Chief Emmanuel Ukwen, President General of Kuteb Yantso of Nigeria (KYN), has accused Retired Gen. Theophilus Danjuma forr allegedly distorting and inventing new history of Takum to benefit the Chamba tribe.
Ukwen stated this during a media parley with Newsmen on Frriday, in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.
The allegation followed the recent appointment of chief of Takum and presentation of staff of office by Governor Agbu Kefas.
The new Chief of Takum is expected to succeed late Ukwe Takum Ali Ibrahim, who died 28 years ago.
Ukwen also alleged that Danjuma and his associates were making plans to demolish the Takum Central Mosque and the palace of Ukwe Takum which had been located behind the Mosque.
The President General of KYN recalled the recent speech presented by TY Danjuma during coronation of the newly appointed chief of Takum was unacceptable.
:”It is a pity that TY Danjuma referred to one of the Ukwe Takum as a very bad and terrible chief on flimsy reasons of ethnicity and religion.
“We believe that there is a sinister move by TY Danjuma and his cohosts to demolish the Takum Central Mosque and the Ukwe Takum Palace under the excuse of Urban development.
“We want the whole world to know that the graves of our late Ukwes who reigned and died are in the palace.
“Any attempt to desecrate the tombs of our fathers will amount to cultural genocide.
”The Ukwe Takum ruled Takum from 1510 to 1996 uninterrupted by any other tribe,”
Ukwen said.
It was reported that KYN rejected the coronation of the newly crowned chief of Takum, Sopiya Gboshi from the Chamba tribe who was appointed by the state governor to succeed Ukwe Takum Ali Ibrahim from the Kuteb tribe.
It was also gathered that Gov Kefas in a bid to bring sanity to the traditional stood of Takum, decided to adopt a strategy where it would be rotational among the Chamba, Kuteb and Kpanzon tribe.
The reason did not go down well with the Kutebs, because they feel the seat of the Chief of Takum is their heritage.
Such perception has severally led to ethnic crises in Takum many years ago that resulted to killings and destruction of property.
Recalled that the Kuteb tribe wanted and campaigned for the creation of a local government Area, and in 1996 under Gen. Sani Abacha, Ussa LGA was cut out of Takum LGA for them, they are the sole occupant of Ussa LGA in Taraba State today.