The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Taraba

  • PDP sweeps Taraba council poll

    PDP sweeps Taraba council poll

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won all the local government council chairmanship election held on Saturday.

    The PDP, which is the ruling party in Taraba state, also won most of the councilorship polls leaving only a few to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    According to the result declared by the Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) on Saturday, the PDP won 13 of the state’s 16 councils.

    Election results from Sardauna and Karimlamido councils were being awaited, while the election in Ibi local government area was cancelled because of violence. A jeep belonging to a serving commissioner was burnt, The Nation learnt.

    The chairmanship election result declared by the chairman of TSIEC Philip Duwe is as follows: Zing: Anthony Abraham (APC 8,956 votes), Christopher Koshombo (PDP 33,915), Gassol: Haruna Isiaka (APC 11,266), Yakuza Yahaya (PDP 104,279), Donga: Haruna Tukura (APC 11,758), Nasuka Ipeyen (PDP 64,971).

    Ardokola: Mana Mashi (APC 6,590), Salihu Dogo (PDP 18,234), Takum: Daniel Atiku Shetima (APC 1,859), Shiban Tikari (PDP 81,051), Kurmi: Lazarus Garba (APC 3,411), Stephen Ibrahim Agya (PDP 32,290), Ussa: Polycarp Serki (APC 2,568), Rimansikwe Karma (PDP 35,290), Jalingo: Abdul Nasir Boboji (PDP
    48,322), Wukari: Adi Zando (APC 34,152), Adi Daniel (PDP 78,373).

    Yorro: Simon Yohana (APC 6,441), Joseph Mika (PDP 22,497), Bali: Ibrahim Adamu (APC 10,330), Danladi Suntai (PDP 68,691), Gashaka: Abu Salleh (APC 2,639), Muhammed Umar (PDP 35,105)

  • Taraba teachers’ summit to improve education

    Worried by the poor output of schools, the senator representing Southern Taraba in the National Assembly, Emmanuel Bwacha, has organised a summit for public and private secondary school teachers in the state to share ideas and proffer solution.

    Flagging the event in Wukari at the weekend, Senator Bwacha said with Taraba now having three universities and many polytechnics and colleges of education, there was need to prepare qualified candidates for these institutions.

    Bwacha noted with concern, “the falling standard of education  in Nigeria,” adding that the situation was worse in Taraba State where graduates cannot compete favourably with their mates elsewhere.

    He attributed the problem to the emphasis placed on paper qualification rather than skills acquisition.

    “I met a lawyer and was wondering how he can go to court and win a legal case –he couldn’t defend his LLB.

    “If you have eight credits in your SSCE, and you pass Government, for example, you should be able to answer elementary questions on the three arms of government.

    “We shall begin to look at areas of legislation; we shall check whether that certificate you are holding is truly yours; if not yours, we shall ask you to give way for the qualified person –who can defend his certificate.

    “We are in a dilemma and this summit will assist the government in no small measure in fixing the problem,” Bwacha said.

    According to the convener, Emmanuel Ba’aku Attah, the summit aimed specifically at “improving performance in post primary school external examinations, such as WASSCE, NECO, NABTEB and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in the southern district of Taraba.”

    Six papers were presented by scholarly resource persons, mostly university lecturers.

    They agreed that the teacher plays a crucial role in driving education to the next level and should be blamed for failures.

    In his paper on “Ethical Standards and Professionalism in Teaching: The Nexus,” Dr. Amuche Chris recommended among other things, that entry into the teaching profession be regulated by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN); all unethical behaviours from teachers be discouraged; and government should train teachers regularly.

    On his part, Dr. Solomon Iyekekpolor, said there must be an “attitudinal change” by all the stakeholders: proprietors, teachers, and government educational authorities, managers of secondary schools, students and parents.

    “A doctor makes a mistake and a patient dies; an engineer makes a mistake and a bridge or building collapses; but a teacher makes a mistake and a whole generation is put in danger.

