From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
The Outgoing President of the Tiv people resident in the United Kingdom, known as Mzough U Tiv, UK, (MUTUK), Professor Kohol Iornem, said he has had a fruitful four year tenure with landmark achievements in education, health, skills acquisition training programmes.
He further noted that he can proudly say that he promoted peace and unity of members.
Iornem who spoke during a media chat with newsmen stated that when he came on board, he met a body with many challenges and different factions but was able to unite the people through purposeful and transparent leadership.
He noted that MUTUK’s constitution was amended to adequately address some of the issues that created problems while in a bid to boost membership, his administration created a user-friendly website, www.mutuk.org where new members now register online to join MUTUK family.
According to him, there is now an alternative source of funding for Tiv Day through sale of tickets with the Family Fun Day organised during the summer to further bring the people in unity with the last event at Willen Lake in Milton Keynes which he noted was fun with lots of exciting activities for the kids and adults.
He also noted that he facilitated the publication of the fourth edition of the Mzough Magazine which captures knowledge and events of the union and also gives members opportunity to promote their businesses and activities across the broader community at a minimal cost.
He said MUTUK, within the period under his leadership, also organised an online Leadership and Management Seminar in May 2020 with expert speakers from the United Kingdom and Nigeria and was well attended by members to develop their managerial skills whilst in lockdown due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Iornem further said the association was able to set up sub committees to champion specific projects and listed some of the ongoing programmes to include Teaching of Tiv Language, Registering MUTUK as a charity and Fundraising for Tiv House.
“It is also on record that MUTUK during this period lent its voice on issues that threatened the peaceful coexistence of the Tiv people in abroad and in Nigeria, particularly leading a protest to the UK Government over the incessant killing and displacement of Tiv people from their ancestral homes by marauding herdsmen in Nigeria and also helping Tiv people fleeing Ukraine to settle in Ireland during the height of the Russia/Ukraine war by liaising with the Irish Embassy to allow the Tiv people to seek refuge in the country.
“Back Home in Nigeria, the Mzough U Tiv, United Kingdom visited the IDP Camp at Federal Housing in North Bank, Makurdi with food and relief materials. It also gave scholarships to five students in the Department of Tiv Language at the Federal College of Education Katsina Ala and sponsored a field trip for one of them.
“In the health sector, the Professor Iornem led MUTUK , purchased two dialysis machines for NKST Hospital Mkar in Benue state and currently working on some of the consumables to help them get started.
Iornem who served as the Vice President from 2017 to 2019, said “I led the protest in London against the killing of Benue people by the herdsmen where we submitted a petition to the British Prime Minister (Theresa May at that time) and submitted a copy to the Archbishop of Canterbury. This is what endeared many people to support me as President of MUTUK.”
He prayed that the union will continue to grow and be united to achieve greater goals even after his leadership.