Samuel Aruwan
The Ham (Jaba) Traditional Council yesterday in Kaduna state cancelled this year’s Tuk Ham Festival in solidarity with the victims of Kaura killings in which about 148 people were killed by suspected herdsmen.
Tuk Ham is an annual day set aside to display Ham cultures, history and as well exhibition of Nok civilization traceable to 500 BC.
The chiefdom, however, donated all proceeds of the cancelled festival to the victims in Moroa and Attakar chiefdoms of Kaura local government area of the state.
The Kpop Ham, HRH Danladi Gyet Maude, who led the delegation to Kaura local government secretariat, said “We came here to empathize with you because we are one and sharing your pains. We are deeply worried and decided to cancel the annual Tuk Ham and come here straight in commemoration of what happened to your communities. We brought also message of hope and peace, that God is with us and will not forsake us.”
The traditional ruler after his brief remarks announced the following donation to the victims, 30 bags of rice, 30 bags of garri, nine bags of beans, 202 bags of maize, 19 bags of loaf of bread, 100 bags of cement, two mattresses and two pillows, 70 bags of clothes.
He however presented N250, 000 as transportation money in sharing the relief materials in the two chiefdoms.
Receiving the relief materials, the Chief of Attakar, HRH Tobias Nkom Wada, “We are emotional that you cancelled Tuk Ham, a renowned festival that started before we were born. It is humbling and quite impressive; we will continue to work for peace. What is happening to us is surprising, because we have been living for ages with Fulani peacefully until now. We have never got such a delegation and we are happy, but please pray for us that God will bring peace and stability in our area and country.”
