There are strange herdsmen in Taraba – Aku Uka

Your Royal Majesty, Wukari has had crises in the past but the current one appears to have taken an unusual dimension; what do you think is the origin of the current crisis?Let me make it clear that this current crisis did not start from here; we were not the people who brought the crisis neither […]

Your Royal Majesty, Wukari has had crises in the past but the current one appears to have taken an unusual dimension; what do you think is the origin of the current crisis?
Let me make it clear that this current crisis did not start from here; we were not the people who brought the crisis neither were we the cause of the crisis. The crisis started from elsewhere, came all along and we were robbed in eventually. This crisis started from Plateau between the Tarok and Fulani herdsmen it was also experienced in Nasarawa State and also spread to Benue between the Fulani herdsmen and Tiv people.
Consequently some displaced Tiv people started coming here to take shelter with their kits and kin. When we noticed the influx of Tiv from neighboring Benue to Wukari for refuge, we contacted the government of Taraba State to come in and provide security so that the problem would not come into Taraba.
When they started coming in we as Jukuns we don’t have any other place to run to then we tried to intervene between the belligerents so that the problem would not escalate. In the process the Fulani accused the Jukun of joining the Tiv to fight them so were were caught in-between. We told the government clearly that we didn’t want our name to be soiled; we didn’t want to be dragged into this because whoever mentioned our name was only trying to offend us. We know people were envious of us because of development coming to Wukari.
For instance Wukari currently boasts of two universities and other development initiatives are taking place. Therefore people are using envy to foment trouble in Wukari. But like I earlier said we are not trouble makers.
In the past we have had our crises with the Tiv people but it never took long before we resolved our differences.
Even when the Tiv ran away during such crises, it never took them long to return to their communities. Now we don’t know whether there is religious or political undertone in the current crisis but like I earlier said I called upon the state government and we held three different security meetings at the headquarters all of which I attended. After that we established a peace committee but of no effect. Before then we held a meeting in government house and the state government told us they were handling the situation.

What impact would you say the current crisis has brought to bear on the people of your domain?
The impact of the crisis is quite severe and cannot be underestimated.  We are currently in the farming season and the Tiv and Jukun who are basically farmers –agrarian communities- cannot go back to their farms.  Therefore even the other people who are consumers will have nothing to consume this year and by implication there will be hunger throughout the country.

Have you met with leaders of the aggrieved communities with a view to ending the disputes?
Like I earlier told you we met several times with the government. We held other meetings separately with the warring parties. We brokered a truce and the acting governor even came here and we all signed an undertaking that there would be no more war. Unfortunately less than twenty four hours after signing the agreement the Fulani herdsmen started fighting again and up till this moment they are still striking.

What then is the way forward?
We still refer back to our suggestions which we have already communicated to government on ways and means of ending this crisis. The Tiv and Jukun are farmers whose houses in the villages have been destroyed and they are now displaced. We suggested that the farming communities be allowed to get back first; government must provide security for them to go back to their villages and farms.
When they start harvest then the Fulani can be allowed to roam around with their cattle. For now there are strange Fulani in our midst that we never knew them and they are still roaming the bushes. We as land owners we don’t know these strange fellows.
Therefore unless that great insecurity posed by these strange Fulani is removed from the land then the Fulani whom we know would then be allowed to properly integrate.

What message would you want to pass across to all concerned parties in the crisis?
My message is that of peace which an important ingredient for development and harmonious living is. People must understand that lack of peace can lead to total annihilation. Therefore people should lay down their arms and embrace peace. Also people should stop rumor peddling.
This is because in a situation like this rumors persist which is as dangerous as physical war. My appeal also goes to the media to desist from reporting things that can escalate crisis. In other words the media should imbibe professional discipline so as not to inflame the situation.