Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku on Thursday urged the leadership of the Tiv in Taraba to seek counsel from the Tor Tiv when they are in doubt rather than from politicians who will always mislead them to take up arms and make other wrong decisions.
The Governor said this when the leadership of the Tiv social cultural Association in the state paid him a courtesy call at the government House in Jalingo.
Governor Ishaku assured the Tiv in the State of the determination of his administration to find a permanent solution to the crisis between them and some of their neighbours in Southern parts of the state.
Ishaku who said there was nothing to be gained from persistent fighting and killings among the people, blamed the fighting on merchants of chaos and advised them not to listen to such people.
“They will encourage you to fight and even provide the incentives for you to continue but I want to assure you that there’s nothing to gain from this fighting.
“I want you to regard Taraba as home and to show a determination to live in Taraba State peacefully and forever. Together we can find the solution to all our problems from within.”
While describing Taraba as a mini Nigeria with many ethnic groups living together, Governor Ishaku noted that Taraba is also legitimate home for the Tiv and urged them to take Taraba State as their home and not as a place of residence.
Ishaku congratulated the Tiv in Taraba State for conducting a peaceful convention that produced the new leadership and urged them to endeavour to keep the Tor Tiv abreast of the progress they were making in Taraba State.
Earlier, the President General of the Tiv Social Cultural Association in Taraba Mr Joshua Ayagwa who led the delegation on the visit assured the governor that the leadership of the Tiv was ready and always available to work with the state government in finding permanent solution to the crisis in the southern parts of the state.
Ayagwa thanked Ishaku for his efforts in rehabilitating people displaced by the crisis and promised the support of his group for the committee the Governor had set up to actualize the programme.
He said that the time for blame trading was over and it was time to look for lasting and sincere solutions to the security challenges confronting the state especially the Southern parts as “in the end, we are all losers. We would have all invited some irreparable loses and inflicted such deep scars that not even time will heal them easily”.
Also speaking, Bridget Tua, Commissioner for Social Development said the group came on behalf of all Tiv in Taraba State to thank the Governor for supporting and encouraging the Tiv in the state