Governor Ishaku Broker Peace Between Takum’s KUTEB and TIVS
Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku has reechoed the need for peaceful co-existence among communities in Taraba state for his administration to achieve meaningful development.
The Governor made this known at a Peace and Reconciliation meeting held at the Secretariat of Reformed Church of Christ for Nations, RCCN, in Takum.
The meeting was organized by the President of the Church Risae Yakubu Shamaki in collaboration with other churches. The Tiv and Kuteb people have lived in harmony in southern part of Taraba State for centuries but violent clashes between them from 2006 till date have led to loss of lives and displacement of many from their homes and farmlands.
The clashes have also often turned the Federal Highways passing through these communities such as the Takum-Katsina Ala, Takum-Kashimbilla, Takum-Wukari and many other routes to unsafe passages when such crises erupt.
Worried by these crises, the RCCN in collaboration with CRCN, Catholic and NKST churches in Takum Local Government initiated a peace and reconciliation meeting for the two tribes to interact and see the need for peace.
In attendance at the forum in Takum, Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku appealed to the people to yield grounds and allow historical antecedents of peace which bonded their fore-fathers to reign.
Reverend Risae Yakubu Shamaki who is the Chairman of the peace and reconciliation meeting urged the people to embrace love to guide them through, warning that food shortage is likely if the crisis persists because their citizens will not be able to go to farms for their usual agricultural activities.
During the interaction session, participants blamed the clashes on shortage of farm-lands; engaging of militias and criminal gangs to fight; and the loss of mutual respect.
They vowed towards re-establishing an enduring peace. The meeting was earlier held in Jalingo and the State Governments of Taraba and Benue states have met on different occasions to address the situation with a joint committee set-up.