Join Architect Hart Bankat on Sunday 29th October, 2017 for GABFEST 2017 – 2nd Edition of Annual Leadership Series at Crest Hotel, Old Airport Road Jos.
The event with the theme “Making The Patriot” will kick start with a thanksgiving mass at St Monica’s Catholic Church Rantia, State Lowcoast, Jos Plateau State by 10am. Then the Annual Lecture and Reception starts by 2pm at Crest Hotel, Jos.
Enquiries: 08035382068, 08065359974
ON THE SEEMINGLY INCESSANT AND SENSELESS KILLINGS ON THE PLATEAU;
Brothers and Sisters,
Once
again we have seen an outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent
civilians, displace families from their homes, strip communities of
their peaceful nature and unleash pain and sorrow in the land we love.
I
believe that the basic principle of liberal existence should find
universal acceptance. The grounding beliefs that mankind is born free
and equal should anchor themselves in the mindsets of modern men and
women, the young and old, the educated and less privileged. A true
belief in the modern world, respectful of the traditions of thought that
have formed our political, religious, social and ethnic peculiarities
about universal freedom, equality and not only the claims of authority.
According
to a recent write up by Jonathan Ishaku, (Sept. 16th, 2017), he said
“Terrorism is based on the spread of fear. In fact, terrorists aim at
spreading fear more than actual violence…” This has been the
operational sequence of the so-called “unknown gunmen” and “criminal
herdsmen” who have gone beyond just cattle rearing and its related
activities to fully blown massacre, manslaughter, looting and spread of
fear in areas of low resistance and high vulnerability.
Dah
Moses Gwom, a respected elder statesman, a vocal advocate of peace and
its defence, a Former Head of Plateau State Civil Service, a father,
grand father, husband and friend to my family was gunned down at his
residence in Barkin Ladi along with others who met the same fate on
Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017. I am still yet to listen to measures taken in
that regard from the authorities concerned. As though that was not
enough, without recovery from the shock, the Ra’agbe community of
Miango was later attacked on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017. Three days later
with a spate of killings on defenceless citizens and this is without a
tangible response from neither the Federal, State or LG levels asides
the media tales of reassurance of the safety of lives and property only
after the “call to eternal rest” of affected persons.
Let me quickly remind us about the “PRINCIPLE OF FAIRNESS” according to the writer and poet H.L.A Harrington.
He
said “All who receive benefits from the cooperative efforts of others
(electorates), may be required to shoulder the burden of contributing
towards the maintenance of schemes that secures them, the state
(authority) and the whole of their affairs.
This
situation is really heartbreaking and every lover of peace must not only
frown at this but condemn in totality the recent attacks on defenceless
citizens whose only crime is to go about their daily activities
peacefully as law abiding citizens.
IT IS CLEAR THAT WE ONLY ENJOY “AMPLIFIED ORDER” AND NOT “TRUE PEACE.”
While
my message will always be that of peace, I must call on both the State
and Federal Government to be more proactive in securing the lives of the
people that have entrusted them with such responsibility. We shall “for
now”, assume that this isn’t an expansionist strategy extending from
our brethren in Southern Kaduna as the recently affected areas share
slim boundaries with such neighboring territories.
Our
true conscience shall NOT allow us tolerate a spread of fear and
terrorism from any group or persons regardless of the prevailing evil
desire.
My heart goes out to all families who have
been affected by these attacks, the Family of Late Dah Moses Gwom, The
other families affected from the same attack in Dorowa, B/Ladi LGA and
the Ra’agbe Community of Miango, Bassa LGA, Plateau state and every
lover of the Plateau at this very trying time.
Kindly be rest assured that we are with you at this moment of grief and sorrow and we share in your pain.
May God bless the land we love.
ARC. HART C. BANKAT
16/10/2017.