The leader of the Tiv Taraba Peoples Association , David Uchiv , on Friday insisted Tiv were not settlers , but indigenes of Taraba State .

Uchiv said this in an interview with our correspondent .

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According to the politician , it is only the Jukun who want to be mischievous that are saying Tiv are settlers in the state .
He said , “For instance , the Jukun claimed they founded Wukari in 1596, but by 1670 they were fighting a war in Kano and Kanem Borno . Does it mean they were attacking Kano and Kanem Borno from Wukari ? This is a fallacy .

“Tiv have been in what is today Taraba State long before Chamba people met them in 1830 in today ’s Donga Local Government Area of Taraba .


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“Politically , our participation in the former Wukari federation dates back to 1959 when Charles Gaza was elected to the House of Representatives to represent Wukari federation under UMBC ( United Middle Belt Congress ) .

“In 1979, David Mtuem and Simon Awua represented Matar Fada and Rafin Kada under the NPN ( National Party of Nigeria ) . While David Gbaaondo was elected to represent Takum / Donga federal constituency , and Tsetim Gwakyaa of the NPN replaced Gbaaondo before the military took over power .”

Uchiv said contrary to reports , the violent clashes between Tiv and Jukun had nothing to do with kidnapping , boundary issue or banditry as being alleged .
He said the age -long crisis had been on since 1959, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to critically look into the crisis with a view to finding a lasting solution to it.

Source: Punch