Taraba: Tiv Community again cry out for a pronouncement to return home

Taraba: Tiv Community again cry out for a pronouncement to return home

Jethro Yerga, Jalingo

The Tiv Community of Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, has again for the third time, cried out to the Executive Governor of Taraba State Arc Darius Dickson Ishaku to make a formal pronouncement to enable them return to their ancestral homes after three and half years of been displaced from their ancestral homes.

The group made this call at the Palace of the Aku Uka of Wukari were they converge to pay homage and felicitate with His Royal Majesty, Manu Ishaku Ada Ali, Matakitswen who was recently presented staff of office as the 25th Aku Uka of Wukari by the Executive Governor of Taraba State, Arc Darius Dickson Ishaku.

Led by Rev. Joseph Unom Ajaver, Chairman, Tiv Peace Committee, Wukari Local Government and the Chairman, Tiv Cultural and Social Association, Mr, Anthony Shember, the group lamented that the Tiv Community of the Local Government Area are passing through humanitarian challenges that require urgent attention by the government and spirited individuals.

The chairman, Tiv Cultural and Social Association, Mr Anthony Shember, stated that, for the three and half years that the people had been away from their ancestral homes, their economic and social lives had been destabilised thus throwing women and children to a near hopeless situation that requires government urgent attention.

“The people are going through pains with no desired attention from the government. We have done everything necessary to ensure that people sheath their sword for peace to rain in the Local Government but for more than three years now and still counting, our people are still excruciating in pains outside their homes.

“We are appealing to the Executive Governor of Taraba State, Arc Darius Dickson Ishaku to provide relief materials to the displaced persons to cushion the effects of their sufferings and to also give the issue the deserved attention, to enable the people return home and prepare for the forth coming elections”. He added.

The chairman expressed hope that the visit to Aku Uka would provide a positive reaction as the king had also shared in their pains.

In his comment, the Chairman, Tiv Peace Committee, Rev. Joseph Unom Ajaver, commended the elderly and fatherly advice recieved from His Royal Majesty over the unfortunate situation and appealed to the Tiv Community to remain calm as they await government’s decision.

“For sometime now, I have been in and out of Wukari to look for peace. I have move round the 14 Chiefdoms of Wukari with my committee members to solicit for peace from the village heads and the chiefs of the Chiefdoms and by the grace of God, we have been able to bring every body together.

“Today we have paid homage to our Royal Father, His Majesty, Manu Ishaku Ada Ali, The Aku Uka of Wukari and solicited for our safe return to our ancestral homes.

“We are pleased with his fatherly words of encouragement and advice. He had told us that there is noway a Jukun man and a Tiv man will be separated. He has also asked us to be patient with one another and to patiently wait for the government’s decision over the unfortunate situation.

“Am sure the Tiv people have been patient and they would continue to be patient with the government. I however, want to appeal to the Executive Governor of the state, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku, to make a pronouncement that the people should come back to their ancestral homes.

“The governor will build more confidence in the Tiv people and give them the highest jubilation if he makes this pronouncement.

“Am waiting for the day the governor will say come back my people, let us work together. I know it is a very difficult task but am pleading with the governor to be kind and patient with the people and allow them to return home.

“It is time for politics and the people have run away from their polling units. If they don’t come back, how will they vote. I plead with the governor to allow them come back so that we all can put our hands together and vote candidates that will heal our land”. He stated.

While briefing press about the efforts of the committee that was earlier set by the Governor to resettle the IDPs in Chonku and Asa chiefdoms of the Local Government, an adviser to the Executive Governor of Taraba State, Hon. Samson Tor-Musa who is also a member of the committee, noted that the committee had earlier submitted an interim report to the Executive Governor in which it requested for more resources to continue with the assignment but had not yet receive feed back and so could not continue.

Hon Musa who said as a victim of the unfortunate situation, he would have been happier if the committee had expedite it work and return all the displaced persons, expressed dismay that at the moment, some members of the Committee, especially the top security Personel had been transferred out of the state.

He stated that following the impediments, the Tiv people had resolved working as concern citizens of Tiv Displaced Persons of Wukari Local Government and no longer as a committee.

He said they had met with the Executive Governor of Taraba State, Arc Darius Dickson Ishaku where they submitted their call to return home and are patiently waiting to hear from him.

Hon Musa further appealed to the Tiv and Jukun brothers to sheath their swords and trade the path of peace, adding that, they would continue to interact with stakeholders in the area to sustain the peace and get the displaced persons returned to their ancestral homes.

Earlier, in his response at the palace, the Aku Uka, Manu Ishaku Ada Ali had appealed to the Tiv Community of the Local Government to remain calm, peaceful and wait for the Taraba State Government to resettle them in their various ancestral homes.

“I have no any cause to refused the Tiv people from returning back home. They are people of my domain. The Tiv and Jukun have been living together for a long time. It is only a small provocation that brought the upheaval that made us to kill ourselves.

“So I have no objection to their returning home. But then, I don’t have security on my own. The government has to do it.

They must have to wait for the government to bring out the way and to provide security and enabling environment for them to come back. That is what we have been waiting for”. He added.

Recall that following the various upheavals in April 2019, erupted between the Tiv and the Jukun in the Southern Part of the state, thousands of Tiv and Jukun villages were destroyed and several Tiv people who fled their homes for safety, especially in Wukari Local Government Area have remained displaced.