Taraba Assembly approves legislation to resolve 28-year-old chieftaincy dispute

The Taraba State House of Assembly on Thursday, passed a bill aimed at ending a 28 years tussle over a traditional stool in Takum Local Government Area of the state.

Titled “Establishment of One Rotational 1st Class Chief and Three (3) 3rd Class Chiefs Bill, 2024,” the executive bill was proposed by the new Governor Agbu Kefas administration.

The House took the decision while considering the bill’s clauses at its Committee of the Whole, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Hamanadama Abdullahi.

It was unanimously passed after deliberations on the report of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

The new law provides for the establishment of “One Rotational First Class Chief and Three (3) 3rd Class Chiefs in Takum among the Kuteb, Chamba and Jukun Takum ethnic groups respectively.

Diverse views had trailed the proposal of the bill from various stakeholders, especially the Kuteb ethnic group, which claimed that the Takum traditions stool was their exclusive right.

Mr Kefas sponsored the bill to end the over 28 years traditional leadership tussle in Takum characterised by disputes and controversies.

A well attended public hearing was held by the lawmakers where stakeholders had the opportunity to make contributions to the bill, leading to its eventual passage on Thursday.

The state lawmakers passed the bill after the member representing Mbanga State Constituency, and Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Abel Diah, submitted the committee’s report on the floor of the House.

While presenting the recommendations of the committee before his colleagues, Mr Diah urged the immediate passage of the bill to end the decades-long controversy surrounding the traditional stool.

Mr Diah said during the public hearing, majority of the groups, asides the Kutebs, expressed total support for the bill believing that it will end the chieftaincy fight.

“I am pleased to inform this Honourable House that the response of stakeholders to our call for memoranda and invitation to the public hearing was highly commendable.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the following organizations attended the public hearing to make oral and written submissions. They include: Taraba State Council of Chiefs, Ministry of Justice, Bureau for Local Governments & Chieftaincy Affairs, Kuteb Yatso of Nigeria, Tiv Cultural and Social Association Taraba State, Jukun Takum, TEKAN/ECWA, N.C.W.S Taraba State, Chamba Takum, Kuteb Youths of Nigeria, Ukwe Takum Royal Palace, Jibu Ruling House under Jukun Takum and Jalingo Development Foundation

“In their submissions during the public hearing, the Taraba State Council of Chiefs, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the Jukun Takum, Chamba Takum, Ministry of Justice all expressed their total support for the Bill; stressing that, it will put to rest the lingering chieftaincy tussle in Takum.

“On the other hand, the Kuteb Yatso of Nigeria, Ukwe Takum Royal Palace, Kuteb Youths of Nigeria, NCWS Taraba State, vehemently opposed the Bill as they view the Bill as an attempt to deprive the Kuteb race of their inheritance as they consider the Ukwe stool as their exclusive preserve,” Mr Diah said.

Speaking with journalists after the plenary, Mr Diah said the committee decided to remove the title of Kuru Takum and amend it to Chief of Takum, to remove the fears expressed during the public hearing and to accommodate all the ethnic groups in the area.

The lawmaker said it is a controversial matter and that to avoid further controversies on the matter, “we amended it totally from the bill.”

He said once the bill becomes law, it would bring development and the locality’s fears would be addressed.

“It’s a very important bill passed by this 10th Assembly, this bill addresses all the fears of our brothers and sisters from Takum. I pray this development will bring a lot of development to the people of Takum and will put to rest any form of agitation as regards to traditional issue and bring peace to your locality,” the lawmaker said.