Plateau Problems Are Motivated From Outside
the guardian, SUNDAY, 04 DECEMBER 2011 00:00 FROM ISA ABDULSALAMI SUNDAY MAGAZINE - SUNDAY MAGAZINE
Nde Alexander Molwus, Special Adviser to Governor Jonah Jang on Political Affairs spoke with ISA ABDULSALAMI, on the situation in Plateau State.
On the Crisis
IF you look at crises in Plateau State in their proper perspective, they did not just start from 2008. You remember that the crises on the Plateau, which even led to the state of emergency during Joshua Dariye’s regime started in 2001and unfortunately, people thought then that that was Dariye’s problem and that if Dariye goes, there will be no problem on the Plateau. People thought he is the architect of the problems in Plateau State.
And with some undiluted interests, the state of emergency was slammed on the state, unfortunately hoping that that would solve the problems therein.
Situation under Gov Jang
When the Jang administration came on board in 2007 and the democratic decision to conduct local government elections in 2008 was taken, there were intrigues and the 2008 crisis was hatched. This dealt a devastating blow to the image of the state. There were security arrangements that were put in place to check the security problems. This was never to be when another crisis erupted again in 2011, particularly during the Muslim fasting period. It was unfortunate. Just as it was seen then as Dariye’s problem, it is now seen as Jang’s problem.
The security challenge is such that we have a situation where some people outside Plateau, believe that if it is not them, nothing works.
If you trace the historical leadership problems in Plateau, any indigenous leader in Plateau is always accused of not being sensitive to security problems in the state and they will create all sort of blackmail around such leaders.
In 2008 crisis, whether there was any advice to the effect that elections should not hold in Jos North, I don’t know because I was not in the government then. Each crisis in Jos has been an importation into Plateau State. It is not really an issue that emanated from Plateau. It is instigation by some people who believe they should lord it over everything in the northern part of this country. They believe it is their rights to determine what is happening in whatever state in Nigeria. Plateau people have their identity in the comity of states in the federation. They stand as a figure that must be respected. The state must be respected like any other state in Nigeria and its leaders should be respected like any other leader in Nigeria. And therefore, there should be no basis for lording it over the state by other people outside Plateau. This is the fundamental crux of the problem of Plateau, because all the leaders in Plateau that have embarked on the Plateau Project, that is, ensuring the dignity and respect of Plateau in the comity of states in Nigeria, are deemed to be incompetent, and not acceptable to some. But Plateau is for Plateau and for Plateau people and anybody who resides in Plateau and wants to identify with the aspirations, the culture and ethics of the people is welcome.
That is why it is called the “Home of Peace and Tourism.” But where you want to use that to impose your own ideas on Plateau people, Plateau people will resist such. And that is the fate of the late Joseph Deshi Gomwalk, because he stood for Plateau Project. So to our adversaries, the best way to deal with the situation was to kill him. Apart from J.D. Gomwalk, who paid with his life, the rest, we thank God that with the sophistication of modern administration, survive.
Look at Chief Solomon Lar. He was humiliated. He was imprisoned and he was the last to be released of all the governors detained, at the end of it, he was found not guilt.
When it came to Fidelis Tapgun, he also suffered the same thing and he left. Even Atukum, who was a military officer, suffered it because he stood for Plateau and insisted that the people must maintain their identity. Look at Dariye too. He was accused of everything, that he was insensitive to security matters, that he was the cause of everything, that he was the problem. All sorts of things were embarked upon to remove him including impeachment because they believed he was the architect of the problem.
Now, when Jang took over, you discover that initially they thought he was friendly to the Jasawas and they even organized a reception for him. They even went to the extent of giving him a certificate. That was what we were told. But when Jang put his feet down to embark on Plateau Project, look at what they are saying again; that the whole problem is again Jang’s.
So, the issue in Plateau state is not an issue of labeling one man. The problem is as long as you are the leader in Plateau State, and you embark on the Plateau Project, to lead by the aspirations and concerns of Plateau people, you are their enemy and therefore you must be part of all sorts of things. I think all the leaders we have, have become a problem as far as some people are concerned, because they have refused to listen to the dictates outside Plateau.
To me, the problem is not whether there are issues of security matters as in 2008, not even some of the issues we had been ignorantly holding onto before now, but we discover that any leader from Plateau is not good enough as far as some people are concerned.
We thank God for the elite in the state who are coming to grips with the reality because during Lar’s regime, some people believed he was the problem. During Tapgun, he was the problem. During Dariye, he was the problem and today some people also believe Jang is the problem. Therefore, the revelation by one of the United States diplomatic cables by Internet whistle blower, WikiLeaks, claimed that Mukhtar’s advice was not heeded by Jang, should be taken with a pinch of salt. Disjointed information is at play here. I am saying that what is happening is just to give a dog a bad name in order to hang him.
Author of this article: FROM ISA ABDULSALAMI
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