Governor Caleb Muftwang of Plateau State has carried out an assessment of the situation in communities recently affected by the security breach in Mangu Local Government Area of the state and urged the people to rise against crisis merchants bent on recruiting innocent youths to unleash terror on citizens for their own gains.
The Governor, while at the palace of Mishkaham Mwaghavul, HRH Da John Putmang Hirse in Mangu on a condolence visit, described the carnage in the local government as needless.
He assured the people of the local government that the government of Plateau State will do all it can to ensure that external aggressors are kept away, adding that criminal elements will be dealt with as the state can no longer tolerate such activities.
“This is the time to preach forgiveness and unity. It is only when we do that that we can be vigilant to ward off external forces that divide us and make sure they turn our attention from productive ventures to only crisis management. We must not allow that to continue.
“I want to appeal to everyone; if anyone ever thought of giving cover to any criminal, it is time to end that and expose them. It is time to love your brothers more than your friends, who are criminals. I plead with us, particularly the Mwaghavul nation; we have always held ourselves as brothers; even if we are of different faiths, we must not lose that sense of brotherhood.” He stated.
Governor Mutfwang explained that the government has set in motion machines to checkmate the activities of drug merchants, who are patronized by youths, to enable them to carry out criminal activities in the state.
“Let me sound a word of warning to those who are making huge money from the sale of drugs and narcotics. We will come after you very soon because you cannot continue to destroy our young people and go free. By the grace of God, we will put up a strategic plan to contain the menace of drug addiction in the state.” He stated.
In response, the Mishkaham Mwaghavul, HRH Da. John Hirse commended the governor for coming to sympathise with the people and urged him to remain focused in spite of the deliberate attempt to distract him.
“In the past four days, we could not sleep; you have seen the massive destruction; there was no cause for it. A disagreement between two people now engulfs the whole local government.
“It is better to sit down and dialogue than take laws into your hands. We have been living in peace and doing business together; we don’t know what brought about this. There is nothing more important than peace.”
He appealed to the governor to help the people return home to continue with their businesses, as that would foster a speedy recovery.
He stated, “The people have nothing now; help them return home, and the economy will recover quickly. Don’t be distracted; this is meant to distract you from your focus to bring good governance to the people.”
Governor Mutfwang, accompanied by heads of security agencies and top government functionaries, went around the affected communities, beginning with Kwahaslalek, a village where several lives were lost, and the Mangu metropolis, where houses and sources of livelihood were destroyed.
He later held a meeting with some stakeholders in Bokkos Local Government Area led by the Transition Committee Chairman, Monday Kasam, and also visited the internally displaced persons who survived the recent attacks in the area, giving them hope that he is doing everything possible for them to return to their homes.
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