The relationship between the Governor of Taraba State, Darius Dickson Ishaku, and the elders of Mbamnga, in Mambilla Plateau of Sardauna Local Government Area of the state has suffered a setback.
DAILY POST observed in an open letter written to the governor by the former state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Jonah J. Kataps, who is one of the prominent elders of the community.
The community alleged that Ishaku, without following due process, selected an acting Chief of Mbamnga chiefdom as well as removed some indigenes from key positions.
Citing how the sons and daughters of the community worked tirelessly round the clock to ensure the governor’s victory in all the general elections, they felt dejected at the way and manner the governor has continued to relegate the area to the background.
The elders urged Ishaku to rethink and carry the people along, saying it was unthinkable the decision of the governor to turn his back on the people despite his numerous promises.
Part of the letter read, “you on the 1st of January, 2019, visited Bang people. You stood on the sacred grounds of Bang people and made wonderful promises”.
One of such promises, according to the letter, “was that if re-elected the first thing you will do for us is the road from Gembu to Yang, the border town between Nigeria and Cameroon.”
Sad that all the promises made have been rescinded, the letter read further: “Let me quickly remind you that the sacred grounds on which you stood that day to make those promises lies the tomb of The Great Tohkimchim of Bang Kingdom.”
You unleash your wild dogs on our traditional institutions especially the Mbonduah Mbamnga Ambassador Emmanuel Q. Njiwah even unto his death.
“Even while his corpse was still in the Mortuary at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Jalingo you quickly and hastily appointed an Acting Mbonduah unprecedented in the history anywhere” vowing that “we will never forgive you for this sacrilege.” he said.
Without following the process of removing and installing a chief, as stated in the letter, the governor was alleged to have directed his cronies to “remove the District Heads of Mbamnga, Vakude and Bang.”
Reiterating their determinations not to recognize the person alleged to have been brought to preside over the affairs of the chiefdom , “the law” they said “does not function that way” stating that “the bill you signed into law in 2018 does not give you such powers.”
Stressing how patient enough the people of Mbamnga have been, they told the governor that “It is time for you to understand that we the people elected you Governor and not an Emperor” adding that “until the judicial processes run out please call off your wild dogs to stop embarrassing you.”
