefdoms and people applied. So, if some people feel aggrieved they should follow the right channel, without resorting to violence. On the Tiv/jukun crisis, the government is doing everything possible to resolve the issues.”