Chieftaincy tussle: Taraba stakeholders, elders urge Gov. Ishaku to respect court order

Stakeholders and elders of Gassol 1 Constituency in Taraba have urged Gov Darius Ishaku to respect the order of a Jalingo High Court restraining the government from creating a new chiefdom from the present Gasol.

Addressing a news conference in Jalingo on Saturday, spokesman of the forum, Alhaji Hamman-Tukur Kawu, explained that they were out to put their records straight on issues surrounding the creation of Kwararrafa Chiefdom.

“You are all aware that the creation of the Kwararafa Chiefdom and the appointment of Late John Agbu TSokwa as 3rd Class Chief in 2019 was vehemently opposed and rejected by the stakeholders/elders of Gassol,” he said.

This was owing to the fact that the creation of the new chiefdom from Gassol was improper and had no basis, Kawu explained.

“This culminated into a legal action taken by the stakeholder/elders at the High Court in Jalingo, to compel the government to revert the decision on the creation of the new chiefdom with a view to maintaining the status quo.

“Subsequently, the suit before Justice D.N. Buba of the High Court stopped the state government from taking further actions on the new chiefdom.

“On March 10, Justice D.N. Buba, through a motion Ex-pate filed by our counsel, granted some  orders restraining the government or it’s agents from appointing and installing any person as the substantive 3rd Class Chief of Kwararafa Chiefdom.

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The order was made pending the determination of the motion on notice in suit No.TRSJ/85/2018.

The court also granted an order of interim injunction restraining the defendants/respondents from redirecting any person from parading himself or themselves as representatives of the departments in kwararafa Village pending the determination of the motion on notice.

Kawu observed that in spite of the court order served on the State Government and the other defendants, they were shocked to hear that government  appointed one Meithusela E. Adamu as a 3rd class Chief of Kwararafa on March 23.

“We therefore call on Gov. Darius Ishaku to respect the order of the court and suspend all actions on the creation of Kwararafa Chiefdom and appointment of a new chief.

Kawu also appealed to the people of the affected area to remain calm and avoid anything that would disrupt the peaceful coexistence of the residents, adding that the law would

Chieftaincy tussle: Taraba stakeholders, elders urge Gov. Ishaku to respect court order