By BLESSING IDOKO
Friday, April 28, 2006

According to Engr. Jimmy Cheto, a member of the organizing committee and a director with the Federal Capital Development Authority, Tarok Day, otherwise known as Ilum O’Tarok, is a day set aside every year for the Tarok people to reflect on their activities for the year. He said Tarok people, made up of about 100 communities in the present day Plateau State, used the day to reflect on what they have done in the past one year, look at where they are and try to chart, for themselves, a course in the future.
"It is a time when the Tarok people look at themselves, re-appraise and prepare themselves for the future", Cheto said.

The occasion, which was well attended, was preceded on Friday by a symposium to awaken the consciousness of the Tarok people. The topic of the symposium, which is: "Re-awakening the Tarok core values", was meant to resurrect the core values that the Tarok people are known for which have hitherto been eroded by economic and political changes in the society, Cheto said. Also, the issue of HIV was equally discussed at the symposium, for the youths to realize the dangers inherent in unsafe sexual practices.

This year’s Tarok Day was historical in the sense that the last one was held 10 years ago. According to Engr. Cheto, the break in marking the annual Tarok Day was caused by a number of factors, which include lapses in the leadership of the organization from 1996 to the year 2000. Also, from the year 2000 upwards, Plateau State was engulfed in one form of civil disturbance or another; particularly within the southern senatorial district of the state, where the two major local governments, Langtang North and Langtang South that housed the Tarok people, are located.

The colour of this year’s Tarok Day changed when men who control Plateau politics started arriving. The dignitaries include, Governor Joshua Dariye, who was represented by the deputy governor; former governors of the state, serving and retired military personnel, top civil servants, etc.

They include, Gens. Jerry Useni, Domkat Bali, John Shagaya, Air Vice Marshal Josiah Wuyep, Solomon Lar, among others.

In his speech, the chairman of the occasion, Rev. Canon (Dr.) Selcan Miner, chronicled the role played by Tarok nation in the development of not only Plateau State but also Nigeria in general. He prayed that the peace that have returned to Plateau State would be sustained and urged all Tarok people to be law abiding and to always ensure that they keep to the norms that the Tarok people are known for and which they are all proud of.

In his goodwill message, Chief Solomon Lar, former governor of Plateau State, who represented His Majesty, Edward Cirdap Zhattau, the Ponzhi Tarok, thanked all those who honoured the invitation, especially the state government officials. He appealed to the state government to make good its promise to rehabilitate the road leading to Langtang town and to site a state university or polytechnic in the town.
Gen. Useni urged Tarok people to continue working together and to live peacefully and harmoniously with one another for the betterment and development of Tarok nation.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Jonah Wuyep, in his message, expressed happiness at the turnout of people. He urged Tarok people to uphold the same spirit that binds them together and to ensure that those things that bring conflicts among them are eliminated.

The Chairman, Langtang South Local Government, Dr. Hitler Dadi, in his speech, gave assurance that Tarok people would continue to hold those tenets that bind them together and will collectively fight their common enemy for the interest of peace and development of Tarok nation.

Governor Dariye asked for commitment and hard-work of the Tarok people towards ensuring peace and unity in the state. According to him, Tarok people are synonymous with successes and urged them to keep up the tempo.

In his vote of thanks, Engr. Cheto thanked people that contributed to the success of the event and prayed that God will grant them journey mercies back to their various homes. He expressed happiness that the occasion achieved one of its cardinal objectives which was to reposition the Tarok people on the path of growth, stability and progress and prayed that God will grant them more blessings and wisdom in service to their people, Plateau State and Nigeria at large.