Callistus Agwaza, Jalingo
The Hausa-Fulani community in Lau local government area of Taraba State on Saturday petitioned the state governor Darius Ishaku over the creation of two new Chiefdoms and assignment of hierarchy saying that it was a deviation from the existing system in the Chiefdom.
The leader of the group Alhaji Buba Madugu Abbare, who addressed a Press conference in Lau on Saturday said that the submersion of some of their village heads under the Bakula Chiefdom was a threat to the peace of the area as Hausa-Fulani are not members of the Bakula association and should not be made answerable to the leadership of the association.
Buba said that the intrusion of Bakula Chiefdom into the jurisdiction of Lau Chiefdom to install chiefs and subject same to his leadership is a mystery that his group was yet to fully comprehend.
“We are happy with full respect for your creation of two Chiefdom in Lau local government of Taraba State. Creation of Chiefdoms is to make the local communities closer to the government and promotes cordial relationship between the local communities concerned.
“Leadership in any Chiefdom are created through promoting previous traditional council holders in the Chiefdom. We are calling the attention of the executive governor of Taraba State that the Bakula Chiefdom is a threat to the existing peace and tranquility of Lau local government. We the entire Hausa-Fulani, the dominant group with ten village heads are entirely disassociating ourselves in anything to do with Bakula and Sanwi Chiefdoms leadership. Let them lead their member tribe association. To include any Hausa-Fulani is a threat to peace” he said.
He recalled that “when the present Chief of Lau His Royal Highness Abubakar Sadiq Dan Buram was installed in 2005, it was the same Bakula who rejected and disassociated themselves from the Chiefdom because he was a Hausa-Fulani man. Afterall leadership in any traditional council is led from a source of ancestral background”.
Buba further said that the “Hausa-Fulani people of Lau local government are law abiding and peace loving, thus, our resistance to imposition does not in anyway connote rebellious attitude to any government, but a decision to challenge the criminality adopted by the Bakula Chiefdom to cause confusion between the Lau Hausa-Fulani community and the tribes of Bakula”.
He therefore dissociates the Hausa/Fulani of the area from any traditional leadership from Bakula and Sanwi Chiefdoms.
In addition, the Hausa/Fulani are not Bakula and Bukala cannot be Hausa/ Fulani adding that involving Hausa/Fulani in Bakula Chiefdom would amount to committing abomination.
Also reacting Elder Solomon Yezen and Mr. Bulus Gago Didango who led the Mumuye and Jenjo communities of Lau respectively appealed to the government to create two more Chiefdoms for their tribes.
Speaking separately the two tribal leaders dissociated themselves from the Bakula and Sanwi Chiefdoms, praying that “Government should give us our Chiefdoms or allow us to remain under Lau Chiefdom”.
