Kuteb Group Kicks Against Turbaning of 'Makama of Takum'

 

 

 

The leadership, of the Kuteb Yatso of Nigeria, has called Governor of Taraba State, Dr Agbu Kefas, to suspend the proposed turbaning of Makama of Takum, which scheduled to take place on the 22nd of July 2022, saying the move is an insult to the collective sensibility of the Kuteb people and against an Executive Directive of the Governor banning all appointments, coronation and turbaning ceremony of traditional  and cultural chiefs in the state.

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TAKUM IS NOT "NO MAN'S LAND

 

 

We woke up to a shocking revelation of proposed TURBANING OF MAKAMA of TAKUM on 22nd of July 2023 in Takum Town, the headquarters of Takum Local Government and the Traditional headquarters of Kuteb ethnic group of Southern Taraba.

 

We, as leadership of peace-loving Kuteb ethnic group, are not only surprised but also shocked that such a ceremony is to be held without the notice or approval of the Kuteb Traditional Council. You may recall that Takum Local Government Area has been without a paramount king (known as UKWE TAKUM) since the demise of Ukwe Ali Ibrahim Zorto Kufan II in 1996. Hitherto, such appointments and turbaning ceremonies had been exclusive preserve of UKWE TAKUM and were done in UKWE PALACE after consideration and approval by the Traditional council. However, since the demise of Ukwe, such appointments, coronations, and turbaning ceremonies had been put on hold in the absence of a paramount ruler.

 The situation at hand is strange to us and is outside the royal practice of our Kingdom. Suffice to say that the title of MAKAMA OF TAKUM is strange to us, does not exist and should not exist except otherwise introduced by UKWE TAKUM whose seat is currently vacant. Moreover, the proposed title holder does not have a place in Takum traditional dynasty. He has no track record and not deserving of such title.

Also recall that the government of His Excellency Governor Kefas Agbu, through a circular released by Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and signed by Mr Babangida Hassan, the permanent secretary, recently put a stop to turbaning of traditional chiefs and title holders in the state indefinitely as there has been a recent trend of illegal appointment of Chiefs and traditional title holders which is raising tension and causing disturbance of peace of the state.

We, therefore, wish to bring this sacrilege to the notice of the Governor, security agencies and the public and to call on security agencies and the state government to address the organizers of this travesty and suspend the proposed turbaning ceremony indefinitely. No further turbaning ceremony should hold in Takum until that time when the Paramount UKWE Takum (a first class Ukwe) is selected, appointed and coronated and the ban on proliferation of chieftaincy titles is lifted by the State Governor.

We love the peace of Takum, we love justice and justice is the arbiter of peace.

We wish to say that we pursue the path of justice and have been peaceful host to the many tribes that exist in Takum today but we will not condone encroachment and usurpation. TAKUM IS NOT "NO MAN'S LAND". Turbaning MAKAMA of Takum is an insult to our collective sensibility.

 

Signed:

Public Relation Officer (PRO) Kuteb Yatso of Nigeria Abuja Chapter

Mr. Danjuma U. Caleb

 

For the Chairman