    “Their (teachers) pay is low and not given as and when due. The teachers’ reward may be in heaven as often said, but he needs a living allowance down here to survive to discharge his responsibilities. But teachers also, more often than not, hide under various guises to perpetrate truancy and many forms of vices contrary to the ethics of the teaching profession. The attitude must change.”

    Another resource person, Simon Bala Manga, stressed the importance of guidance and counseling as it affects performance of secondary school pupils.

    He said: “Much damage has been done to our children who graduate from schools without proper direction. A large number of secondary school graduates seeking admission into our universities have been disappointed because they were not guided and counseled.”

    Other papers were presented on ‘The Role of Proprietors and the Managers of Secondary Schools Towards Quality Assurance’ and ‘Result Oriented Management of Post Primary Educational Institutions,’ by Ige John Sayo.

  • Taraba: NUT urges members to maintain law, order

    Alhaji Jauro Mafindi, the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Taraba  on Tuesday advised  union members to maintain law and order in all their endeavours.

    Mafindi said this at a press conference in Jalingo while reacting to the decision by some teachers to embark on a protest over non-payment of salaries without informing the leadership of the union.

    He said though teachers had the right to protest non-payment of their salaries, due process should be followed.

    “To be frank with you, nobody officially informed me about the decision to embark on protest against the non-payment of our members’ salaries.

    “As a matter of fact, the strike was unnecessary because all the said complaints had already been articulated by us and sent to the appropriate authorities.

    “So if they had contacted us, we would have advised them to exercise patience because last Thursday, government had started paying some teachers as a result of our efforts.

    “Therefore, I  am appealing to all my members to be orderly in all their dealings because it is only when we are coordinated that we can achieve our collective objectives,” he said.

    On the claim by the state government that it had paid all outstanding salaries of workers, Mafindi said the government was only “playing to the gallery.’’

    “That was a political statement because the state government had stopped paying teachers’ salaries since Oct. 2016.

    “And even for the few teachers they started paying last Thursday, they have not completed the payment.

    “And of course there is the case of some workers who have been wrongly captured in the list of teachers. These people have also not been paid,” he said.

    Angry teachers had stormed Taraba House of Assembly on Monday to protest the non-payment of their eight months salaries.

     

  • Taraba denies owing pensioners

    Taraba State government said yesterday it was not owing pensioners.

    “We are up to date in terms of payment of pensions. Last month, retired civil servants collected pensions,” the Chairman, State Pension’s Board, Nuhu Aber, said.

    He spoke at an interactive session with reporters called “Face the Press,” organised by Governor Darius Ishaku’s Senior Aide in Public Affairs, Emmanuel Bello.

    There have been allegations that the government is owing retirees.

    The board chairman challenged any retiree who has not collected pension to show up.

    “If they have their papers and have not been paid, they will be paid immediately,” Aber said.

    He was accompanied by the Chief of Staff Rebo Usman, secretary of the board and a finance director.

    Usman, who differentiated pension from gratuity, said for pension, the state had paid up to date, but for gratuity, it had been owing since 2007.

    “But it is not the fault of the government. The problem started since the ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo administration,” he added.

    The board said the government paid at least N173million as pensions to 3,482 retirees monthly,

    adding that it was owing 3,547 retired civil servants accumulated gratuities of about N9.7 billion since 2007.

  • Taraba: How it was in 2016

    Budgeting is a permanent feature of human economic and financial experience. At the level of the individual, it is the simple practice of trying to achieve a balance between income and expenditure. In the case of large institutions and governments, it is a much more complex and tasking venture. The budget is a very important economic blueprint which determines and guides the procedure for socio-economic development. It is also the means by which the people can hold their leaders to account. That is why those who think that budgeting and budget presentation in Nigeria is a mere annual ritual are wrong.

    It is also for this reason that every new budget presentation begins with a review of the performances of the immediate past one. This aspect of the annual budget presentation is important because it is an opportunity to render accounts. In Taraba State where Governor Darius Ishaku recently presented the 2017 Appropriation Bill to the state House of Assembly, the review of the 2016 budget performance particularly earned even far more accolades.

