A group known as Elders Initiatives in Sardauna Local Government of Taraba State has appealed to the Governor of the state, Dr. Agbu Kefas to quickly intervene on the ongoing desecration and abuse of traditional institution by some public figures.
In an open letter to Governor Kefas titled: PETITION AGAINST HON. ABEL PETER DIAH AND BARR. TIMOTHY G. KATAPS ON TRADITIONAL ISSUES IN SARDAUNA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND A PLEA TO VINDICATE THE ACTING THIRD CLASS CHIEF (MBONDUA) OF MBAMNGA CHIEFDOM, HRH ALH. SALEH ABUBAKAR, the elders noted that the duo have penchant for using traditional rulers as ‘toys’.
In a petition letter signed by Hama’Adama Salihu Girvuah (Chairman) and Sadou Ahmadou (Secretary), the group said “it is a great brawny petition devoid of frivolity but with hefty and substantial proof against the duo as captioned above.”
The group said Hon. Abel Peter Diah a member representing Mbamnga State Constituency since 2003 to date and Barr. Timothy G. Kataps who has served in various capacity as Secretary to the State Government and North East PDP National Vice Chairman were supposed to bring dividends of democracy to their people but instead of that they are interested in abuse of traditional rulers and traditional institutions.
Parts of the petition read below:
“With the opportunities and the years of experience granted to them to hold sensitive positions and be at the helm of affairs of State, we regret to inform you that they failed woefully to take development home which is evident as you have seen during your visits.
“Sir, we however regret that the only development which is so dear to them is to use our Traditional rulers as toys.
“They try all exhaustive means to galvanize a means of control on our Traditional Rulers which is no longer acceptable.
“It has gone so bad that our Traditional Institutions right now take instruction from the duo, especially Hon. Abel Peter Diah on whom to be appointed as even a ward Head (Kachala). He makes any Traditional Ruler acting independently his worst enemy, and such a ruler stands the risk of losing his stool as they call it disloyalty because of pride, he feels he is above the tradition and no longer respects the Traditional Institutions.
“May God bless you for the Executive order you issued last year, just a couple of months after your inauguration, the Executive order against the removal, and
appointment of New Traditional Rulers, and issuance of Traditional Titles. The testimony in this regard is overwhelming, we know that before you allowed Hon. Abel Peter Diah to be made the House Committee Chairman on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, you didn’t know the rationale behind his request, else it would have been declined by you.
“Hon. Abel Peter Diah had allegedly promised during his campaigns across Sardauna that he was going to remove all the Traditional Rulers who were loyal to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) because the former Governor had urged them to ensure their subjects voted for PDP which ushered your victory. This is however normal and not the fault of the Traditional Rulers to obey the Government but they face persecution from him today.
“The First fulfillment of his promise was the removal of his Royal Father, HRH Johnson Lelnjuck as the Third-Class Chief (Mbondua) of Mbamnga Chiefdom by using and sponsoring one Joshua Marime to sue the Third Class Chief, which a Kangaroo judgment was obtained, declaring the appointment as null and void.
“Sir, to prove our point in the above paragraph, Hon. Abel Peter Diah defied the Law of Appeals, he couldn’t wait for the expiration of 30 days within which the aggrieved party has the Constitutional rights to appeal or vacate the Office, but in less than three (3) days, he facilitated the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs using his influence as the Chairman of the House Committee over-sighting the Bureau for LGs and appointed the present Acting Third Class Chief who was not a party to the suit, dumping the Judgment Creditor he used and sending him back to the street so as to use the Traditional stool as his toy which he is doing.”
The petitioners noted that Hon. Abel Peter Diah has allegedly facilitated the sack of four District heads in Sardauna within just one week namely: Furmi District Head, Mbar District Head, Barup District Head and Mang District Head. Others include the District Heads of Warwar and Gam Vakude in his own Village which he allegedly sacked earlier.
The group said while batch 1, 2, and 3 were successful, except that of Mbar District in batch 3, whose Team of Lawyers was extremely smart enough, to beat time by successfully filing appeal at Court of Appeal as well as Motion and effecting services on them on same day stopping the Bureau and the Acting third Class Chief (Mbondua) Mbamnga to maintain status quo ante. They said, this however frustrated his underground moves but exposed his ‘evil’ intentions.
“Sir, we got a copy of the Petition from the Mbar Community worldwide to your Office against the Acting Third Class Chief (Mbondua) of Mbamnga HRH Alh Saleh Abubakar and we humbly plead for him not to be cast for the sin of Hon. Abel Peter Diah and Barr Timothy G. Kataps. Here is to expose those hands pushing him through the back against his will.
“We plead on behalf of the remaining District’s Heads who are yet to commence their Appeal Process for your intervention, that they will enjoy their Constitutional Rights of 30 days period within which to file Appeals at the Court of Appeal Yola. God bless your Excellency as we wait for your invitation,” the petitioners said.
