By Barnabas Augustine
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has called on the Bachama and Tshobo ethnic groups in Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State to live harmoniously and in peace. He addressed the two ethnic groups on Tuesday in Wadugu and Rigange, which are predominantly Bachama settlements, and Lakan, a predominantly Tshobo settlement.
The call came after the Governor was taken around the affected communities by the Lamurde Local Government Chairman, Mr. Bulus Daniel, accompanied by security agency commanders in Adamawa State and the Police Commissioner. The Governor, who was visiting the communities following the communal clash, stressed the importance of peaceful coexistence, saying no community will grow and develop while engaging in unnecessary and avoidable clashes.
Governor Fintiri stated that his administration has prioritised unity and inclusivity in his government, a stance that cannot be compromised.
While commiserating with the families of those who lost family members and had properties destroyed, Governor Fintiri insisted that justice would be done to teach the perpetrators of the unfortunate communal clash that his administration means business in protecting the lives and properties of its citizens.
He announced that his government would bring a lasting solution to the communal clash, emphasising that both ethnic groups would be invited for dialogue as the Adamawa State government recently established a peace commission to settle such clashes.
The Governor thanked the communities for having confidence in him and encouraged them to continue with their lawful activities. He stated that he had given directives to security forces to police the affected areas to sustain the peace that had been achieved and prevent any attempt to disrupt it in the affected communities.
The Governor assured that the farmland, which was said to be the cause of the clash, would be demarcated, and if the affected communities could not respect the resolution, the government would take over ownership of the land.
The Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri assured the communities that his administration would provide relief materials to the affected communities to ameliorate their suffering.
In their separate submissions on behalf of the Bachama people, Danladi Kotohula, who represented Wadugu community at Wadugu, and Bishop Bulus Taya, who spoke on behalf of Rigange community at Rigange, traced the history of the mingling of the Bachama and Tshobo people at Wadugu and Rigange to 1945 after the Second World War, while disclosing that the Bachama Chiefdom has existed for over three centuries.
They reiterated that since then, they had been living harmoniously and intermarrying, until recently when they clashed over farmland. They called on the government to come to their aid by providing them with relief materials while vowing to live harmoniously and peacefully with their Tshobo neighbours.
In particular, Daniel Kotohula alleged that the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area failing to promptly respond to the early call to enforce law and order led to the escalation of the clash, resulting in the unfortunate situation that caused deaths and the destruction of properties.
In their submission at Lakan, Mr. Hygimus Mangu, who spoke on behalf of the Tshobo people at Lakan, stated that the immediate cause of the clash between the Tshobo and Bachama people in the area was a dispute over farmland. However, he emphasised that the crisis had deeper, underlying remote causes. He assured that the Tshobo people would henceforward live peacefully with their Bachama neighbours, while noting the senseless nature of the clash between communities that had lived peacefully and intermarried for several years.