(PART III)
TO THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF TARABA, A LETTER FROM A SON OF THE PLATEAU.

This letter is directed to the great descendants of the KWARARAFAN CONFEDERACY. My brothers and sisters who are direct descendants of the custodians of the greatest multi-ethnic kingdom that existed in Africa and thrived for over 400 years.

Just like Gongola (Adamawa state) and to a good extent other parts of the wider PLATEAU GURARA GONGOLA region. There are lots of unscrupulous elements who go about claiming to be Indigenes of Taraba state. People whose ancestors were not part of the ancient Kwararafan kingdom or have any clue as to what Kwararafa stood for.
Most of these people have their origins from Mali, Senegal and the far sahelian north to the Sahara desert. Some came in the name of a failed religious jihad shortly before the colonial era while others came as traders during the colonial era.
Our forefathers being an extremely kind, naive and welcoming people welcomed these foreigners with open arms but they never knew the kind of mistakes they made. Today, these aliens and foreigners are trying to rewrite the history of our ancestors.
We have tolerated this nonsense and madness for too long in the name of promoting peace and unity under a very fake and disunited Nation called Nigeria. Our tolerance and peacefulness is now being used against us and every Tom, Dick and Harry now wants to take advantage of us.

I am extremely proud of you my brothers and sisters from Taraba state who have managed to remain united despite all the efforts of the enemies to divide you and make you weaker so that they can take charge of the state.
You my Mumuye and Jukun brothers, the two largest ethnic entities in Taraba have managed to continue to work together, united in peace and harmony, carrying along the other smaller groups of Taraba. For this, I say Kudos to you.

For some time now, I have noticed that the debate sometimes come up on who is a JUKUN and who is not.
There is an adage that says, when two brothers fight themselves, the stranger comes in to reap the spoils. That is exactly what happened on the Plateau and we ended up with a governor who is now actively working against the interests of our people and taking sides with our enemies.
I honestly pray that such a sad situation will never befall Taraba and I hope that those of us from Plateau have learnt our lessons.

Nigeria is like a jungle with different restless and hungry wolves actively on the watch looking for sheep to infiltrate, penetrate, steal from, kill and destroy.
For God's sake why should the argument of who is a Jukun and who is not keep reccuring when we are all descendants of KWARARAFA?
At least 70% of all the people that make up the Middlebelt region including Kogi and Benue are proud descendants of ethnic groups that were part of the great KWARARAFA CONFEDERACY. Even as far as Southern Nigeria, there are people who are descendants of Kwararafa.

Whether you are Wapan, Kpanzu, Ichen, Kuteb, Wanu, Tigun, Yukuben, Jibu or Kona, all are one and the same people. Same children of a common father.
I do not belong to any of these groups, neither am I from Taraba, but I proudly identify as a KWARARAFAN. I personally do not see any difference between the ways of life, culture, orientation, history and societal values between the Indigenous people of the Plateau and Taraba.

Taraba is nature's wonder to West Africa. Just like Plateau state, Taraba has some of the best tourism potentials in West Africa. From the very vast virgin Gashaka-Gumti forests that posses very exotic and unique plant and wildlife, to the scenic and temperate mountainous grasslands of the Mambilla Plateau. It is such a beauty to behold.

However unfortunately, we can hardly even think about harnessing these God-given potentials, because we find ourselves in a country where we are pre-occupied by Insecurity.
A country where the leadership is more concerned on how to acquire the ancestral lands of the Indigenous people of Nigeria to give to their cow-herding tribesmen who come from different parts of the world.

How do we market our region in positive light to the world to earn income from tourism when we are being labelled as a region and nation of terrorism?

Few years ago, there was an open invasion of terrorists called Herdsmen in the northern parts of Taraba which spilled over into Gongola (Adamawa).
From village to village, people were attacked and killed by foreign mercenaries wielding very sophisticated weapons.
Up till today, there are many abandoned villages in Lau LGA and there has been absolutely no form of inquiries by the Federal government or efforts to resettle these displaced villagers.

These same terrorists have been invading the Southern and Central parts of Taraba for many years, but I say Kudos to my Jukun and Mambilla brothers and sisters for fiercely standing strong to resist these demonic elements who are nothing but wanderers from the Sahara desert seeking for the lands of Indigenous Nigerians to grab and steal.
I am extremely proud of you guys.
However, we must continue to remain vigilant, standing strong to support each other.

Taraba, just like Plateau are two very special places within the PLATEAU- GURARA- GONGOLA region and their so called fraudulent 'Northern region'.
Both states have been very very difficult for the enemies to crack, infiltrate, manipulate and control. They have tried all their best possible tactics but to no avail. That is the more reason why both the people of Taraba and Plateau need to be united stronger as the Brethren that we are, so that we can be able to assist our Brethren in other parts of our region who have been more unfortunate to find themselves in states where they are being oppressed, suppressed, silenced, intimidated and manipulated.
Posterity will not forgive us if we choose to become silent and selfish, leaving our brethren in other states to their fate and sufferings.

For a long time now, there is another kind of Plague that has been bedeviling the beautiful Jewel of Kwararafa (Taraba) and unfortunately, this plague and conflict has been coming up not from foreigners or alien groups from the Sahel, rather from a people our ancestors have been neighbours with for centuries. People who we have been living side by side with and intermarrying each other for centuries.
A people with whom we have been sharing similar burdens and a common geopolitical umbrella, since the existence of this terrible Nation called Nigeria.