    One key feature of the 2016 budget and which Governor Ishaku spoke extensively about at the 2017 budget presentation was the Rescue Agenda, a people-centred initiative for the achievement of economic prosperity. The achievement and sustenance of peace and security is a critical aspect of that agenda. Year 2016 was a period of profound commitment to that objective. Governor Ishaku had promised that commitment as part of the economic objective of the 2016 budget in realisation that without peace, the Rescue Agenda – the socio-economic fulcrum of the administration’s blueprint for development – would be crippled.

    Ishaku spoke with pride of the remarkable progress that has been made in the attainment of peace and security. “You would agree with me Mr Speaker that my sincere commitment to the peaceful co-existence of all citizens of our dear state has seen to the remarkable departure from the near state of anarchy I met on assumption of office in May 2015.” He however acknowledged that occasional occurrences of security breaches are still being recorded in the state but noted that despite that, it was safe to say “that peace has finally returned to our land.”

    In the economic front, the drastic fall in revenue expectations adversely affected the general performance of the 2016 budget which stood at 43.27 percent. The percent performance for recurrent and capital expenditure as at September 2016 was 79.17 and 16.90 respectively. The low performance on the capital expenditure side was due to sharp declines in revenue but despite that unhealthy development, the administration was able to attend to key programmes with direct bearing on the welfare of the people.

    The year was one of tremendous circumspection in the management of state finances and Ishaku never compromised that culture which he is personally promoting. This greatly helped in the area of job creation and improvement of internally generated revenue through the production of high quality vegetables for local markets in Taraba and in other Nigerian towns and cities. Government was also able to sustain its funding of the Green House project in Jalingo and today, the project is about 50 percent completed.

    The health sector was a major area of attention in 2016 through the funding of major programmes. For example, the School of Nursing and Midwifery which had suspended its academic programmes for nearly 10 years resumed the training of nurses and midwifes again. More than 100 medical personnel representing the various cadres in the medical care sector were recruited and posted to health institutions across the state. Retired nurses and midwifes were also recalled back to work on contract basis as means of bridging the manpower deficit in the healthcare sector. In addition, more than N150 million was expended in the procurement of drugs for use in hospitals under the 2016 budget while the Primary Healthcare Development Agency was also established. This agency came on stream despite obvious financial constraints in the state because of the need to position the state to effectively handle health challenges that are common to children and women.

    In 2016, water projects enjoyed a big boost. Government ensured that the Jalingo primary water supply project was not derailed even in the face of the poor financial disposition of government. Assorted water treatment chemicals and high premium laboratory equipment were procured to ensure regular and quality water supple to the people. During the period, government also completed the drilling of 100 boreholes across rural areas in the state. Phase Two of that programme which will result in the drilling of 150 boreholes is also being planned.

    Electricity in rural areas was also a priority on the agenda of the government during the period. Transformers and other electrical and mechanical equipment required to boost and sustain power supply were procured and installed in Takum and Bali and several other rural communities in the state. The electricity power development programme is a back-up for government’s youth empowerment programme which has produced about 400 beneficiaries in tailoring, shoe making, soap making, wood works and carpentry. Improved power in rural areas is intended to help these young men and women to set up their own business outfits in their rural communities. The power projects pursued and completed in Bali, Kunini, Yakoko, Monkin, Kakulu and Bakin Duatse were all a product of this strategic thinking on the part of the Ishaku administration.

    Government’s commitment to roads construction was not in any way adversely affected even in the face of the obvious financial constraints. The determination to construct and rehabilitate roads in the state saw the government deploying scarce resources in that direction. This resulted in the huge progress made on the Phase One of Jalingo – Kona – Lau road which is now more than 65 percent completed. The road to Gembu, a major gateway to the Mambilla Plateau, was saved from total failure during the period. The failed portion at Lekitaba was promptly rehabilitated by contractors deployed to that site by Governor Ishaku.

    What was achieved in making travelling to and within the state easy and comfortable through roads development was also replicated in air transportation. The Jalingo Airport earlier rehabilitated by the government received more facilities to make it a lot more comfortable for its users. The current three flights a week arrangement facilitated by the Ishaku administration was sustained. There are also plans for the flights into Jalingo to become daily, beginning from January 2017.

