Taraba
Takum Chieftaincy Tussle: Fresh Tension as Jukun Elders Fault Chamba Utterances
By Eleojo Samuel, Jalingo
It is no longer news that the decision by Governor Agbu Kefas, to install a Chamba man as the first class chief of Takum to abolish the age long ‘Ukwe Takum’ traditional Council in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State has generated serious concerns and tension within and outside the state.
Our reporter gathered that a fresh tension is brewing following recent alleged utterances by some Chamba elites that the Chambas having two first class traditional stools in Taraba and are gradually taken over the Kwararafa Chiefdom from the Jukuns who are having only one first class ruler in the State.
According to our sources the Chamba leaders allegedly made the comments recently at Ganye, Adamawa State, during a meeting with Chamba youth Association.
During the said meeting, the Chamba elders allegedly boasted that with General T Y Danjuma, their kinsman, the Chamba ethnic group is capable of displacing any existing traditional institution to their advantage.
It was gathered that these statements by the Chamba elders, did not go down well with prominent Jukun elders in Wukari and Takum who allegedly blamed Governor Kefas for imposing the Chamba tribe as first class chief of Takum to please General Danjuma.
Reacting on the matter, a Jukun elder from Takum, Mr Abraham Tsokwa, who spoke with a group of Journalists in Jalingo on Sunday, expressed dissatisfaction with the measures adopted by governor Kefas in the name of “resolving the Takum Traditional Tussle.”
Tsokwa said history shows that the Chambas whose population are minute in Takum, migrated from Adamawa State and the Cameroon Republic to Taraba and were never part of the Kwararafa kingdom.
He blamed governor Kefas for dancing to the dictates of TY Danjuma, (a Chamba man) to distort the traditional history of Takum Chiefdom, without consulting the Jukun elders of Takum.
He applauded the immediate past governor Darius Ishaku, for resisting every pressure and threat from the retired Chamba army general to temper with the traditional history of the Takum people.
“Ishaku, knowing the implication of toying with history, acted wisely by not subjecting himself to pressure from TY Danjuma, after consulting with elders and considering the historical background surrounding the chieftaincy in Takum.” He said.
According to him the traditional stool of Takum, has been an exclusive right of the Kutebs which they have been occupying since time immemorial. “That is why the title is Ukwe Takum in Kuteb native language.”
He blamed Kefas for playing to the gallery by subverting the interest of the Jukun and transferring them to the Chambas who are already occupying a first class seat in Donga, second class in Dakka, third class seats in Chanchangi and Kashimbila in Takum Local Government and, Suntai Daji, Dakka and Kungana in Bali local government area as well as Nyankula and Rafinkada in Wukari local government.
He expressed bitterness that the Chambas who have an insignificant population in the state, are occupying two first class traditional institutions against the Jukuns with just the Aku Uka as the only first class traditional ruler.
He warned the Chamba people, particularly those within the elders brackets, to exercise restraints in their utterances so as not to create avoidable tension in the state.
“As we await the outcome of the matter at the Appeal court in Yola, I appeal to everyone to restrain from making unguarded utterances bearing in mind the histories of inter ethnic crisis in the locality which no one benefitted.” Tsokwa said.
It could be recalled that Gov. Kefas, few months after his assumption of office tinkered with the age-old Ukwe Takum chieftaincy institution as he installed a Chamba man as a first class chief with third class chief from the Jukun and Kuteb tribes under a rotational arrangement.
The aggrieved tribe is the Kuteb who did not buy into the purported “resolution of the Chieftaincy Tussle” of their respected and predictable mode of succession to the stool of the Ukwe Takum.
The Kuteb tribe swiftly challenged the state government’s decision at a Jalingo High Court and currently at the appeal court in Yola, maintaining that the stool of Ukwe Takum which has been in existence since the creation of Takum must be restored.
Our reporter reliably gathered that recently a three man delegation consisting of a high court judge, a prominent traditional ruler and a renown private legal practitioner from the state were allegedly sent to Yola to influence the appeal number CA/YL/188/2024 filed by the Kuteb people pending before the court.
Aside from this, some Kuteb youths were also allgedly recruited and placed on a N250,000 each monthly allowances for them to feed the government with any information from the camp of the Kuteb on issues pertaining the struggle to reclaim the Ukwe stool..///.
A two-day training program aimed at empowering 537 women and youth from Shira, Yerima, and Sendirde wards in Gassol Local Government Area, Taraba State, kicked off in Mutum Biyu, the local government headquarters.
The program, focused on bar and liquid soap production, is being implemented by Ladun Global Concept Limited, with support from Senator Abubakar Tutare and the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA).
The initiative, designed to enhance self-reliance and community development, provides participants with practical skills that they can apply in both personal and commercial ventures. At the opening ceremony, Alhaji Isa Gunduma, chairman of the event, urged participants to seize the opportunity to learn and practice the skills being taught.
