The Pankshin District Traditional Council, Pankshin Local Government of Plateau State have pleaded with the Plateau Governor, Barr. Simon Lalong to accord recognition to Nde Danjuma Beshakka Dimlong as their traditional ruler.
The Acting District Head of Pankshin Nde Monday Gokum, kingmaker Ngolong Yilli (Dilla) Nde Ringway Golit, Mandakin Pankshin Nde Philip Yilmazaka and Prince kopjura Joshua Dimlong who is the son of the late monarch appealed at the weekend as hundreds of members of the community thronged to palace to demand recognition of Nde Danjuma Dimlong.
In their unanimous decision and voice, they said Nde Danjuma Dimlong was their choice to become the next traditional ruler, having followed the due process of his selection after the demise of the Late Joshua Dimlong on the 26th of June 2015.
The Acting District Head who is also the Ciroma of Pankshin pleaded with Governor Lalong to respect the people’s choice of selection of a traditional ruler of Pankshin, saying all due process has been followed based on the tradition and culture of the Ngas people who have to follow the right process of selecting the successor of their late traditional ruler Ngolong Joshua Dimlong who died on the 26 June 2015 and buried on the 3rd July 2015.
“Based on the tradition of the Ngas people, when a traditional ruler dies, before his burial, there will be a selection of his successor by the kingmakers and supervised by the Palace Elders, when the Ngolong Ngas of Pankshin and Kanke Nde Joshua Dimlong who was also the District Head of Pankshin died on the 26th June 2015, I became the Acting District Head since I was the one deputizing him, so I informed the Local Government and also the Joint Traditional Council that the Leader has pass on, and tradition allowed that the person that will succeed him must carry his corpse during burial, so the kingmaker did a selection out those names nominated and Nde Danjuma Beshakka Dimlong was selected and he did carry the corpse and the burial was done on the 3rd July 2015”.
He described as unfortunate the delay by the Government and the Joint Traditional Council to formally approve the selection of Nde Danjuma Beshakka Dimlong which was done since 2015, saying it seems the government and also the Joint Traditional Council have taken sides which will be dangerous for the tradition and customs of the people.
“I am on behalf of my people of Pankshin District, Elders, stakeholders, women, and Youths calling on the Government, particularly his Excellency Governor Simon Lalong to listen to our cry and approved our selected traditional ruler Nde Danjuma Beshakka Dimlong who is the only recognized selected king having done all the due process and to allow Peace to reign in Pankshin District, there will be a problem if the selected chief is not recognized because our tradition won’t accept the selection of two chiefs at the time, so we are waiting for Government to do the needful.
“Nde Danjuma Beshakka Dimlong is going to ascend the throne by our collective wish Pankshin District traditional council; according to our tradition he was the only one that carry the corpse of our late Royal Highness Nde JoshuaDimlong and the kingmakers have produced him as the next traditional ruler,” he said.
Also Speaking out of the three kingmakers, the only one alive after the 2015 selection Ngolong Yilli (Dilla) Nde Ritway Golit affirmed the position of the Acting District Head, according to him Nde Danjuma Beshakka Dimlong is the duly selected Traditional ruler by them to succeed the late Monarch and the right process was followed.
“We were three external kingmakers, but two are late now, myself Nde Ritway Golit, Ngolong Yilli, late Peter Chinnang Galadiman Pankshin, and Late Monday Wakgaka Daniel we all did the selection out of the nominated persons from the ruling Houses, Nde Danjuma Beshakka Dimlong became recognized and took the corpse for burial as the tradition accepted and he will remain the only recognized and we won’t accept any Political appointment to our Palace, we want the Government not to bring the crisis to us, but following the right procedure “.
Prince Kopjura Joshua Dimlong Son of the late Ngolong Ngas also described the delay as necessary having selected the traditional ruler for the past 8 years.
“We the youth of Ngas land and Pankshin District are not satisfied because after the selection was done, we have been waiting for the government to approve and give Nde Danjuma Beshakka Dimlong, his appointment letter, but one day they just called our elders that there is an emergency meeting, they were molested and they were not allowed to say anything they just told them there was going to be another election and that is something that has never happened in the history of this land.
I am speaking on behalf of the Panshin Development Association and the youth that we want the government to steer clear of our traditions and culture they should allow us to do things according to our culture and traditions. We have been peaceful people and will respect and appreciate our elders, if not for them, there would have been a crisis, but they have been pleading with the youths to stand down so we could follow due process not until we had that there was a press release on Monday from the local government and chieftaincy affairs that someone has been elected and not even selected and that person that has been elected happens not to be amongst the nominees.
“And they are trying to give an appointment later when we have the repeal. The repeal comprised of the elderly women that discount forefront in our tradition matters and culture. We are present there. We have the girls, the young maidens, we have the men, and the youth are all there to show they’re displeased about the situation
which initially we reported to the area command and the DPO as well they told us we should just hold on and in that process that day, the court summoned them and give them a letter that stated that they have to stop parading themselves or doing any activity of such till when the pending case is being resolved from the court.
“So appeal to the government not to interfere and they should stay clear of it and let the due process be because the king has been selected and there is no turning back there is only one king that we know and that is Nde Danjuma Beshakka Dimlong and if the government still insist not to hear us we will go out of our way to protect our heritage we pray the government to go back and have a rethink and look for a solution to salvage the situation.
“Our elders have tried to meet up with them so they could discuss and salvage the situation but to no avail, we the youth and the people of the pension district are not happy and if anything happens henceforth the government should be blamed.
“And we want them to respect royalty, in my life I have never seen someone or a true son of the soul going out to look for a traditional position No is done like that it is something that the elders seat down and decide and we support them”.
Also speaking on the traditional ruler issue, an elderly woman in the palace, Kaka Nelit Goyit cautioned against any step taken by the government to change the selection of traditional rulers which followed due process.
CAPITAL POST gathered that there is the insinuation that government wants to impose Nde Moses Yilsu Dimlong who was never part of the nominees by the kingmakers in 2015.
