Emmanuel Awari, Jalingo
The two tribes engaged in tribal crises in Taraba State have continued to blame each other for conniving with outsiders to foment trouble in the area.
The National President of Wurkun Community Development Association, Comrade Wilfred H.Y Kwanchi in a press statement, accused the Karinjo community of planing to attack the Wurkun villages.
The statement reads:
1. Recall that on the 4 July 2023, the Executive Governor of Taraba State, Dr. Agbu Kefas met with the Karinjo and Wurkun Communities and resolved that the two communities peacefully co-eist.
2. The two communties were directed by His Excellency, the
Executive Governor to go to Karím, Karim-Lamido Local
Government and convey the message of peace resolved at the
July 4″ meeting.
3. The community delegations were in Karim on Thursday 6h
July 2023 and educated their traditional leaders, opinion leaders and youths on the need for the communities to sheaths their swords and allow peace to reign as agreed upon at the meeting with His Excellency.
4. The two communities directed village heads, opinion leaders
and youths to go back to their various destinations and or societies and preach the same GOSPEL of PEACE.
5. Recently, the Wurkun communities were informed of
meetings and rumoured hiring of mercenaries into Karim- Lamido Local Government.
6. It is rumoured that the said hired mercenaries have started arriving Karim-Lamido Locai Government according to an unverified information and are grouped into three (3).
Group one (1) to attack Didango, Balasa, Garu Village.
Group two (2) to attack Wuro Lacha and its environs. Group three (3) to attack Mutumdaya, Salaminkala and its environs.
7. The Wurkuns appeal to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Taraba State, Dr. Agbu Kefas to direct the investigation of this rumoured information of HIRED MERCENARIES and take appropriate and decisive measures.
Comrade Wilfred H. Y. Kwanchi
National President
Wurkun Community Development Association.
In a swift response, the Karinjo community also accused the Wurkun community for acting rumours of attack.
The National Youth President of Karinjo Community, Comrade Kennedy James stated this in a press statement.
The statement reads:
“We listened with surprise a news purported to have been released by the President Wurkun Community Development Association yesterday on Shimo FM, Rock FM and TSBS. This news was not meant to only portray the Karimjo community as troublesome but a mockery of the entire Karimjo nation.
“If Kwanchi wants to get cheap popularity among his people given that he has had serious struggle with his opponent over his position, he should not destroy our people to earn that. Or if he wants to divert the attention of his people from their internal problem using the recent upheaval in the local Government, we urge him to do that with caution.
“Our people are peace loving people. We know that the Wurkuns have more advantage over us because they received western education before we do. We know that they have the advantage of reaching the government of the day at anytime or the security agents at all spheres anytime.
“They have the influence to turn the government and the security against us given their privileges in the government. But, Kwanchi should not see our people as second class citizens of this country, the state and the local Government.We will never take that provocation with ease.
” May we ask, the president of Wurkun, being one of the peace committee inaugurated by his Excellency, Dr. Agbu Kefas to reconcile between the two communities. If he heard a rumors of people hired to fight the Communities he mentioned, did he bring that to the notice of members of the committee from the other side?.
“The peace the community is enjoying now, was not gotten by the media houses, But by the effort His Excellency. Is the president trying to undermine the peace we are enjoying by inciting his people against the peace loving Karimjo or only trying to smear the Karimjo nation ?. We want to reiterate to the president WCDA that it’s God that kept us where we are today. No amount of threat or intimidation can send us away from our land. If there’s a hidden agenda comrade Wilfred wants to achieve, he got that wrong. Karimjo will never invite anybody before they defend themselves against any threat to life and property. We give peace a chance to allow His Excellency continue with his bit to liberate this state from its deplorable stage of underdevelopment.
“We found your press release a caution to the Karimjo community that your people are taking some underground move against our people and nothing more. We will remain law abiding citizen now and always. But, we cannot take your incitement lightly.
In conclusion, though, Wilfred stated that it was rumours in which he could not share with his committee members but let out to the public domain, we urge the state apparatus to investigate this allegations with all sincerity and fairness. If it is found to be false, then the government should know that Wilfred’s quest for cheap popularity will throw our local government to quagmire again.
National Youth President Karimjo Community
Kennedy James.