He emphasized that the training could be a transformative experience for their personal growth and the betterment of their communities.
CEO of Ladun Global Concept Limited, Mallum Abuga, reassured participants that the skills acquired during the training would not only improve their livelihoods but would also contribute to the overall development of their local communities.
He urged them to use the knowledge gained to create sustainable opportunities for themselves and others.
A director at the BCDA, Mr. Nesting Ovie, noted that the training would also cover the production of other household items in addition to soap. He stressed that the goal was to make participants self-reliant and empower them to teach others, thereby spreading the benefits of the program even further.
In her address, one of the program facilitators, Mrs. Hauwa Pogumai, encouraged the trainees to apply their skills with integrity and strive for excellence. She commended the participants for their commitment to the training and the organizers for their dedication to community empowerment.
The training underscores the commitment of Senator Abubakar Tutare, the Border Communities Development Agency, and Ladun Global Concept Limited to fostering skill acquisition and economic empowerment in rural communities across Taraba State.
From Eleojo Samuel Adaji Jalingo
The former Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and Pro Chancellor of the Kwararafa University Wukari, Taraba State, Engr. Dr. Andrew Yakubu Laah said he advocated for the creation of a department of Kwararafa history at the institution to preserve the Kwararafa cultural history as a foundation for a progressive future.
Dr. Yakubu stated this last Weekend shortly after he was awarded with a honorary doctorate degree in Science by the community based university in Wukari.
He explained that understanding historical roots is significant in shaping a promising future, saying, “If we do not know where we are coming from, we may not likely know where we are going”.
The former GMD added that being a descendant of the great Kwararafa Kingdom, inspired him to advocate for the creation of the department, stressing that it will open room for historians across the world to visit the University for more authentic insight on the history of the kingdom.
Dr. Yakubu also explained the need for the Middle belt and other cultures across the country to embrace their rich cultural heritage as a means of positioning themselves as leaders rather than just following the global trend.
“For us to stand out as a unique kingdom, and to compete with other cultures across the globe, we must invest and celebrate our unique cultural heritage.
“While the world should be competing with us as first-generation leaders in culture and creativity, we have abandoned that position. It is time to do things differently by investing in uplifting our culture”, he said.
Dr. Yakubu further pledged to use his connections and experience to rally round support for the development of the University.
“The ultimate aim is to make the university self-sufficient and better positioned to serve the community’s educational needs.
“We will come up with a scheme to enhance the teaching and learning environments within the school and give the students access to high-quality educational opportunities.
The School was founded in 2005 as a community based university, by the Jukun chiefdom, under the leadership of the paramount ruler, the Aku Uka, to
focus on students’ intellectual and moral development.//.
From Eleojo Samuel Adaji Jalingo
A philanthropist and founder of Mecapacynth International Academy in Abuja and Wukari local government area of Taraba State, Chief Dr. David Sabo Kente, has urged the descendant of the Kwararafa dynasty and other well-meaning Nigerians to support the community-based Kwararafa University, Wukari, Taraba State to meet its academic mission.
Dr. Kente pleaded with all stakeholders to do everything possible to rescue the university from collapsing.
The philanthropist who made the plea shortly after he was awarded with a honorary doctorate degree of public service at the 2nd joint convocation ceremony of the university held at the school premises last weekend said the founders of the institution needed to be encouraged to meet up with their aspiration.
“Let us do our best to make Kwararafa University a place to be proud of,” he said.
The business tycoon thanked the University community, especially the Senate for finding him worthy of the award.
Kente, pledged to continue supporting education and the sustenance of the institution, which is one of first Africa community University.
He said he rejected offers of such awards from five major universities across Nigeria to be honored with a doctorate degree, but decided to accept the one from a university founded by his community because the initiative is so dear to him.
“Ask my aides. I have rejected offers from five universities to be honored with a doctorate degree, but I accepted this one because the university is dear to me and the honour is coming directly from my community. I appreciate the honour and I won’t take it for granted
Dr. Kente, a former financial facilitator on education with the North East Development Commission (NEDC), said he has helped in facilitating the building of lecture halls and staff quarters in the institution while working with the commission.
“Asides from that I have personally built structures in the University and I have a scholarship program in the University through my foundation, DSK foundation “said.
Kente added, he would continue to deploy his God-given ability of working hard to achieve positive and admirable results in the country’s educational landscape, especially in the Kwararafa University.
He disclosed that the Kwararafa University was conceived by the five local governments in Southern Taraba, but nurtured by only a few people.”
“It was through the collective efforts of some stakeholders, including the staff and students that the university is surviving, I am calling on all the descendants of the great Kwararafa empire and all well meaning Nigerians to help the university attain its vision and projection.”
Apart from Chief Dr. Kente, notable individuals also received awards including Attah Igala, Alaji Mathew Opaluwa Oguche Akpa II who was awarded with doctor of letters and former Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Engr Andrew Yakubu, was awarded doctor of science.///.
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