    In 2016, dwindling revenue sources was a major constraint to government activities. This situation is not likely to change for the better in 2017. That means lack of funds may still affect government’s programmes for development. What, certainly, is not lacking is the political will and the sincerity of purpose on the part of the Ishaku administration. With that, the people of Taraba are assured of better days ahead as the implementation of the 2017 budget kicks off.

  • Lighting up Taraba for development

    Arc Darius Dickson Ishaku, governor of Taraba State is no stranger to the technicalities of electricity power generation and distribution. He routinely dealt with those details as minister of power in the immediate past federal administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. In that position, Ishaku co-ordinated the activities that eventually led to the creation of the present dispensation of active private sector participation in electricity power distribution in the country.

    He came out of that job also well-grounded in the knowledge of the economic benefits of stable power and with the resolve to use that experience, whenever he had the opportunity to serve his people, as key for unlocking the huge potentials of the state, to create employment opportunities and raise the standards of living of the people. It is, therefore, no surprise that the provision of electricity in urban and rural communities in Taraba State is today a priority of the Ishaku administration.

    One of the first things Ishaku did on assumption of office as governor was to identify existing but broken or low performing power generating facilities in the state, assess their state of functionality and determine how they can be immediately put to full and effective service of the people. That exercise has paid off very handsomely. It has led to the restoration of electricity power supply in many towns and communities in Taraba State. But it took not a small amount of courage and commitment on the part of a government that was not only new but was constrained by the long litigation process over the gubernatorial election result in the state and also hamstrung by a treasury that had been plundered and emptied.

    One of the communities that benefitted from this new and positive attitude of government in electric power delivery is the tea producing Kakara community in the Sarduana Local Council Area of the state. In August last year, a few months after his election victory, Ishaku commissioned the small but very vital Tunga Dam hydro power project which now provides un-interrupted power to the tea factory in Kakara and neighbouring communities. The commissioning was a product of a political will which previous administrations in the state lacked and which almost crippled the project.

    Ishaku’s intervention came at the time the European Union, EU, which provided the turbines for the project was threatening to dismantle them and take them to Ghana because of the delay in putting the equipment to use. The commissioning has saved the project and provided succour for the people of Kakara and other neighbouring communities. The project is today seen as a pathfinder for what the nation’s stands to benefit from the bigger Mambilla Hydro Electricity Dam Project that is yet to start in terms of stability in electricity. Ishaku has visited the Sardauna Council area three times in less than one year to sensitize and elicit the support of the people for the bigger Mambilla project. He has also been to Abuja several times to discuss the project and to awaken the appropriate federal authorities to the need to start work on this very important but long neglected electricity power generating project.

    Many other towns and communities have benefitted from the very aggressive disposition of the Ishaku administration towards electrification of Taraba State. Lau is one of them. Ishaku had arranged for electricity power to be stepped down in Lau from Kunini and this has greatly and positively transformed power situation in Lau and other adjoining communities. Before then, power supply in the area was far more than epileptic. The commissioning of that project has brought relief for small scale business entrepreneurs whose businesses depend on power.

    The Kakulu Bible Institute in Zing Local Council Area also now has steady power supply, provided by the administration of Governor Ishaku. Yakoko, another community in the area is profiting from the Kakulu project. Monkin village has a similar good tale to tell on electricity. Its long dream of regular power supply was finally fulfilled with the commissioning of an electricity project by Ishaku early in the life of the administration.

    Bali Local Council area has a more pleasant tale to tell about electricity. Five transformers were provided and installed at the same time while 30 electric poles were also mounted to facilitate the provision of electricity in the area. Governor Ishaku executed and personally commissioned this project within the first 100 days of his administration. In Takum, a lot has also been achieved by the administration in the provision of electricity. Electricity is now far more regular with the purchase and installation of three transformers to boost power supply. Similar projects are replicated in virtually every local government council area in the state.

