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Obasanjo in Plateau to assess peace process
By Onoja Audu
Jos Rayfield Government House
Rayfield Government House Jos, located about 19kmaway
from Jos city centre, is the seat of power in Plateau State, the stateknown as
the Home of Peace and Tourism. It is from Rayfield Jos that thestruggle for the
political emancipation of the people of Plateau State and theMiddle Belt region
from the hands of core North feudalist is waged during thecivilian
administrations of the state. These administrations are that of firstcivilian
Governor, Chief Solomon Lar, Dr Fidelis Tapgun and that of the suspendedChief
Joshua Chibi Dariye.
Rayfield Government House Jos, both during
themilitary era and the present civilian rule, plays a very important role in
thehosting of the who is who among the top military and political class in thecountry,
especially that of the National Institute for Policy and StrategicStudies Kuru,
and the 3rd Armoured Division Military Barracks is located inJos.
It is no longer news that Plateau State, the
heartbeat of Middle Belt politics since 18 May, 2004, lost its
democraticallyelected Governor, Chief Joshua Dariye, courtesy of his suspension
from officeby President Olusegun Obasanjo, who also proclaimed a state of
emergency in thestate due to breakdown of law and order in the state from
September 2001 uptill May 2004. General Chris Mohammed Alli, a Kogi-born
retired former militarygovernor of Plateau State, was appointed on 18 May 2004
to administer the statefor six months in the first instance by Mr President,
with the approval of theNational Assembly.
The former Chief of Army Staff, who made a
broadcastto the people of the state on arrival in May, had since his arrival
made nopretence that he was a military trained army officer who by his
professionalcalling is not a politician but a General, one that gives orders
which must beobeyed immediately.
Alli has been engaged in diplomatic shuttles to
thehotspots of southern Plateau to preach the message of peace among the
variousethnic groups in the area. And, he has been holding dialogue sessions
with theleaders of the warring communities for the past three months. Last
week, he hadthe opportunity of hosting Obasanjo and the Deputy Senate
President, Dr IbrahimMantu, a son of Plateau, who came on a mid-term assessment
of the peace processin the state.
During his courtesy call on Alli on Monday,
Mantupraised the General for living up to his mandate in bringing violence,
killingsand arson on the Plateau to a halt just within three months. Mantu said
that hewas happy to come home to see that peace has returned to his state,
known overthe years as the Home of Peace and Tourism, and urged Alli to
continue his goodwork.
The sole administrator, on his part, told the
DeputySenate President that the declaration of state of emergency in Plateau
State inMay by the President came very early to quench the fire that had
alreadyengulfed the state, saying that no fewer than 100,000 people were
displaced asa result of ethnic conflict that engulfed the state recently.
On Wednesday, Alli received Mr President and hisentourage at Yakubu Gowon Airport at Heipang Jos around 3.30 p.m. and headedstraight, after the airport ceremonies, in a helicopter for Yelwa-Shendamcommunity that was engulfed in ethnic fierce battle leading to loss of livesand properties in May this year. Obasanjo, in company with Alli, the DeputySenate President and Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, touched down at Yelwa RCM PrimarySchool at 4.55 p.m. to a rousing welcome by the Yelwa displaced persons, whofled their homes in May this year. The President, while addressing the peopleof Yelwa, expressed his joy over the return of peace to the war-torn communityand promised that his government will do whatever is needed to develop Yelwacommunity. He then called on them to maintain peace with one another at alltimes as his government will not stand by and watch people take laws into theirhands. "We will act and even be more pro-active," he said.
Obasanjo also visited Kadarko community in Wase
LocalGovernment, where the local natives of Taroh were locked in gun battle
with theHausa community of Wase since the beginning of January to May 2004.
While atKadarko, Obasanjo also called for peace among the ethnic groups in Wase
Councilbefore he left with Alli to attend a banquet held in his honour.
On Thursday, Alli, in a speech at the inauguration
ofPlateau Peace Conference, said that three years ago, it was sunset for
thepeople of Plateau State but that with the present development in the state,
theenveloping darkness was longer and more painful than anticipated,
saying,"It was not until recently that there was hope of sunrise with joy
as thepeople are now coming out of their cocoons to set the mill grinding
asusual.� Alli told the personalities on the occasion, including MrPresident,
that there is now cheering news for all as the government and peopleof the
state have started witnessing another beginning. He said; "It is anew
beginning that replaces our garment of grief and sorrow with that of beautyand
milk of kindness." He described the presence of the President on theoccasion
to kick-start the peace process in the state as heart-warming andcommendable as
it will sustain a radiant clarity of the political horizon. Healso added that
Obasanjo�s presence is a tonic for the net mendingcraftsmen already assembled
in Jos for the Peace Conference. He also statedthat the Peace Conference put
together by his administration is a grand designto inspire co-operation and
consensus in dealing with the multi-faceted issuesresponsible for the divides
in the Plateau society.
Mr President, while declaring the Peace
Conferenceopen, appealed to the people of the state to reject those things that
havecontinued to divide them and work together to bring about the needed peace
inthe state. He added that Plateau people and their friends should put together
astrategic agenda for a holistic social-economic and political regeneration
andtransformation that will be anchored on the energies and support of the
people.He also urged the people of Plateau State to begin to map new, effective
andsustainable strategies for inclusion, accommodation, tolerance,
participationin decision making and social justice. He appealed to all the
stakeholderswithin and beyond the Conference, irrespective of their agenda,
ethnicity,religion, political affiliation, class or status in the society, to
join handsin keeping and implementing permanent solutions to the problems of
PlateauState. The President and Alli also, after leaving Hill Station Hotel,
went toPlateau Hotel to receive returnees back to PDP in the state. Obasanjo
told thereturnees like Air-Comdr. Jang, D. T. Sango, and a host of others, that
PDP asa large family can accommodate everybody. Alli also, same day, led
Obasanjo toMangu Local Council of the state where Mr President laid the
foundation stoneof Mangu Regional Water Project billed to cost the Federal
Government aboutN800 billion. On the occasion, Alli commended Obasanjo�s
government forembarking on the water project in the state, saying the citing of
such waterproject will enable many local governments to benefit from the scheme
in thestate. He promised the President that the people of Plateau State would
everremain grateful to him for all that he has done for the state.
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