These are no other people than the Tivs of Benue state.
We shall continue to sue for peaceful co-existence, mutual understanding and respect between we the people of PLATEAU- GURARA- GONGOLA and the TIVS. The entire region must be involved in this issue because it is not a Southern Taraba problem or a JUKUN - TIV problem as many people ignorantly think it is.

This problem also exists in the Southern parts of Nasarawa state that share boundary with Tiv land. The Indigenous Alago and Agatu people of Southern Nasarawa also regularly have issues surrounding land ownership with the Tivs.
Idomas and Igedes who are Indigenes of Benue and share land boundary with the Tivs also have issues regarding land with the Tivs.

The Indigenous people of Northern Cross river state sharing boundary with the Tivs to the south (Obanliku and Obudu people, collectively knowns as Ogoja people) have also had their own fair share of bitter conflicts with the Tivs in the past over land.
So, this is not just a Jukun issue. Rather it is one that needs serious understanding, caution and commitment to resolve. And by the grace of the Almighty God and commitment on our parts, it shall be resolved.

My beloved Taraba brethren. It is no longer a debatable topic that the Nigeria we find ourselves today has become a country with the slogan EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF. Actually, it has always been like that from the beginning of time, unfortunately we are the ones who failed to realize that early enough.
Our forefathers made up the overwhelming bulk of soldiers who fought to keep Nigeria one in the Nigerian civil war because we ignorantly believed in the unity and collective progress of this country.

Unfortunately, the one Nigeria our parents died for is the same one Nigeria that is being used by our enemies to decimate and oppress us. And to this, it is hightime we said enough is enough. We should not be ashamed to recognize and accept the mistakes of our fathers, so that we can make a better society that our own children will be proud to call home.
Nigeria is a union of unsuitable bedfellows and that is why it is a sinking ship.
While people like us were fighting for the collective progress of this country at our own detriment, others were fighting for their own religious and ethnic agendas aimed at subjugating and stealing the ancestral lands of others.

As a bonafide indigene of Taraba, whether you are Jukun, Jenjo or Mambilla, whether you are Mumuye, Yandang or Wurkun e.t.c, your only commitment and allegiance should be towards your fellow Indigenous people of Taraba and the wider region of PLATEAU GURARA GONGOLA, where you have brethren who behave, think and reason as you do. People with similar cultural values and origins.

Our ancestors left us a good example with the KWARARAFAN CONFEDERACY that thrived for centuries and was very powerful and influential. A kingdom where in spite of our different languages, we lived together in harmony and were a strong force to reckon with.

There are 4-5 million Indigenous people of Taraba. This population united as one is enough to make a strong impact on whatever you set your heart out to achieve.

By the time this population is added to people with similar values, cultures and orientation like those of us from Gongola (Adamawa), Southern Gombe, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Nasarawa, Southern Borno, Southern Bauchi, Niger east/FCT, Kebbi south e.t c, that is approximately 40 million people.
The question we have to ask ourselves today is, why are we failing and limiting ourselves by deciding to radically focus only on our individual clans and ethnic groups?? Meanwhile, the people who are actively against us are uniting themselves all across different African countries.

If you are a proud son or daughter of TARABA, you read this letter up to this point, you received this letter with a grateful heart and believe in the contents therein, please do well to share it on your wall/pages/groups with your friends and families.
You can also search for, like, follow and comment on the Facebook page PLATEAU GURARA GONGOLA as a way of showing your support.
Together, we shall overcome!



Written by
(Noah K. Son_Of_The_Plateau)
Plateau Gurara Gongola.

Keep it up bro enlighting ur people. Open there eye to who they are. If they all come together they know that their enemris cant stand them.

We move!

ozome15:
Keep it up bro enlighting ur people. Open there eye to who they are. If they all come together they know that their enemris cant stand them.

Thank you very much. You are a brother indeed!

Thank you for this write up. Jukun need to stop their senseless fight with kuteb and the tiv people. The real enemies are coming from Sahara desert eating and killing anything that breath.

Gowon and T.Y it's times to unit our people before it's to late lead us to make peace with our brothers from the south, they have never killed, rape nor take our land, they are not our enemies,

The enemies have taken over greater part of our lands upto Mambilla plateau.

Danjikanbauchi:
Thank you for this write up. Jukun need to stop their senseless fight with kuteb and the tiv people. The real enemies are coming from Sahara desert eating and killing anything that breath.

Gowon and T.Y it's times to unit our people before it's to late lead us to make peace with our brothers from the south, they have never killed, rape nor take our land, they are not our enemies,

The enemies have taken over greater part of our lands upto Mambilla plateau.

Jukuns are not the agressors when it comes to Tiv people.
As a Bantoid people, Tivs have an expansionist Bantu culture and that is why Tivs also have boundary clashes with Igedes, Alagos, Agatus and Ogoja people.

In the case of the Kutebs, I can agree that the other Jukun clans like the Wapans and Kpanzus have not managed the relationship with their Kuteb brothers well.

Fulanis have been chased out of Mambilla times without number. A few years ago they were chased out.
The problem is the Gashaka-Gumti forest reserve which is to the north of the Mambilla Plateau.
Jukun clans must work together with Mambilla people to safeguard that forest from being a Fulani terrorist stronghold.