    In less than two years, a lot of progress has been made to extend power supply to urban and rural communities. A lot of people are even surprised how Ishaku was able to finance these projects at a time that government revenue sources are on the decline. But even with the lot that has been achieved in a short time in the provision of electricity, a lot more needs to be done. In fact, truth is that what government has achieved, remarkable as its impact has been, is a mere scratch on the surface of the power needs of the state. The ultimate solution depends on the outcome of the Mambilla Hydro Electricity project which is yet to take off. Governor Ishaku is not oblivious to this truth and reality. And that is the reason he has been drumming support for the Mambilla project.

    Unfortunately Mambilla, as far as the federal government is concerned, is all talk and no concrete action. Nothing really is on ground as testimony to the federal government’s commitment. In fact most of the people speaking on the project at the federal level and building the people’s hope of the nation for regular power supply on the Mambilla project have never even visited the site. As at today, there is no access road to the site of the proposed dam. This is the reason people are asking if the federal government is, indeed, committed to the project at all.

    President Muhammadu Buhari has a date with history on the issue of Mambilla. Many Nigerian leaders before him made promises on the project but did virtually nothing to redeem those promises. Many people know President Buhari to be a man with the reputation to stand by his words. He should do so on Mambilla project. To say that the project is critical to national aspiration for development is an understatement. We can only pay lip service to this project to the detriment of these aspirations. Buhari should take the first major crucial step towards actualising the Mambilla project now.

    • Yaro is a public affairs commentator.

  • Minister condemns Taraba, Kaduna, Zamfara killings

    THE Minister of Interior, Retired Lt.-Gen. A b d u l r a h m a n Dambazau has condemned the “senseless killing” of innocent Nigerians in Taraba, Kaduna and Zamfara states with a call on security agencies to fish out the perpetrators. This is contained in a statement issued by the Press Secretary to the Minister, Mr Ehisienmen Osaigbovo on Thursday in Abuja.

    The minister said that the action of some senseless enemies of peace was most regrettable at a time President Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration is putting measures in place to revamp the nation’s economy. He said that the Federal Government was working hard to build a vibrant and united country where every individual would realise his potentials, irrespective of tribe, religion nor political affiliations. Dambazau condoled with the government and people of the three affected states over what he described as irresponsible, senseless and barbaric acts of some criminally minded persons.

    He assured that government will not rest in its efforts at addressing all forms of criminality throughout the country. He reiterated government’s determination to enforce the full weight of the law on any one found culpable in these attacks and other acts of criminality in the country.

    The minister also directed the Inspector General of Police to mobilise more security personnel to the affected areas to ensure peace within the yuletide and beyond and to deal decisively with any criminally minded element. He also mandated the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to ensure strict protection of the nation’s critical assets and infrastructure during and after the yuletide. Accordings to reports, there had been reported killings of innocent Nigerians in the affected states as a result of clashes between farmers and herdsmen .

  • Taraba budgets N110bn for 2017

    Taraba budgets N110bn for 2017

    Gov. Darius Ishaku of Taraba on Thursday in Jalingo presented a budget estimate of N110.2 billion to the state House of Assembly for the 2017 fiscal year.

    Presenting the budget, Ishaku explained that N49.3 billion which is 44.7 per cent, was for recurrent expenditure while N60.8 billion being 55.3 per cent of the budget, was for capital expenditure.

    He said that the budget was a little above the estimates of the outgoing 2016 which was N100.8 billion.

    Explaining a further breakdown of the 2017 budget, the governor disclosed that N4.4 billion was for economic empowerment through agriculture; N4.9 billion for health and N2.5 billion allocated to education.|

    The governor said that N12.1 billion was allocated to the housing sector; N5.6 billion was for environmental improvement and N7.1 billion for water supply.

    Others he said, included road construction, N11.1 billion and reforms of government and governance, N5.3 billion.
    He observed that in spite of the current economic recession, the state was able to carry out some people-oriented projects during the outgoing year.

    He appealed to the legislature to fast track deliberation and passage of the appropriation bill.

    Mr Abel Diah, Speaker of the Assembly, assured the governor of the cooperation of members in the passage of the budget.

