Plateau PDP Condemns the Weekend Killings in Nigeria

TEXT OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY HON. DAMISHI TONSON SANGO, CHAIRMAN, PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP), PLATEAU STATE CHAPTER, TUESDAY, 26TH JUNE 2018



Gentlemen of the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen,


I am addressing you this somber day in our history following yet another sad chapter in our democratic journey and collective struggle, as a people with shared values and common ideals.


It would be recalled that here in this office, while interacting with you in the past, we have had cause to raise some concerns about very disturbing developments in the land.  At each point, we have talked about leadership failure on the part of the APC-led administration at all levels.


For the avoidance of doubt, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) states very clearly that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government, and the participation by people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provision of this constitution.”

The implication of the above provision is that any government that does not provide security and welfare for the people has failed and should vacate its office.  This is the case with the present government in the State.


It is a known fact that the State has known no peace in the past two years.  Parts of Bassa, Riyom, Barakin Ladi and Bokkos have remained under siege without any abetment, yet what the Lalong-led administration and its cohorts have consistently told the world is that peace is the best thing that has happened to the people and the land since its inauguration. To confirm their position as a people with conscience deficit, at times when they needed to cry out to their benefactors that all was and is not well, they had gone out dancing naked in the public square singing “peace”, “peace” where none existed. What we have witnessed on the part of the Governor is dead conscience on matters affecting the land and its people, and the sustained pursuit of recognition that has remained elusive.


Lalong and his sponsors were exposed on Saturday and Sunday, June 23 and 24, 2018 when terrorists laid siege on communities in Gashish, Razak, Ruku, Soi, Ngar, Gana-Ropp all in Barakin Ladi Local Government and Shonong in Riyom Local Government, leaving on their trail over 200 dead persons and several injured, including children and women, and houses burnt down. To confirm their failure a single arrest is yet to be made even after over 48 hours of killings, and this leaves room for suspicion of complicity.  It is most painful when they keep referring to the mayhem as “Fulani/Farmers clash”.


We are concerned about the fact that in the face of these dastardly acts, attempts have been made, and are still being made, to cover up the carnage that took place in these communities.  We are aware that attempts to recover the corpses through the support of the Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, were made with heavy resistance from those who are meant to protect lives and property.  The saddest thing is that following the denial of access to points where people were gruesomely murdered, human bodies are being left to rot in the bush.  As I address you, corpses are still being recovered.  Just yesterday afternoon, bodies of two clergymen, one a Baptist Pastor and the other a COCIN Pastor, were recovered at Ngar village of Gashish.


Ladies and gentlemen, what we find most disturbing is the fact that even with the curfew on, some people were seen moving in the wee hours in disobedience to the curfew.  I therefore, ask:  how do you fault General T. Y. Danjuma’s position that people/communities should rise in self defence?


As I draw this meeting to a close, we are worried that Governor Lalong, in declaring the curfew, left out Jos North and Bassa LGAs where flash points exist. From past experiences, we have noted that while some people were kept indoors under curfew others were left marauding.





Confirmed reports have it that last night there were attacks at Dyemburuk, (Dogo Nahawa) where 2 (two) people were killed and Dorowa where all church buildings were razed down. Reports further confirm that right now women and children are still stranded and waiting to be evacuated in Dorowa.


Gentlemen of the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen, those of you who have been following media reports are conversant with deliberate attempts to suppress the truths.  While they insisted that only 11 (eleven) people were killed, further reports later indicated that 86 (Eighty-six) people died in the attacks by the militia.  We are sad to note that those who gave the real situation report, even with pictures, are now being hunted. Sad! We are worried that some people have been considered a special race to be allowed to carry modern and sophisticated weapons to unleash mayhem on innocent locals with impunity, while those who attempt to act in self defence are arrested. We are deeply pained that the Presidency is trivializing the ongoing acts of terrorism, reducing it to the activities of politicians.


It is already public knowledge that the Vice President of the Federal Republic, Prof. Yomi Osinbajo was in the State yesterday on a condolence visit.  While the Presidency may be genuine in its intention to ask the Vice President to come, and while we have high regards for the person and office of the Vice President, we are concern that apart from the 2-day official visit to the State which was due to pressure from Governor Lalong to attract attention, Mr. President does not seem to identify with the good people of this State and their travails. It is on record that following the flood incident in Bauchi he did not only sent his Education Minister there, but personally followed the next day where he sobbed as he shared in the pains of the victims.  It is lamentable that President Buhari does not consider the loss of precious lives numbering over 200 sufficient reason for him to come over to Plateau State to offer condolences to the good people of Barakin Ladi and the entire State.


Gentlemen of the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen, at the beginning of this address, I talked of leadership failure.  We have it on good authority that about a week to sallah, intelligence reports indicated that there were plans to attack communities in Plateau State immediately after sallah.  These killings have come exactly one week after sallah.  I ask again: where is the intelligence network of the security agencies?


Rounding up, we insist that the Lalong government has failed in its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives, and property and should therefore step aside.  We are aware pressure had to be brought to bear on the governor before he cancelled his planned Russia trip (just to go and watch soccer) where an “advance party” was already on ground to receive him.


As we condemned in the strongest terms the pogroms in Plateau State and other parts of the country, permit me to use this opportunity to condole with families and communities of those killed in cold blood. We also mourn along with the good people of Barakin Ladi, Riyom and the entire State.


In conclusion, I call on the Federal Government to intervene immediately by resettling the affected communities, through the reclamation of lost grounds, rebuilding of their houses and ensuring their safety thereafter. In the same vain, I am calling on the good people of Plateau State to remain calm and eschew violence, even in the face of pains.


Thank you for your patience and listening.


HON. DAMISHI T. SANGO

CHAIRMAN

PEOPLE DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP)

PLATEAU STATE CHAPTER