Share, Tsaragi crisis: Group rejects gov’s judicial commission

The Elders of Tsaragi community in the Edu Local Government Area of Kwara state has passed vote of no confidence and trust on Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed’s Judicial Commission of Enquiry, stressing that they have instituted court action to challenge the governor’s decision.

The group, in a speech read by Dr. Abdullahi Idris and assisted by the Wali of Tsaragi, Alhaji Muhammed Haruna, at the Nigeria Union Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, alleged that the governor was bias in the composition of the commission.

According to him, “In the light of the one-sided disposition openly displayed by Governor Ahmed, the Nupes of Tsaragi community have no reason whatsoever to participate in another inquiry more so when the recommendations of all the previous commissions/panels on the crisis which have been adopted by the government of Kwara state have not been implemented.

“‎Following the recent outbreak of communal crisis between Tsaragi and Share, the attention of Tsaragi community was drawn to yet another constitution of Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the issues that led to the crisis and proffer solutions.

“It is important to recap that the Federal Government of Nigeria, following the states and local government’s creation of 1976, constituted Justice Mammal Nasir’s Boundary Adjustment Commission.

“It visited the two communities and its recommendations were accepted by the federal government. A white paper was issued on the report by the Kwara state government.

“In 1995/96, the federal government again set up Justice Mbanefo panel. The panel visited Kwara state‎ and at its public sitting, Share community requested the panel to review Mamman Nasir Commission’s recommendations.”

The group, however, stressed that, “There have been four Commissions on Share /Tsaragi Boundary Dispute since 1975 Justice Mamman Nasir’s report, all of which were rejected. Having failed to achieve their mission through lawful means, Share community resorted to the use of force, sometimes, by invading Nupe villages with armed youths and ordering the villagers to leave or admit being part of Share District in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara state. These act of lawlessness on the part of Share youths, led to the recent crisis.

“The pertinent questions now, are, to what extent is Governor Ahmed, who is an indigene of Share, impartial in this matters? It is not safe to assume, that Governor Ahmed, is behind the current episode going by his recent actions and utterances?

“Clearly, everything points to Governor‎ Ahmed as the stumbling block towards the resolution of the crisis. We observed at the meetings attended by the Tsaragi community with Governor Ahmed at the Government House, Ilorin, that the governor asked questions and provided the answers at the same time, while addressing salient issues.

“We have also observed that governor asserted that no community owns land and threatening land owners to adopt give and take approach. This cannot be the stance of a neutral governor and the Chief Security Officer of the state.”

‎The group therefore maintained that the people Tsaragi community and its environs are committed to the peaceful co-existence with our Share Igbomina neighbours.

In his reaction, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the governor, Dr. Muideen Akorede, appealed to the people to give the commission of enquiry benefit of doubt in its operation.

Dr. Akorede, who said that the state government had been transparent and objective in the matter, added that Governor Ahmed did not act as an indigene of Share community but as an individual saddled with responsibility to ensure peace and order in the state.

“There is no extra interest here. The governor intervened for peace to thrive. Because it’s in the atmosphere of peace that we can have development. The commission of enquiry was meant to find lasting solution to the crisis so that we can sustain our state as State of Harmony. It’s premature to cast aspersions or doubt on the commission.

The right thing is to make their feelings known at the commission of enquiry and then react after the findings of the commission”, he said.