The Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku has condemned the crisis between the Jukuns and Tivs in the southern zone of the state.
He believes the dispute is unnecessary and unthinkable, especially in a period when the world is battling with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Governor Ishaku made the remarks at a meeting with traditional rulers in the region to resolve the lingering dispute on Thursday at the executive chamber of the Government House in Jalingo, the state capital.
Before the meeting went into closed-door, he insisted that the feud was unfortunate, considering the negative effects of the imminent rainy season on farming in the affected communities.
The governor, therefore, challenged the traditional rulers to find a lasting solution to the lingering crisis for the sake of peace.
He also briefed the royal fathers on his efforts in combatting COVID-19 in the state, saying the state government and security agencies were changing strategies to curtail illegal entry into Taraba.
Governor Ishaku revealed that the focus was on the international boundary with the Republic of Cameroon, as well as the local borders with Gombe, Bauchi, Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, and Adamawa States.
He stressed that when the state government acquires mobile test kits, no one would be allowed into the state without undergoing the test.
The governor also decried the porous border of the state, it was very difficult for the security agencies to work effectively in some cases.
He pleaded with the traditional rulers to see the lockdown directive in Taraba as a benefit of all and sundry, urging them to withstand the inconveniences and educate their subjects.