    He commended the governor for the moderate achievements in past years, in spite of the economic recession and urged him to do more to improve the living conditions of the people.

  • Taraba: Resolving the water conundrum

    Taraba: Resolving the water conundrum

    Let me ask your permission to bother you with these few questions. Do you live in Jalingo? Or are you only here on a casual visit? Have you noticed and have you been wondering why the convoy of Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State does not move around town, siren blaring as governors of other states in Nigeria always do? Well, it is a deliberate policy and it has got a lot to do with the water problem in Jalingo, the capital city of Taraba State.
    One day, not long after Ishaku was sworn in as governor, he was driving to an event in Jalingo. He saw hordes of people including women and children carrying containers in various shapes, sizes and colours, all of them pounding the streets of Jalingo in search of water for domestic use. The governor was touched by that piteous sight and promptly ordered the siren blaring to stop and that it should remain so until he has been able to ameliorate the water problem in Jalingo.
    Taraba State is home to many popular rivers. This includes River Benue. Its tributaries called by different names in different parts of the state navigate through the entire length and breadth of the state. In fact, Taraba, the name by which the state is known and called today is a river. Their banks provide the rich waterbeds that support the ever thriving rice farming in the state. Yet water that is good enough for domestic use has been a problem since the creation of the state. There has never been a comprehensive government programme for resolving the water conundrum. It has remained a perplexity for all governments and governors until the coming of Ishaku. His administration is now well on its way towards reversing that situation.
    The provision of water is today a priority in Taraba State. The administration of Governor Ishaku is working very hard at it. It is the reason Jalingo, the capital city of Taraba State, is today a huge construction site. There is presently a massive pipe-laying project on going in Jalingo. Three gigantic water reservoirs have been installed in different parts of the city. They are being linked with pipes that will take water to the door-steps of residents of the city. This is the first major water project ever to be embarked upon by any administration in the state and it will comprehensively address the perennial water problem in Jalingo when completed. The water that will eventually be treated and pumped to homes in Jalingo under this project is being sourced from the Lamorde River.
    Jalingo is not the only beneficiary of the present radical approach of government for the provision of water. Water is virtually the problem everywhere in the state. Government’s effort is also being spread across the state to address the problem. In the first year of the administration, more than 100 boreholes were sunk in more than 100 towns and villages in the state. Many existing but abandoned or inadequate water facilities in some parts of the state have also been renovated and upgraded to meet the immediate water needs of the people. One of such water facilities is located in Zing where the people now enjoy un-interrupted water supply from an expanded borehole.
    The people of Takum are also full of praises for the governor for expanding their water facilities. The Ishaku administration has sunk three new boreholes, repaired two existing ones and provided them with water tanks. This has radically improved the water situation in the town. Donga and Wukari local council areas have also had their own share of the benefits from government’s efforts to provide water to the people. All villages located on Ibi-Wukari road now enjoy water provided by the administration of Governor Ishaku. This achievement in the expansion of water facilities is replicated in virtually all local council areas of the state.
    There is no doubt that the government is honest and deeply committed to its decision to improve water supply to all parts of the state. Ishaku has amply demonstrated this commitment with what has been achieved so far in the provision of water in all parts of the state. But the brutal truth still remains. And that is the fact that government’s resources are grossly inadequate and cannot adequately support water projects on a scale that is required. They have never been as poor as they are today. The state’s monthly allocation from the Federation Account is one of the lowest in the country today. What this suggests is that government must seek the help of international donor and funding agencies to solve the problem of inadequacy of infrastructure in the state, most importantly water. I’m aware that the government is vigorously pursuing that option in several countries already. Let’s hope that these efforts will materialise.
    But these efforts must be complemented by internal self-help programmes championed by the people themselves. The reality of the economic downturn of today demands that the attitude of expecting government to provide all the needs of all the communities and people in the state must change. Government, certainly, cannot meet all the expectations of the people for social amenities. No government anywhere on earth has that capacity. The people must brace up for the challenges that the poor state of the Nigerian economy has brought to bear on the states, Taraba inclusive. The people should form community self-help groups, decide on projects that will greatly benefit their communities and seek the help of wealthy indigenes, charity groups and foundations towards their implementation. The times call for this approach. It is already happening in many other communities in the southern parts of the country.
    This approach also demands that our people embrace peace and become united. It can only work where the people are united and willing to work together. The good thing is that the state is now relatively at peace. My interaction with most of the people from Taraba, our state, is that peace is their number one desire. Luckily, the Olive branch that Governor Ishaku brought to the state on arrival as governor has worked magic. What we, the indigenes of the state, must now do is to help his administration consolidate the peace that he achieved for us all.
    Water is one of the amenities that our communities can provide for themselves. But that is if they are united and do not work at cross purposes. It is less capital intensive. Boreholes do not cost a fortune. We do not, therefore, need to wait for the government to give us what we can offer ourselves. That time of waiting for the government that is supposed to have all the resources to provide the needs of the people now belongs to the past. It is now the dawn of self-help and we have no choice but to embrace it.
    •Tafida contributed this article from Jalingo

