President Olusegun
Obasanjo yesterday
warned state governors in the country to learn a lesson from the declaration of a state of emergency in Pla-teau State.
He stated this while addressing the people of Yelwa in Shendam local government area during his visit to assess the restoration of peace, three months after the imposition of the state of emergency in Plateau state.
According to him, the federal government will not hesitate to take similar action on any state governor who allows the deterioration of peace in his state.
The president who reminded state government of their responsibilities, stressed the need for them to act quickly on crises in their states.
On the declaration of a state of emergency in Plateau State, the president maintained that his government has no regret over it.
He said no responsible government will fold its arms and watch the situation that occurred in Plateau State and called on the people to coop-erate with the administrator to restore peace and urged them not to take arm against one another.
President Obasanjo arrived Jos amidst tight security but a warm welcome.
Security was beefed up in the metropolis with groups of policemen patrolling major streets while others took positions from the city to the Yakubu Gowon airport at Heipang.
Also, there was tight security at the airport but they were courteous in their approach to the large crowd they had to control.
The enhanced security was not unconnected with rumours circulating in the state that a group had plan-ned to welcome President Obasanjo with placards call-ing for the extension of the state of emergency in the state.
The police had swiftly warned of the existing laws on public processions and newly passed Bills by the National Assembly for the state of emergency in Plateau State.
However, irrespective of the tight security, hundreds of supporters of the suspe-nded Governor, Chief Joshua Dariye, in many vehicles, stormed the airport with his 2004 election campaign post-ers with inscriptions “Dariye is still the choice.”
Meanwhile, the president was received on arrival by the Plateau State administrator, retired General Chris Alli, governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Adamu, Chief Solomon Lar, Senator Jubril Aminu, religious lead-ers, political stalwarts, tradi-tional rulers and a large turn-out of citizens of the state including top government functionaries.
Peace was the song in everybody’s lips as various nongovernmental organisations at the airport, carried banners with peace mess-ages. A detachment of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), had a banner with inscription “NYSC prea-ches peace in Plateau State…”
President Obasanjo inspected a guard of honour mounted by the men of the Nigerian Army and Airforce before he departed for Yelwa in a Nigerian Airforce Helic-opter marked NAF 533 sandwiched in between by two other helicopters with No. 5N AOL and 5 NASL.
He is scheduled to declare open the plateau Peace Conference today and commission the Mangu regional water scheme before leaving for Abuja.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Pla-teau council has scored the state administrator, General Chris Alli (rtd), high in his effort to restore peace in the state.
Chairman of the NLC state council, Mr Yusuf Zambuk, who made the position of labour known in a state-ment made available to Daily Trust in Jos, noted that great achievements have been recorded since the decla-ration of state of emergency in Plateau.
“We note with satisfaction the restoration of norm-alcy in several communities which were living in great fear and suspicion of one ano-ther, the return of displaced persons, the resettlement and rehabilitation, of displ-aced communities, the succ-essful removal of road blocks and recovery of firearms and efforts to pay outstanding salaries and allowances,” Zambuk stated.
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