The Taraba State government has expressed dismay after the Kuteb ruling house boycotted a meeting organized by the Bureau of Traditional, Chieftaincy and Local Government Affairs.
Kuteb kingmakers, as observed recently, shunned the meeting which was geared at discussing the rotation of Takum stool among the three major tribes in the council.
Their absence, Charmingpro noticed, has now cast shadow over the installation of a first-class monarch in the the area.
At a press briefing on Monday in Jalingo, the governor, Dr Agbu Kafes, asserted that the absence of the Kuteb ruling house would not impede the ongoing peace-building efforts initiated by the government in response to the demands of the people of Takum.
Speaking via his commissioner of
Information, and Reorientation, Zainab Usman Jalingo, he reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensure permanent peace in the council.
The controversy stems from the refusal of the Kuteb ruling house to participate in meetings convened by the State Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, aimed at facilitating the installation of three 3rd class chiefs and one first-class monarch in Takum town.
Kefas, it would be recalled, recently signed into law an executive-sponsored bill endorsing this move.
Despite invitations extended by the state ministry, the Kuteb kingakers were noticed to have declined to attend the meetings, citing fears of attacks by members of their community if they were to participate.
The bill, championed by the governor and supported by the State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government, Tradition, and Chieftaincy Affairs, seeks to create three third-class stools alongside the first-class monarch position.
Addressing concerns at a press conference, the commissioner, Jalingo, reiterated the government’s commitment to fulfilling the wishes of the people and ensuring the smooth transition of leadership in Takum.
She emphasized that the governor would not be swayed by any group seeking to obstruct the will of the people.
The installation of the first-class monarch, intended to rotate among the Chamba, Kuteb, and Jukun-Takum ethnic groups, aims to fill the void left by the demise of Ukwe Ali Ibrahim Kufang II in 1996.
However, the Kuteb ruling house opposed the rotational arrangement, citing the historical significance of the Ukwe traditional stool, which dates back to 1510 and was officially recognized in 1914 before being elevated to a third-class status