Tension In Taraba State Over Plans To Rotate Kingship Stool
OpenLife Nigeria reports that the intention of governor Darius Dickson Ishaku of Taraba state to rotate the kingship stool of Ukwe Takum among the Kuteb,Chamba and Kpanzon ethnic groups, has begun to ignite dust in the state.
Since the pronouncement, speedy tension has been building up in the state, especially in the Southern parts of Taraba.
Various groups have been pressing on the governor to let the sleeping dog lie by dropping his purported plans to rotate the stool which the Kuteb nation believed to be solely their birthright.
On Thursday, one of such groups, Southern Taraba Youths Coalition for Peace, STYCOP,expressed dismay over the plan is the
Led by its President, Ambassador Rikwense Muri, the group is insisting that the Ukwe stool belong to the Kuteb and no any other tribe.
Citing the historical background of the stool, they beckoned at the governor and those hatching the rotational plans to as a matter of urgency discard such acts by giving peace the much desired chances in the state.
The group who further argued that no attempt has ever been made to dabble into the affairs of other chiefdoms and Emirates within the state wondered why that of Ukwe, should suddenly be different.
Stressing that “they are aware that the stool belongs to Kuteb alone while the council belongs to all indigenes of Takum” hence, according to them “the Choice of Ukwe Ali Ibrahim to succeed Ukwe Audu, who succeeded Ukwe Ibrahim Kuffan I, who succeeded Ukwe Hassan, who succeeded Ukwe Ahmadu who was the first 3rd Class and recognized Paramount Ruler of Takum.”
Buttressing their argument with the 1963 gazette enacted by the Northern Nigeria Regional Government which they said “officially reserve the stool for the Kuteb ruling families of Likam and Akente” they felt sad that “While we do all within our power to support the preservation of their culture they are doing everything possible to destroy and bastardize ours.”
Wondering what some of “our brothers who are supporting rotation of Ukwe Takum stands to gain” they said “It is an unnecessary controversy and distortion of history just to prolong the installation of Ukwe Takum” adding that “Justice now seems to be an orphan in Southern Taraba as it is clear that the government lacks the will do the right thing in the interest of sustainable peace.”
The governor, it would be recalled earlier, said that his administration had concluded an arrangement to send an executive bill to the Taraba State House of Assembly to make the first Class Ukwe stool in Takum to rotate between Chamba, Kuteb and Kpanzon.
Ishaku, who has fashioned out plans to start the rotation exercise with the Chamba in this new arrangement” was observed to have solicited for the support of stakeholders from the area stressing that “we need your support in the interest of peace, inclusiveness and development.”
Other aggrieved groups have also vowed to walk extra legitimate miles to frustrate the move from seeing the light of the day.
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