The coalition of Northern Groups on Saturday pledged to bring the 19 northern governors, traditional rulers and Northern Elders’ Forum to converge in Jalingo, the Taraba state capital by Oct 29, 2019 to seek a lasting solution to the lingering Jukun/Tiv crisis in the State.
This was contained in a communique issued at the end of a two-day conflict resolution meeting in Jalingo, and signed by Malam Abdul-Azeez Suleiman for CNG, Chief Goodman Dahida President General of Tiv Cultural and Social Association in Taraba, and Daniel Angyu, the spokesperson of Jukun community.
“The CNG would initiate an immediate process for the training of Jukun and Tiv youths in conflict resolution and management techniques as well as skills acquisition and exposure to wealth creation opportunities starting with an initial 300 youth from the two groups.
“The leaders present here would mobilize the people, particularly the youth of the two tribes involved in the crisis to resist further instigations to embark on actions with negative consequences on their personal security and the overall political and economic fortunes of the state” the communique stated.
“They would also sensitize all levels of leadership of the warring communities to support the legitimate aspirations of their youth to reverse the current trend towards their further marginalization and irrelevance in the context of a contemporary world of immense opportunities and possibilities.
“We urge all Taraba communities to unite, rediscover and pursue common goals that include their historic unity, their political and economic development, the strength of their religious, social and moral values and respect for their diversity,” it added.
The communique explained that the Jukun and Tiv community leaders would initiate an immediate end to hostilities and intensify genuine search for peaceful co-existence and sustained security in all the affected parts of the state.
It stated that an implementation committee comprising three representatives each from the Tiv and Jukun communities would be set up to implement the resolutions, monitor and evaluate the level of successes.
The coalition said as part of ways seeking an end to the crisis, it would train 300 Tiv/Jukun youths on skills to enable them venture into wealth Creation and shun violence.
The Tiv/Jukun crisis which began April 1 this year in Kente community of Wukari Local Government Council of Taraba has spread to other local government areas in Southern Taraba with many lives and property destroyed.
