Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has issued a passionate call for unity among the people of the state, warning that continued disunity is enabling the persistent killings and insecurity plaguing Plateau communities.
Speaking on Monday during an expanded emergency stakeholders' meeting at the Rayfield Government House in Jos, Governor Mutfwang described the ongoing violence in the state as nothing short of genocide and urged leaders at all levels to put aside ethnic, political, and religious differences to confront the crisis.
“Our greatest challenge is disunity,”; Mutfwang said.
He lamented that the state’s inability to stand as one has emboldened those carrying out attacks on innocent communities.
“The enemies of Plateau will only be defeated when we come together as a people to confront them,”; he said.
Governor Mutfwang traced the origins of the insecurity to the administration of former Governor, Joshua Dariye, noting that Plateau has been a hotspot of violence for over two decades.
“From the time of Governor Dariye till today, we have had killings. President Obasanjo even declared a state of emergency in Plateau. Commissions of inquiry were set up, and yet, nothing changed,”; he said.
He highlighted the toll the insecurity has taken on the state’s agricultural productivity, with many farmlands now inaccessible due to fear of attacks.
The governor stressed that this is not just about attacks; “it’s about the survival of the people. This is nothing short of genocide.”;
He called on former governors, national and state lawmakers, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and civil society actors present at the meeting to join forces in charting a new path for the state.
