Breaking: tension in Taraba over planned turbaning of Chief
Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
There is growing tension in Takum local government area of Taraba State following the planned turbaning of Makama of Takum outside the traditional council and despite the order by the state governor banning such activities temporary.
Takum has been embroider in Chieftaincy tussle for almost three decades following the death of the last Ukwe Takum in 1996.
In a press statement issued on Thursday evening, signed by Danjuma Caleb and made available to Daily Sun, the Kuteb Yatso of Nigeria (KYN) stated that the planned installation of a Chief in Takum with a title that is unknown to the people, alien to the Takum traditional council, and in defiance to the order of the state government is an invitation to chaos and anarchy.
“We woke up to a shocking revelation of proposed TURBANING OF MAKAMA of TAKUM on 22nd of July 2023 in Takum Town, the headquarters of Takum Local Government and the Traditional headquarters of Kuteb ethnic group of Southern Taraba. The leadership of peace-loving Kuteb ethnic group, are not only surprised but also shocked that such a ceremony is to be held without the notice or approval of the Kuteb traditional council. You may recall that Takum Local Government Area has been without a paramount king (known as UKWE TAKUM) since the demise of Ukwe Ali Ibrahim Zorto Kufan II in 1996. Hitherto, such appointments and turbaning ceremonies had been an exclusive preserve of UKWE TAKUM and was done in UKWE PALACE after consideration and approval by the Traditional council.
“Since the demise of Ukwe, such appointment, coronation, turbaning had been on hold in the absence of a paramount ruler. The situation at hand is strange to us and is outside the royal practice of our Kingdom. Suffice to say that the title of MAKAMA OF TAKUM is strange to us, does not exist and should not exist except otherwise introduced by UKWE TAKUM whose seat is currently vacant. Moreover, the proposed title holder does not have a place in Takum traditional dynasty. He has no track record and not deserving of such title.
“Recall that the government of His Excellency Governor Kefas Agbu, through a circular released by Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and signed by Mr Babangida Hassan, the permanent secretary, recently put a stop to turbaning of traditional chiefs and title holders in the state indefinitely as there has been a recent trend of illegal appointment of Chiefs and traditional title holders, causing disturbance of peace of the state.
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“We, therefore, wish to bring this sacrilege to the notice of the Governor, security agencies and the public and to call on security agencies and the state government to address the organizers of this travesty and suspend the proposed turbaning ceremony indefinitely. No further turbaning ceremony should hold in Takum until that time when the Paramount UKWE Takum (a first class Ukwe) is selected, appointed and coronated and the ban on proliferation of chieftaincy titles is lifted by the State Governor.
“We love the peace of Takum, we love justice and justice is the arbiter of peace. We wish to say that we pursue the path of justice and have been peaceful host to the many tribes that exist in Takum today but we will not condone encroachment and usurpation. TAKUM IS NOT NO MAN’S LAND. Turbaning MAKAMA of Takum is an insult to our collective sensibility” Mr. Danjuma Caleb said
