28042019 - No delaying minimum wage, go ahead and pay, FG tells MDAs, states, others

SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 28, 2019, PAGE 35
TIV/JUKUN CONFLICT
The story of
the poor killing
the poor
By Femi Bolaji, Jalingo
As peace gradually returns to border
communities of Taraba and Benue
states, the violent exchange
between the Tiv and Jukun tribes,
which spanned over three weeks,
would remain indelible in the minds of
residents of affected communities.
What started as a misunderstanding
between two individuals from both tribes in
Wukari local government area of Taraba State
snowballed into a conflict that rendered
hundreds homeless.
As some families grapple with the reality of
the loss of their loved ones, others are counting
their losses and hoping that such an ugly
incident never rears its head again.
Sad enough is realising that a place they
once called home has suddenly become
somewhere they are being hunted by familiar
faces.
As peasants who live on farm produce, the
destruction of their properties and, in
particular, their farm yields, is a major setback
for their economic survival.
Now that many have been displaced, with
others taking refuge with
friends and families outside
their immediate
communities, a big burden
has been let loose not only
on fleeing victims but also
on those offering them food
and shelter.
However, for states like
Taraba and Benue that are
just recovering from attacks
believed to have been
carried out by herdsmen, a
war between two
neighbouring tribes is not
something they can ill
afford.
At the last count, no
fewer than 15 persons
have lost their lives on
both sides, with more
than100 houses razed in
attacks and counter
attacks on border
communities of Wukari
and Ukum local
government areas of Taraba and Benue
states.
About seven communities inhabited by
Tiv and Jukun are said to have been
affected.
Major stakeholders from both divides,
including the governments of both states,
are also not finding it easy to settle the
dispute between the two warring tribes.
Their major worry remains why the two
tribes, who have lived, side by side, for
decades, still find it difficult to find a
common ground despite years of peace
efforts.
Sources, who spoke on the conflict,
insisted that the bloodletting could have
been avoided if the parties involved
recognize what binds them together
rather than what divides them.
They are all
peasant farmers
and poor people,
and I don’t know
why they should
turn against one
another over
trivial issues
Like A
Cigarette Light
Kente, a border
community between
Taraba and Benue, was
where it all started.
A misunderstanding
between two youths from
both tribes that degenerated
into conflict ran for weeks.
According to the President
of the Tiv Cultural and Social
Association in Taraba,
Goodman Dahida, the matter
wouldn’t have escalated if
handlers of the
misunderstanding managed
the situation well.
“What became so big today
is something that vigilantes in
Kente could have handled, but
those acting as mediators at the
time caused the whole
problem”, Dahida said.
“Right now, we are all bearing the brunt of
our inability to manage a small
misunderstanding. If the
Tiv and Jukun youth
leaders had problems,
there should have been
amicable ways of resolving
them.
“But what we saw was
that the authorities
mishandled the crisis at the
initial stage and that was
what led to this level of
killings and destruction of
properties.”
On his part, a former
President of Wukari/Jukun
Youth of Vision, Luka Agbu,
attributed the conflict to age
long suspicion between the
two tribes, asking why two
farming tribes, struggling
for survival, would take up
arms against each other.
“There has been an age
long suspicion in the heart
of a Tiv man against his
Jukun brother and vice versa, which must
be addressed”, Agbu said.
“The killings in Jukun and Tiv are
uncalled for, unwarranted and a disgrace
to both groups, who have been members
of one family for over a century, and they
are still living together.
“They, are all peasant farmers and poor
people and I don’t know why they should
turn against one another over trivial
issues.
“Even before we were born, we were
told the stalemate had been in existence,
but the elders and community leaders
were able to prevail over issues.”
Between Criminality and
Mutual Suspicion
Following the turn of events in the
area, the senator representing Taraba South,
Emmanuel Bwacha, and member
representing Wukari /Ibi in the House of
Representatives, Danjuma Shiddi, expressed
disappointment at a stakeholders’ meeting
convened to resolve the issues.
Bwacha said, “I find it very embarrassing
when I hear Tiv/Jukun crisis because
whatever skirmishes we are having, I believe
it is the work of criminals from both sides.
“The crime situation in the Middle-Belt
region has assumed a fresh dimension and
we have a huge crisis in our hands to
confront.
“These criminals are happy to be moving
around burning houses in the name of
communal clashes but we as a people must
learn to understand the temper of the
moment.
“The times are not good and truly our youths
must understand that they need to engage
themselves in productive ventures.”
Shiddi, on his part, said, “It is regrettable
for us to have found ourselves in this
unfortunate situation.
“This is more of criminality than the ethnic
colouration it is having today and my heart
bleeds for what has happened in our border
communities.”
Dahida and Agbu aligned with the positions
of both lawmakers believing that much work
lies in the hands of both tribes and
stakeholders to fish out the bad eggs
promoting disaffection.
Dahida stated, “A good number of Tiv
people have cordial relationship with Jukuns,
but the criminals and those benefiting from
looting other peoples properties don’t want
to see an end to this incident.
“Those against the escalation of the crisis
are now enemies of the miscreants and we
must collectively rise up against this act of
criminality that is causing disaffection among
us.”
Agbu said: “Why should a Tiv man and a
Jukun man be at each other’s throat when they
both worship in the same church?
“Elders and critical stakeholders of Tiv
extraction should come together as they did
before. I am aware that they are making efforts
to see that this mess does not re-occur.
“Let us be sincere in fishing out the bad eggs
so that we can have peace.”
A former governor of Benue State and
senator-elect for Benue North-East, Gabriel
Suswam, who spoke at another stakeholders’
meeting convened by Taraba and Benue state
governments, said the continuous destruction
of valuables by the two tribes spells doom for
their future if not controlled.
“We both have a common problem, but we
have abandoned our problems to engage
internally in destroying ourselves forgetting
that we are destroying our future”, Suswam
said.
“An average Jukun man and an average Tiv
man are both poor and are also both farmers,
and every time we have skirmishes, what
comes to mind is, what could be the reason
for the fight?
“If you inquire deep, no good reason can be
given for the skirmishes that resulted in the
destruction both states have experienced.
“How can a fight between two individuals
degenerate to this level? This means there is
something psychologically wrong with the
two tribes.
“If there is nothing wrong, why would two
people have a fight in Kente and houses are
being burnt down elsewhere?
“We don’t have Jukun or Tiv millionaires.
We are all poor.
What I see is we ourselves destroying what
we don’t even have”.
The Path
to Peace
Meanwhile, a committee of 10 members
(five from each tribe) has been constituted by
the governments of Taraba and Benue states
to look into the conflict and suggest ways of
ending it permanently.
The committee has three months to complete
its work.