Plateau state Former governor, David Jonah Jang, has lambasted
Governor, Simon Lalong, over his comments on killings in Benue state.
Jang also condemned Lalong for attacking Governor Samuel Ortom over the anti-grazing law which became effective November 1, 2017.
Comrade Clinton Garuba, Jang’s media aide in a statement on Friday,
said it was sad that Lalong who “accidentally stumbled on power”
will continue on the path of infamy at the detriment of the very
people who he swore an oath to protect.
”At a time when the mood of the nation, nay, the states that have
continued to suffer decapitation at the hands of marauding killer
herdsmen should be sober, it is unfortunate that some one of Governor
Lalong’s standing will utter words that will be an insult on the
sensitivity of the people, especially of Benue State.
”This is unfortunate not only coming from the Governor but on a
day when the Government and people of Benue State held a mass burial
for Hapless women and children who were murdered on the first day of
the Year, ordinarily a day of jubilation.
While the people of Benue were at the funeral of their lost brethren,
Lalong, in his usual manner was playing to the gallery in Abuja with a
view to scurrying cheap political points and portray himself as an
insider of the Buhari administration.
At times when, one lacks what to say or would say what is irrelevant,
especially in calming frayed nerves, silence become golden. When people
who trot around as leaders cannot conduct themselves in that manner, it
is only a pointer to the fact that they were never prepared at all for
leadership.
”Thankfully, the days and months ahead leads us to another
electioneering period and with the wisdom Nigerians now have, having
suffered all kinds of hardship including escalating insecurity
occasioned by herdsmen, it is only a matter of time before the right
people will be put in the right places of authority.
”It is unfortunate that Plateau State which has suffered the brunt
of the killer herdsmen in the modern-day Nigeria, was left out of a
meeting to discuss an issue as important as finding lasting solutions
to the farmer/herdsmen clashes a prominent feature in the North
Central geopolitical zone. When Governors of state s such as Kaduna,
Niger, Nasarawa, Taraba and Benue were invited and participated at
that meeting, Plateau which should be chief on the list was
conspicuously missing.
”Alas! The Governor of Plateau State was not even in the country
and on return one would have expected loud protest by the Governor but
he was in Abuja, perhaps discussing a role in the 2019 re-election
project.
”That Governor Lalong had the temerity to insinuate that the
Governor of Benue State Governor is responsible for the massacre of
his people by implementing a people-oriented law to safeguard his
people, is the height of wickedness. If anything, the Governor of
Benue State deserves the condolences from Governor Lalong and not
those comment attributed to him.