Taraba: Kutebs Kick Against Rotation of Takum Traditional Stool

Wole Ayodele in Jalingo

The Kutebs ethnic group in Taraba State has kicked against the proposed rotation of the first class traditional stool in Takum Local Government Area by the state government.

Governor of Taraba State, Dr Agbu Kefas, had sent an executive bill to the state House of Assembly in which he proposed to rotate the stool which had been vacant since 1996.

But addressing a press conference shortly after submitting their memoranda at the public hearing organized by the House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Kutebs stated that the proposal was an attempt to disintegrate their cultural heritage.

In their separate presentations, the representative of Likam and Akente, the two ruling houses in Takum, Prince Sule Yusu, and the President of Youth Wing of Kuteb Yatso, Ande Yakubu, vehemently opposed the passage of the bill, saying the governor has no power to abolish an existing stool.

Similarly, the two groups also expressed their opposition to the proposition to create three third class chiefs in Takum by the state government as contained in the executive bill.

Urging the House of Assembly to be fair and just in the matter, they maintained that the Takum traditional stool dates back to 1510 and it has always been an exclusive preserve of the Kuteb.

According to Yakubu, “The Takum traditional institution was created in 1510 and it was upgraded to third class in 1914 by the Queen of England. It was elevated to second class in 1982 and first class in 2005. This action of the state government seeks to dismantle and abrogate the existing traditional institution.

“We have presented our paper at the public hearing, and our position remains the same. Even if the law permits the governor to create chiefdoms, I do not think the law allows the governor to demolish an existing chiefdom.

“And our way of protest in this matter is through this means, to draw attention to the issue in Takum.”

Also speaking, Prince Sule Yusu noted that the northern traditional rulers, headed by the Sultan of Sokoto had, in their meeting, held on February 14, 2024 in Kaduna warned against rotation of traditional stool especially among different ethnic groups.