Mutum Biyu: Where monarch spearheads community development
The Chief of Mutum Biyu Chiefdom in Taraba State, Justice Sani Suleiman, has been bringing his subjects together to identify and solve problems peculiar to the area.
The desire for any traditional ruler to personally lead in the development of his subjects is exemplified by the efforts of the Chief of Mutum Biyu Chiefdom in Taraba State, Justice Sani Suleiman (rtd). Education, agriculture, health care delivery, security and business empowerment among others are what the chief has been championing to better of his subjects and others residing in his domain. In fact, the former High Court Judge has been a strong advocate of human and physical developments with the introduction of programmes and innovations to add value to the chiefdom.
The chief is of the view that to achievement advancement in the society there must be a departure from how things are done especially in this part of the country.
The monarch said, “It is not only sitting in the palace that will bring change in our environment. As leaders, we have to guide our subjects properly and focus more on issues and programmes capable of advancing our society.”
In order to achieve these, the monarch convened a meeting of his subjects where it was discovered that the area was educationally backwards and a sizeable number of parents are refusing to send their children or wards to school. The girl-child is mostly affected and qualified teachers were lacking.
Apart from these problems, it was discovered that many orphans and lessprivileged children were not in school due to lack of sponsorship.
However, in order to tackle these challenges, an endowment fund was launched under the Mutum Biyu Development Association and over N7million was realized on the spot while many pledges were made. Part of the proceeds was used to sponsor 120 orphans and less-privileged children to primary and secondary schools selected from the six districts in the chiefdom. The Chairman of the association, Alhaji Tukura Julde, said the children were provided with uniforms, books, feeding and medical care among other items.
Justice Suleiman told Daily Trust on Sunday that with the backing of the association, the idea was that with many professionals from the chiefdom working in diverse sectors and doing well, it is their turn to give back to their domain.
“We have professors, PhD holders and other professionals as well as businessmen who are doing very well. Now it is their turn to give what the society gave them when were young by giving scholarships to orphans, and less privileged in our community,” the monarch noted.
Not stopping at that, the monarch also is trying to check criminality in the area. He convened a meeting of all stakeholders, religious leaders, village and district heads as well as members of other ethnic groups residing the chiefdom to chart a way to curb insecurity.
The monarch emphasized the need for every member of the community to be security conscious and at the same time report suspicious persons to his palace and the security agents.
He also threatened to sanction any district head that allow strangers to settle in their domain without getting to know them better and forwarding information to his palace on them.
Retired Justice Suleiman told Daily Trust on Sunday that the step was necessary in view of the fact many criminals relocate to the area without the notice of security agents.
He said community leaders have a moral duty to ensure the protection of lives and property of their subjects adding that in doing so, they must be proactive and put necessary measures to ensure no criminal use the area as a hide out.
He particularly mentioned Tutare, Nanmai and Shiri districts were incidents of kidnappings and armed robbery were recorded in recent time and urged the district heads to act and raise to the occasion by monitoring movements and people that come to settled in order to check and flush out criminals.
“We encouraged peaceful coexistence in our domain that is why whatever are doing we include all ethnic and religious groups residing here. Children of Igbos and other ethnic nationalities who are orphans were among the 120 we sponsored to school,” the monarch stated.
That’s not all the monarch also ensured that his subjects helped contribute in the repair of some dilapidated primary and secondary schools structure as well as providing potable water.
Part of the amount realized at the endowment was also expended in entrepreneurship skill training.
The women were taught various skills and at the end of their training 100 out of the 500 women were given an interest free loan of N10,000 each payable in six months.
The royal father, while presenting the loan told the beneficiaries, said they should not consider the amount too small but utilize it properly.
According to him, most successful entrepreneurs started with small capital. Similar, about 40 youths were also trained in shoes-making, carpentry, building and welding, electrical and solar engineering among others.
He commended people in the chiefdom for their contribution toward moving the area to a higher level.
Clearly, the royal father connects well with his subjects showing an example of a good shepherd.