Daily Independent Online.
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Wednesday, June 16, 2004.
My suspension won’t last forever -Dariye
To say that the suspended Governor of Plateau
State, Chief Joshua Chibi Dariye, is embattled is to say the obvious. But
curiously, the man has refused to rock the boat, taking his predicament with
philosophical calmness. On Tuesday, June 8, he formally handed over power to
the Sole Administrator, Major General Chris Alli, at the Government House, Jos.
Confronted by journalists shortly after the brief ceremony, the governor
reflected on his predicament, concluding that the only permanent thing in life
is change. Special Correspondent, Onoja Audu, was one of the journalists he
fielded questions from
How do you feel handing over your executive powers to another
person?
It was a brief executive summary of the operations of
the office of the executive governor of Plateau State. And as the
administrator, I owe him a duty to explain to him the workings of the system. I
believe that since his efforts here are to bring back peace, we should be able
to give him support. And like I did say too, opposition seems not to understand
the role of the sole administrator; he is here on a peace mission. It is not a
coup where a government is thrown out and you want to change it. It is not
possible. And I pledge loyalty to the Federal Government, to Mr. President and
that is all!
How
are you spending your time outside the Government House now?
I’m at peace. That is all! Peace building,
peace building. Peace!
The
Director of Protocols referred to you as "suspended" governor and you
reacted furiously, what was in your mind?
Look, gentlemen, life is dynamic, nothing is ever
static except change. We have to be normal. I mean that. Isn’t it? I may
have been suspended but I won’t be suspended forever. As I said earlier,
everything that happened is the will of God. We will work with the
administrator to ensure that total peace is restored and democratic
institutions are back in the state.
Can
you just tell us the mood of the state?
No! No! No! Please, honestly, I believe in one thing.
Jeremiah, 29:11, says God has a plan for every man. And our times are in
God’s hand. We should not query God. I believe that in whatever position
you find yourself, there are ups and downs in life. And life is dynamic; once
you respond to God, you didn’t create yourself. So we’re just told
about one of our colleagues who died, are we better than him? Did he know he
would die? So, why are you getting angry with God? Do you know where God is
taking me? Joseph went to prison from Potiphar’s house to the presidency;
one day who knows.
By
implication, you don’t blame anybody?
All that I am appealing is that, gentlemen, on a
serious note, I am appealing to the people of Plateau State: elders, youths and
everybody, let’s put our hands together, let’s support this peace
movement like we’re doing now. The peace process, that’s all.
You
are not blaming anybody?
Let’s not add political dimension. This is not
the time to blame anybody. Let us now come out. It’s our Plateau. That is
the Plateau of our dream. The re-engineering agenda is to make sure that peace
is back. Anything outside that, Governor Dariye did not speak.
