Elders’ forum of the Plateau Central Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday thrown its weight behind the call by General
Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) for self-defence in the face of incessant attacks and
killings by suspected Fulani herdsmen, saying such was not a call to anarchy
because the Nigerian constitution provides for self-defence.
Addressing a press conference in Jos,
Chairman of the forum, Chief John Mankilik, who was flanked by other members of
the forum, said: “We totally agree with Retired General Danjuma as he spoke the
minds of the bewildered people of Nigeria to the menace of the Fulani
herdsmen.”
The forum observed that “a trend seems to emerge in
the Middle Belt states of Nigeria, such that there is a correlation between
President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit and bloodshed during such visits. And we are
concerned that if this is the change Nigeria bargained for?
“In Plateau State, our heritage is betrayed, our
patrimony is ambushed, our future is compromised, our land is in endangered and
our people and their aspiration are in danger.”
They expressed disappointment that rather than
confronting the president with the true state of security in the state during
his visit, “Governor Lalong and his anti-Plateau gang of undertakers and
gold-diggers were lying and treating the president to a false and chimerical
gallery, oiling Buhari’s failure and romancing his long departed ego.”
They said the president’s visit has exposed the
glaring leadership gap and weakness on the Plateau as piloted by the All
Progressives Congress (APC) government; the government deliberately put in place
a charade just targeted at 2019 interest to the detriment of the survival of
the people.
“The ensuing battle between Lalong and the Minister
of Sport, Solomon Dalung, has also clearly revealed this cardinal interest to
make a public ridicule of Plateau State, unlike our Benue State counterparts
that has displayed strong cohesion with their people regardless of partisan
differences. Plateau State is therefore an easy prey for the age-long enemy of
divide and rule.
“Our two APC illustrious sons of Plateau Central
could not even remember to remind the president during his visit that up till
now, the security agencies made no single arrest of the assailants of Late
Lazarus Agai, the Saf ron Kulere, a first class paramount ruler of Bokkos who
was murdered by the marauders. If our two APC elders could forget their
paramount ruler that was killed in such a manner, we are not surprise that they
do not remember the ordinary citizens killed in Bokkos on the day the president
visited the state.”
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