Gov. Ishaku Disburses N310 Million to Victims of Mambila Crisis

Governor Darius Ishaku has disbursed the sum of Three Hundred Million Naira to victims of the 2017/2018 crisis on the Mambilla Plateau in Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State.

The disbursement was done in Gembu, headquarters of Sardauna LGA through the Crisis Victims Support Scheme phase one, which was introduced by the Governor.

While addressing the crisis victims, Governor Ishaku regretted the evil occurrence which he said had killed no fewer than Two Hundred and Sixty-Four persons and destroyed properties worth billions of naira between 2017 and 2018.

He said the figure of those killed in the crisis as being authenticated by the fact-finding committee that was set up by the State Government had proven wrong media speculations that thousands of people had been killed.

The Governor expressed happiness for the return of peace among the five tribes on the Mambilla Plateau and called on the people to sustain the hard-earned peace to attract more development to their area.

“Am not here to compensate the victims of the crisis that occurred here on the Mambila. The government cannot have enough to compensate you for the loss you have incurred, especially considering that lives have been lost. But l am here to support you so that you can start living normally again and to also urge you to leave peacefully.

“Am at peace now that l am here to witness that peace has returned to your domain. However, let me sound this warning to those who find joy in circulating fake news on Facebook and other social media mainly to cause confusion and hatred among people that it must stop and we have to desist from that if we want to keep up a healthy society.

The governor also called on the people of Sardauna LGA who are on the border with Cameroon to help accommodate the Cameroonian refugees coming into Nigeria as a result of the crisis in their country.

“When our people had a crisis here, I understand many of our sons and daughters ran to Cameroon to take refuge and they were well treated over there.  Now that they are also in trouble, it is our turn to reciprocate the good gesture” he stressed.

The Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Abel Peter Diah who is also an indigene of the Plateau while commending the peace initiated by Governor Ishaku, called on him to establish tertiary institutions within the area to train youths and create employment among them.

The Speaker assured the Governor that all those affected by crisis had returned to their various homes and were leaving peacefully with one another.