From CHRISTIANA GOKYO, Jos
THE cold war between the Plateau state
governor, Joshua Dariye and the deputy Senate President, Alhaji Ibrahim
Mantu has taken a turn for the worse with Mantu describing the document
linking with a plot to burn down some strategic public buildings in Jos as a
cheap blackmail.
In a press statement at the weekend titled
�Dariye is at it Again�, Senator Mantu distanced himself from the document
now circulating in the state alleging that it was cooked up by the crannies
of the governor� and describe it as mischief.
At the centre of the fresh controversy is a
letter purportedly addressed to the deputy Senate President by one Barrister
Solomon Dalun requesting for an additional N11.5 million to carry out the
remaining responsibilities� after an initial N2.8 million had been
exhausted.
The Plateau state government issued a document
signed by the permanent secretary, press and public affairs that it had
intercepted the letter written on the letter headed paper of the �Plateau
Peace Movement for the sustenance of democracy and dated November 26, 2004.
It detailed the activities of the movement
after the state of emergency has been lifted.
Titled �Proposal for the actualisation of the
responsibility and situation Report on meetings conducted so far, the letter
listed the remaining responsibilities to include the burning down of the
headquarters of Plateau Agriculture Development Board, Primary Education
Board, Plateau Radio Television Corporation (PRTVC, Nigerian Television
Authority (NTA), Jos and the nine-storey building of Joseph Gomwalk House,
headquarters of the Nigeria Standard Newspapers and which also houses
several other companies and organisations.
The letter further alleged that the group would
mobilise for protests against government policies.
The state police commissioner, Joseph Apapa
confirmed questioning 20 persons including the lawyer fingered as the author
of the letter who were released after investigation.
In a swift reaction Senator Mantu said in a
statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sylvanus Namang that the letter was
cooked up by Dariye�s government calculated to destroy and pull him down as
well as �governing sympathy and fanning the embers of religious and personal
hatred�.
According to the statement which insinuated
that the N2.8 million sent by him through two aides for the purpose of
coordinating an attack on the governor were clearly firged�, including the
signature of Barrister Dalung and his letter headed papers.
Senator Mantu who dissociated himself from the
letter, described it as inciting by the state government.
�It is a clear mischief and diversion from real
issues, there premeditated and retroactive designs are merely aimed at
garning sympathy and fanning the embers of religious and personal hatred,�
he stated.
He said it could not be a party to the
destruction of public buildings even as he is not given to dastardly acts.
He also took a swipe at some journalists in Jos
who he alleged killed the story of the attack on the governors envoy at
Kurgwi last week during his tour of the worst his southern senatorial zone
after his reinstatement.
He alleged that the correspondent who
accompanied Dariye on the tour �hard their palms well oiled to kill the
story in a panicking move, a plum sum was said to have been released to them
instantly at the government Lodged Tudun Wada that the 34 correspondents
that covered the state were later moved to Government House, Rayfiled, and
were given N100,000 each in addition to placing them on N50,000 monthly
allowances with a promise to review the amount upward if they cooperate.
According to the statement, the money given to
the correspondents was not only meant to kill the story on the attack on the
governor at Kurgwi last week, but also with the additional brief not to
report any positive.
In their reactions, the correspondents chapel
of the NUJ Plateau state took serious exception to Mantu�s allegations and
gave him seven days to retreat them and apologise to them �or face the
consequences of his actions�.
He explained that the meeting with Governor
Dariye has earlier been scheduled as part of his consultations with
stockholders in the state and �not for any reason of financial
gratification�.
With regard to the allegation of killing the
story of the attack on the governor at Kurgwi, the union explained that only
few correspondents were on the governor�s trip on that occasion.
He felt that as part of our social responsibility past
journalists, we should not inflame embers, especially as the state has just
come out of an emergency rule period.
