One clear sign that peace has returned to the community is the resumption of its market. Traders at Ibi, one of the crises-torn local government councils in southern Taraba State, were happy to display their fish and other articles once again, their clients equally delighted to patronise them.
Such activity was seriously hampered when residents often engaged one another in conflicts which claimed several of them as well as their homes and businesses.
Things have changed. Old griefs have been brushed aside, the people happy to live together again.
They have the new administrator, Alhaji Bello Yero to thank for that. In him the people of Ibi have built an absolute trust and have shown that they are really tired of war.
Before Yero’s coming, there were constant conflicts which claimed lives and property valued at millions of naira. The latest crisis was in November last year, reportedly between Christians and Muslims. Ten people were reported killed, and worship centres, commercial and residential buildings were torched in the conflict.
Yero came on board on December 3 to replace Ibi Local Government chairman Alhaji Isiaku Adamu.
The State House of Assembly, after an investigation of the crisis, found the former chairman culpable. He was removed with all the councilors.
Acting Governor Alhaji Garba Umar had only a few words for the new council chief: “Go and stabilise Ibi,” he told Yero at his inauguration. Since then, Yero has been very committed to the assignment.
When Newsextra visited Ibi, Yero was holding a security meeting which lasted almost a whole day. In the meeting were government functionaries, youth leaders and traditional rulers, including the Sarki Ibi, His Royal Majesty Alhaji Abubakar Salihu.
Ibi used to be a popular market hub, where fish dealers and connoiseurs were sure of the best supplies. But when war erupted, there was no fish, and no sellers or buyers in sight. The Ibi market, located strategically on the bank of River Benue, separating the area from Nasarawa and Plateau states, was deserted. As peace eluded the area, businessmen and women left the town.
But normalcy has returned. The traders are also back, and there is much fish to buy even though, Newsextra’s survey of the market showed a low turnout.
After roving the town and ascertaining the level of security, the reporter sought to meet with Yero. He spoke frankly.
“I have been up and doing,” he said. “I have been very proactive in my approach to the assignment given to me. I came down from Jalingo [the state capital] and met with all the stakeholders, the chiefs, various communities, the leaderships of Christians and Muslims and several other groups and associations. I told them my mission; that I am a career civil servant and a neutral party. That is why the state government decided to pick me to come and restore peace in Ibi.”
He continued: “I don’t belong to any of the factions in Ibi. For the records, I don’t have any faction here; I don’t care about your religion, I don’t care about your political divide, I don’t belong to any of the socio-political spectrums.
“I don’t belong to any of the ethnic groupings here. I am in Ibi for a special assignment. As a career officer, I have to protect my job as well. So, I am very seriously committed to this assignment, and more so, internal security management is not a strange task for me. It has been a familiar job.
“All I did, after taking the oath of office was firstly to pray to God to guide and lead me to be fair and just. So, as far as this assignment and law and order are concerned, I don’t tolerate any nonsense from anybody. Though I listen to wise counsel, I do the job according to what I consider as appropriate. I made a lot of consultations including the leadership of the state House of Assembly and that is why peace has returned to Ibi”.
Yet, Yero is not carried away. He extols God for giving him the wisdom.
“I must say I am very grateful to God for making [my assignment] a solid success so far. I feel humbled and I am grateful to the entire populace of Ibi local government area for all the appreciation and good remarks they are according me. At the same time I am being strengthened by their commendations and I have promised I will not let anybody down. But to be honest, the people of Ibi are tired of fighting. I have been in their midst for about six months, and I know their psyche and how they feel; they are tired of fighting. I meet with them regularly and I know their pulse. They are tired of violence, just that some few people who are not God-fearing like fomenting trouble, and when there is a problem in the land they run away. The insecurity here was so worrisome that the Acting Governor Garba Umar and the state legislature had to step in to do what they did.”
Yero’s success, however, did not come all that easy, even as the council chief knows how to speed off and when to apply the brakes.
He said: “When I assumed duty initially, we were having local government security meetings daily. It is one of the directives given to me by the state government. The state executive and the legislative arms said I should hold security meetings and be in constant touch with them. And I have been doing it since assumption of office.
“We started with daily meetings, then thrice and later twice in a week. Now, we hold security meetings weekly–every Wednesday, because the security situation has remarkably improved. So, I thank God”.
With this unprecedented feat, Yero has attracted the accolades from a visionary leader and achiever, who sees the council chief as a man of the masses.
After stabilising Ibi, he has gone a step further to improve the infrastructure to transform the face of the area. Acting Governor Garba Umar now sees him as a dependable force in good governance.
