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The residents of the Mambilla Plateau, Sardauna Local Government Council of Taraba on Sunday said they regretted their action of taking up arms against one another saying, it had delayed development of the area.
They said this at a town hall meeting with a high powered Assessment Committee set up by Gov. Darius Ishaku to quantify the damage caused by recurrent crisis to rebuilding affected areas.
Rev. Godwill Sol, the Caretaker Chairman of the council, noted at the event that the people of the area have vowed not to ever allow crisis to retard their development.
Sol explained that the people could not afford to toy with the peace that was needed for the take off of the 3,050 mega watts Mambilla Hydro Power Dam and other projects earmarked for the area by the State Government.
Alhaji Jibo Mbamga, the Chairman of Fulani Chiefs (Ardo’s) forum in the council noted that all his members had assessed the situation and decided to say no to conflict for the good of their subjects.
“The recurrent crisis have been causing harm than good to all the ethnic groups on the Mambilla Plateau.
“Our people have resolved to say no to anything that would breed crisis in this community.” He stressed.
In his contributions, Alhaji Saleh Dulah, the Chairman of village Chiefs (Joros) forum explained that most of the crisis that had occurred in the area could not be traced to any convincing reason.
Dulah pledged the village chiefs commitment to ensuring permanent peace on the plateau for rapid development.
Dr. Shehu Baju, the Chief of Mambilla told the committee earlier at a courtesy call on him that the traditional council had gone round to take census of all the destruction caused by the crisis.
Baju noted that many of his subjects, who were displaced by the June, 2017 and March 2018 crises have returned to their homes after getting assurance of restoration of peace by the government.
Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Amb. Emmanuel Njiwah had told the people that the mission of the 19 member committee was to find out the correct number of deaths, houses burnt, cows stolen or killed and other properties destroyed during the two crisis.
Njiwah, a former Nigeria Ambassador to the Republic of Cameroon explained that the report of the committee would be followed immediately with support by Ishaku for rehabilitation of victims.
He said the sub-technical committee made up of quantity surveyors, architects and site engineers would do a thorough job in all the villages affected for right compensation.
Representatives of Mambilla, Fulani, Kambu, Kaka and Panso ethnic groups who spoke at the event were unanimous on the resolve to keep permanent peace for rapid development.
Our correspondent reports that the committee later proceeded on the assessment tour of affected villages beginning from Yerimaru, Kasala saa, Nyiwa and Gimba among others.
