I have noticed that there is an orchestrated effort to tarnish the image and reputation of Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku and Retired General TY Danjuma, elder statesman and an eminent indegene of Taraba State by a certain group of Tiv people over the current Tiv/Jukun crisis.
In a recent press statement, a group known as Tiv Youth Council made sweeping and frivolous allegations against these two eminent personalities to the effect that they are fueling the Tiv/Jukun crisis.
In a statement released by Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Bala Dan Abu.
The statement is completely false and deserves no better treatment other than to be thrown into the dustbin. It is completely hollow as it contains nothing to support the grave and wicked allegations made against these eminent Jukun personalities.
The intention of the group, clearly, is to seek public sympathy by falsely accusing these patriots of complicity in the crisis for no reason other than that they are Jukun. It is blackmail in its raw manifestation.
This attitude is unhelpful to the crisis.
Gov Ishaku has always been in the forefront of all the efforts to end the crisis. And so is General Danjuma who has always condemned crises and killings in the state and openly supported efforts of government to ensure peace.
In the past two years, Gov Ishaku visited these Tiv/Jukun communities more than four times to preach peace and to encourage the warring factions to sheat the sword. These he did most of the time jointly with his Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom.
Their Deputies also did same more than five times at their behest during the same period.
The present situation in the Taraba,/Benue borders calls for honest commitment to the quest for peace. It does not help to play the Ostrich as the Tiv Youth Council has elected to do by pointing accusing fingers at innocent people.
All the critical stakeholders must now join the ongoing efforts by the Taraba and Benue state governments to restore peace to the affected areas.
