Governor Darius Ishaku has bemoaned the recent Tiv/Jujun crisis that rocked farming settlements in Rafinkada and Kente both in wukari local area of the state.
According to a press statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Bala Dan Abu, the Governor Ishaku is saddened by unfortunate violent clashes between Jukuns and their Tiv neighbours in Kente and Rafinkada which occurred on Friday May 10, 2019.
According to the statement, the latest crisis, like the ones before resulted in the loss of innocent lives and the destruction of valuable properties.
He described the incident as unfortunate and should not be allowed to happen again.
The Governor noted that the Jukuns and Tiv living in the border communities have every reason to live in peace. They are both farmers struggling to erk a living mainly from the produce from their farms and therefore peace between the two groups is essential for this to be sustained for their mutual benefit.
Governor Ishaku said it is crucial for residents of these communities to deliberately seek and promote peace between themselves.
He further directed security agencies to move to the scenes of the crisis in Kente and Rafinkada.
Governor Ishaku is also aware that relative peace has been achieved through this intervention. But he is appealing to leaders of these communities to play their part by prevailing on their people to drop their weapons and to cooperate with the security agencies to ensure that peace is sustained among them.
The Governor also condemned the attacks and killings of innocent people in some farmers communities in Ardo Kola and Jalingo LGAs and the reprisal attacks thereafter.
He warned the opposing factions to sheathe the sword and embrace peace. He said security agencies have been instructed to deal ruthlessly with those promoting the crises and the killings in the state.
Bala Dan Abu
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity
May 11,2019
The need for people on the Mambilla Plateau to eschew all forms of bitterness for the sake of peace and development has again been brought to the fore.
This was the focal point when Governor Ishaku paid a visit to the Chief of Mambilla, Audu Baju in his Palace at Gembu, Sardauna Local Government Area.
Governor Ishaku assured the people of his determination to include coffee and barley farming on the Plateau since he had conquered tea if they are able to sustain peace.
He stressed that despite the frustration on the release of funds to the State by the Federal Government, he had been able to initiate viable programs and expressed optimism that Mambilla Plateau would soon be an envious town in the country.
The Governor also promised to renovate the palace of the paramount ruler of the Mambilla Plateau, Audu Baju.
Commenting, the Chief of Mambilla, Shehu Audu Baju commended the efforts of Governor Darius Ishaku that has made the return of peace to the area a possibility.
He also pledged the unflinching support of all people of the chiefdom for the reelection bid of Governor Darius Ishaku.
Deputy Governor Haruna Manu, Commissioners of Science and Technology and of Housing, Hamman Gassol and Mohammed Ndignay, some Special Advisers and other political aides accompanied the Governor.
The Mbondua Mbamnga, HRH, Amb. Dr. Emmanuel Quiltomi Njiwah says the creation of Mbamnga Chiefdom by Governor Darius Ishaku remains the greatest achievement of the present generation of the Mbamnga race.
HRH, Amb. Dr. Emmanuel Quiltomi Njiwah delivering his speech at the ceremony.
He stated this during the inauguration of the Mbamnga traditional guest house and office by Governor Darius Ishaku at Mbamnga, Sardauna Local Government Area.
Picture of some Commissioners and stakeholders that were present during the ceremony.
According to him, successive administrations for the past sixty years had failed to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people emphasizing that Governor Darius Ishaku had broken the record by living an indelible mark in the sands of time.
The monarch revealed that Mbamnga is a town on the international highway linking Nigeria and Cameroon which places it on the platform to host bilateral consultations and other exigencies.
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.
His Excellency, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku commissioning a rural electrification project in Donga Local Government Area.
Taraba State Governor, Arc. Darius Ishaku has said his administration’s aggressive approach to rural electrification will boost the State’s economy and create jobs for the people.
The governor stated this on Monday while commissioning the 1×7.5/MVA/33/11/KV electricity injection substation in Donga Local Government Area in continuation of his rural electrification project in the State.
He explained that he conceived the vision of building electricity injection substations in the State five years ago while serving as Minister of Power because Taraba was the most under-served in terms of electricity.
“Without efforts like these the Kashimbila Power project will not be of benefit to the people of Taraba. So, this is the third of such injection power substation we have built and very soon, I will commission that of Mutum Biyu.
“Work on the Kashimbila Power project has been completed and remains just the connection of one transmission line. So, when that is done, the people of this area should have 24 hours of electricity and these substations will help in stepping down the electricity.
“I have rallied round the six Governors in the North East to join hands with me to harness the benefits that would be derived from the Mambilla and Kashimbila hydro power projects for the economic growth of the region.
“With steady electricity, small businesses will thrive better and that would boost the economy of my people. It will be a disservice if we are producing power and our people are not benefiting from it,” he said.
Taraba State Government said it is set to assist more local rice farmers to produce enough rice to feed the nation and check huge import bills on rice into the country.
His Excellency, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku.
Governor Darius Ishaku who disclosed this on Sunday at the thanksgiving church service to mark the 80th birthday celebration of the Chief of Donga, Dr. Stephen Bayonga said the State Government has so far assisted 17,000 rice farmers in the past two years.
“We held a meeting with the Federal Government over the high import bills on rice and we all agreed to work hard to stop the importation of rice into the country.
“Taraba alone can feed the nation with rice and cut the N800bn being spent yearly on rice import. So, I want to call on the people of the State to return to farming.
“On our part, we are poised to assist more rice farmers to produce enough rice to feed the nation, boost economy and check poverty,” he said.
The governor congratulated the Gara of Donga for clocking 80 years and prayed God to grant him good health and wisdom to rule.
In his remarks, the celebrant, The Gara of Donga, Dr. Stephen Bayonga thanked God for sparing his life to see his 80th birthday and appreciated the people who turned out to celebrate with him.
Bayonga called on the Governor to consider the construction of the Donga – Mararaba road to ease movement of people and for economic growth of the area.
Resident Pastor of CRC-N Donga, Rev. Enoch Aboki in his sermon enjoined the people to always appreciate God and never forget the good things God has done in their lives.
Rev. Aboki called on the Governor to deal with the security situation in the area especially in kidnapping and armed robbery.
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 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.