  • 20 Tiv farmers killed on Taraba’s Peace Day

    20 Tiv farmers killed on Taraba’s Peace Day

    No fewer than  20 Tiv farmers were yesterday killed in Dan-Anacha, Gassol Local Government area of Taraba State by suspected Fulani militias.

    The killings took place as the state was busy at a “Peace Concert” in a stadium in Jalingo –the state capital – organised by Governor Darius Ishaku.

    Dozens of other farmers were severely injured in the attack.

    Some sources said Fulani marauders on Saturday afternoon invaded the Tiv community in Dan-Anacha, whose name was recently changed to Kwararafa, where they hacked down people. The hostilities lasted until yesterday morning.

    Hundreds of Tiv residents have reportedly fled Dan-Anacha, although soldiers and policemen were deployed in the area to keep the peace.

    Taraba State President of Tiv Cultural and Social Association (TCSA), Goodman Dahida, who met with security agencies and traditional rulers, said the bodies of 17 Tiv and two Fulani were recovered. The toll is likely to rise today.

    “There are more bodies said to be lying in the bush which have not been recovered,” he said, adding that the killings were done with sophisticated guns.

    Police spokesman David Mishal, who confirmed the killings to The Nation on the telephone, described the incident as an “undercover attack where you invade someone’s home and attack him when there is no war going on.”

    He said he would release the “real details of the number of casualties,” to the media after conclusion of investigation by the police.

    He said: “Yes; some unidentified groups of people, suspected to be Fulani, attacked Tiv in Dan-Anacha. We are trying to gather more information on the number of casualties.”

    Gory photographs of Tiv farmers massacred in the “undercover attack” yesterday went viral on the social media particularly on Facebook.

    Tiv farmers were killed massively by Fulani herdsmen between 2012 and 2014. The coming onboard of Governor Ishaku, who sued for peace and provided security, brought a near-end to the killings.

    The displaced Tiv farmers have just returned to their homes to resume work on their farms when the Fulani opened a new chapter of hostilities against them yesterday.

    TCSA President Goodman Dahida urged Ishaku to “do something urgently” to save the lives of hundreds of the Tiv farmers who have become endangered species in central Taraba.

    Dahida posted on his Facebook wall: “What does a Fulani man want from a Tiv man for goodness sake? What are they gaining in the killings? Mr Governor, Darius Dickson Ishaku, these people are out again in their killing spree of Tiv people. Do something urgently or…”

    There was a peace meeting in Dan-Anacha involving Dahida and other security agencies, reportedly at the prompting of Governor Darius Ishaku.

    At the meeting were Commissioner of Police Yunas Babas, President of Fulani’s Miyati-Alla, the Lamdo Gassol, village head of Dan-Anacha, other Tiv chiefs, the divisional police office, the SSS and other opinion leaders.

    The commissioner of police called for calm and truce, and created two camps for the displaced Tiv farmers.

    Babas was seen stopping vehicles and asking fleeing displaced persons to return, with an assurance that they would be protected.