BY CELESTINE IHEJIRIKA / JALINGO
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The Kuteb/Tiv coalition has berated a group of Tiv political appointees and its community leaders in Taraba over an uncomplimentary remarks in a recent meeting in the state recently.
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In a statement issued in Jalingo on Monday signed by the group’s Chairman, Dr. Yakubu Tor Agbidye and the Secretary, Ambassador Rikwensi Muri respectively, made available to Daily News Nigeria, condemned in strong terms the said comment, describing it as a harmful of politically anxious appointees posing as the “voice” of Tiv people in Taraba to discredit them.
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According to the group, “we would have ignored the muddled and self-congratulatory press conference convened by the said stakeholders, but let it be said emphatically that the Kuteb/Tiv Coalition is not against the Government of Dr. Agbu Kefas. It is not against any political appointee. It is not against any tribe. If anything, it is an act of political maturity and strategic foresight to unite historically marginalized ethnic groups—Kuteb and Tiv—so they can have a respectable voice at the table where decisions that affect them are being made. This noble cause is being misunderstood, deliberately twisted by political elements.”
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“Let us remind these self-appointed defenders of progress that political appointments do not equate to political empowerment. The true empowerment of a people lies in institutions, negotiation frameworks, representation, equity in land rights, and guaranteed security of lives and property. Where are these for the Tiv and Kuteb in Taraba State today?”, they stated.
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“Those accusing the Coalition of being Abuja-based should ask themselves: Where were the most consequential decisions affecting the Kuteb and people taken? Was it not in Abuja where displaced Kuteb and Tiv leaders cried out to the Federal Government while some of these appointees have been dining quietly with the Taraba Government since the days of former Governor Darius? If the Coalition is in Abuja, at least it is thinking. At least it is acting. At least it will never apologize for existing.”
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The group maintained they are not seeking endorsement by the appointees, but urged them to disassociate themselves from the coalition, stressing that “the Kuteb/Tiv coalition is not a fan club but a platform of concerned elders, youths and visionaries who understood the need to organized beyond stomach infrastructure and gratitude politics, hence the coalition was not a crime but seeking for inclusion, equity and visibility.
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