|
New Page 9
Dariye, Mantu reconcile
MOSES EZULIKE, Jos
AFTER months
of cold relationship on account of emergency rule in Plateau State, Gov. Joshua
Dariye and the Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu yesterday rose from
a reconciliation meeting in Jos and embraced each other.
In Gombe, Primate of Methodist Church of
Nigeria, Rev. Jasper Akinola urged the State Security Service (SSS) to publish
names of all corrupt Nigerians.
Beaming with smiles, both political
gladiators (Dariye and Mantu) shook hands to the apparent pleasure of prominent
indigenes present at the closed door parley.
Sighted at the meeting were Senator Cosmas
Niagwam, perceived as a moderate during the bloody crisis era in the state and
the subsequent emergency rule and Hons. John Longhor and Musa Wuyep, both
members of the House of Representatives.
There were also eminent traditional rulers
such as the Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Victor Pam, Emir of Wase, Dr. Haruna
Abdullahi Wase, the Ponzhi Tarok, Chief Edward Zhattau, the Long
Goemai Shendam, Chief Hubert Sheldas, the Ngolong Ngas, Nde Joshua
Dimlong and the Mishkalam Maghavul, Chief Nelson Bakfur.
The governor’s Chief of Staff, Nde
Alexander Molwulus also attended the meeting.
The over three hour parley was organised
by the state Council of Traditional Rulers.
The meeting which started about noon rose
at about 3.45 p.m.
Although no statement was issued at the
end neither did any of the principal actors speak to the press, sources at the
session held at the guest house of the Long Goemai of Shendam told
Daily Champion that the agenda was peace restoration in the state.
Approached after the meeting, both Gov.
Dariye and Senator Mantu waved their hands and initially said "no comments" and
then drove off in Mantu’s official Peugeot 607 saloon car to an unknown
destination.
While the governor who was full of smiles,
also said "gentlemen, I will see you later," his deputy, Chief Michael Botmang
declared "everything is working fine."
"You can see both (referring to Dariye and
Mantu) are now working hand in hand. Don’t you see, everybody is smiling. I am
happy, but the meeting continues," he said.
A member of the House of Representatives
representing Kauke/Kanam, Hon. Wuyep told Daily Champion that both
parties "resolved to get back to their respective loyalties and preach peace."
According to him, both the governor and
Senator Mantu have seen reason to embrace dialogue "in this matter which I
believe is the way out, particularly as it concerns educating their supporters."
Senator Mantu and Gov. Dariye who worked
together during the 2003 general elections fell apart this year.
The quarrel degenerated to the level that
the Deputy Senate President was allegedly said to have worked extensively for
the introduction of the six-month state of emergency which lasted from May 18 to
November 18 this year, not only to settle scores with Dariye but to ensure the
governor was upstaged from realising a rumoured 2007 senatorial aspiration.
Mantu denied all these, at a press
conference in Abuja.
Asserting that Gov. "Dariye is not the
worst sinner in Nigeria," Rev. Akinola, who is also the National President,
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) charged agencies fighting corruption to
extend their investigations to all government officials.
Speaking to newsmen after attending events
marking the fifth anniversary, endowment, fund raising and dedication of
Diocesan Bishop’s Court in Gombe, Rev. Akinola challenged the SSS "which has the
dossier of all Nigerians to have the courage to publish the dossier of everyone
in this country, both high and low, including the President, including the CAN
president."
He said Nigerians should not be under the
illusion that Gov. Dariye is the worst man in this country.
The SSS, he said should publish the
dossiers of officials in the civil service, politics "or whatever and tell us
who we really are and let the world know who we are."
"Dariye’s cup was full six months ago and
I can assure you, by the grace of God, more officials’ cup will be full and will
be overflowing and they will all be exposed and when that, happens, God’s
judgement would start falling upon them as well.
The CAN leader said the problem with the
Nigerian polity is the military incursion into politics for most of the
country’s 44 years of independence.
"Military incursion into our polity has
made nonsense of our democratic culture, but we are beginning to learn now.
Though we have taken giant strides, we haven’t got the best yet and there is
plenty of room for improvement," he stressed.
|
