Posted by Controversy has persisted surrounding Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas’s proposal to put out an executive bill that would alter the conventional leadership structure of the Takum Local Government Council.
On Monday, February 19, 2024, the State House of Assembly was presented with a bill that aims to change the name of the paramount monarch of Takum from “Ukwe Takum” in the Kuteb language to “Kuru Takum” in the Jukun language.
The bill also suggests creating a rotating system for the Takum first-class throne, which would enable tribes like the Jukun and Chamba to hold the post.
Members of the Kuteb group, who claim historical supremacy in Takum’s traditional leadership, have fiercely opposed the project.
The Kuteb people, who assert that they have dominated Takum for generations, voiced their worries in a news release on Tuesday, saying they were afraid that the bill would destroy their cultural legacy and subject them to minority rule.
The Kuteb, signed by Ande Filli, demanded that the proposed legislation be withdrawn and that their customary leadership structure be maintained.
They pleaded with the governor and the Taraba State House of Assembly to rethink their course of action and protect the Kuteb people’s ancestral rights.
Due to the opinions of political elites, civil society members, and traditional leaders, the bill’s debate has started to garner national attention.
In response to growing requests for communication and peacemaking between the parties involved, stakeholders are looking for a solution that upholds the rights and cultural legacy of each and every community.
The Kuteb begged President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Advisor, the Chief of Defense Staff, the Inspector General of Police, and others to get involved in the situation because he could not understand why the governor was determined to “destroy the Ukwe Takum dynasty.”
They also called on all people of good will, including the Taraba Traditional Council, the Sultan of Sokoto, the Ooni of Ife, Aku-Uka, and the Taraba Traditional Council, to persuade Governor Kefas and the Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly to put an end to the action.
In the statement signed by Ande Filli, the Kuteb added, “We request the withdrawal of the bill, rectification of the Takum boundary, and the proper handing over of the staff of office to Ukwe Takum.”