The Taraba State government has expressed disappointment after the Kuteb ruling house boycotted a meeting organized by the Bureau of Traditional, Chieftaincy, and Local Government Affairs.
The meeting was intended to discuss the rotation of the Takum stool among the three major tribes in the council.
The absence of the Kuteb kingmakers from the meeting has cast a shadow over the installation of a first-class monarch in the area.
Despite this setback, Governor Dr. Agbu Kafes assured 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 through the Commissioner of Information and Reorientation, Zainab Usman Jalingo, the governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring permanent peace in the council.
The controversy arose from the refusal of the Kuteb ruling house to participate in meetings aimed at facilitating the installation of three 3rd class chiefs and one first-class monarch in Takum town.
Governor Kafes recently signed into law an executive-sponsored bill endorsing this move, which was supported by the State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government, Tradition, and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Despite invitations extended by the state ministry, the Kuteb kingmakers declined to attend the meetings, citing fears of attacks by members of their community if they were to participate.
Addressing concerns at a press conference, 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.
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