Emmanuel Awari-Jalingo
Stakeholders and Elders of Gassol I constituency have call on the Governor of Taraba State, Darius Dickson Ishaku to respect the order of a Jalingo High Court restraining the government from creating Kwararafa Chiefdom out of Gassol Chiefdom.
The spokes person of the forum, Hon. Hamman Tukur Kawu stated this while briefing newsmen in Jalingo.
He said that the creation of Kwararafa Chiefdom out of the existing Gassol Chiefdom by the present administration of Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku in 2019 was done without consultations.
According to him, the creation of Kwararafa Chiefdom and appointment of late John Agbu Tsokwa as 3rd Class Chief in 2019 was vehemently opposed and rejected by the Stakeholders and Elders of Gassol 1 Constituency, owing to the fact that the creation of the new Chiefdom out of Gassol Chiefdom was improper.
“Despite the court order which we believe was served on the state government and the other defendants, we are shocked to hear that the State government flagrantly disobeyed the court order and went ahead to appoint one Methuselah Adamu as 3rd class Chief of Kwararafa on March, 23, 2023.
“We do not only view this appointment as a gross contempt of court, but an abuse of the rule of law and a mockery of judicial process.
“We therefore use this opportunity to call on the state governor, Darius Dickson Ishaku to respect the order of the court and suspend all actions on the creation of Kwararafa Chiefdom and appointment of a new Chief of Kwararafa.
He said that this culminated into a legal action by the Stakeholders and Elders forum of Gassol 1 Constituency at the state High Court in Jalingo to compel the government to revert her decision on the creation of Kwararafa Chiefdom out of Gassol Chiefdom with a view to maintain the status quo.
“As law abiding citizens, we directed our counsel, Barrister S.M Wakili Esq, to file a suite before Justice D.N Buba of the State High Court to stop the government of Taraba State from taking further actions on the new Chiefdom.
“It may interest you to know that on 10th March 23 His Lordship Justice D.N Buba of the High Court Jalingo through a motion filed by our counsel granted interim injunction restraining the governor, Attorney general and Kwararafa traditional council to either direct or indirect from appointing any person temporary or permanently a substantive 3rd Class Chief of Kwararafa Chiefdom of Gassol local government, pending the determination of the motion on suit No. TRSJ/85/2018 between Ibrahim Isa VS Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku and Two others.
“The Second Order is of interim injunction restraining the Defendants/Respondents from redirecting any person directly or indirectly from parading himself as Representatives of the departments in Kwararafa Chiefdom of Gassol local government pending the determination of the motion of suit No TRSJ/ 85/2018”, he added.
He appeal to the people of the Chiefdom to remain calm and not to do anything that will distrupt the peaceful coexistence of the residents of the area, adding that for sure, the law will always be respected.
