Nigerian Governors, under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), have visited Plateau State to commiserate with the government and people of the State over the recent attacks and killings by Fulani herdsmen in parts of the State.
Led by the Forum’s Chairman and Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, a delegation of the Forum while commiserating with the families of the victims during the condolence visit on Thursday – earlier today, April 17 – also commended the security agencies for their intervention, “which prevented further escalation.”
The delegation, which comprised Governors of Borno, Bauchi, Benue, Oyo, and Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, was received on arrival in the State by Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
In his remarks, the NGF Chairman, Kwara’s Abdulrazaq said: “On behalf of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the people of our states, I bring you sincere words of condolences on the unfortunate events in which many of our compatriots have lost their lives.
“We call on leaders and influencers across all communities and sectors in Plateau to join His Excellency in the task of uniting the people and restoring sustainable peace. Leaders, including youth leaders, should come together to speak strongly against violence of any kind. We urge that we resolve our differences through dialogue, fair negotiations, mutual respect, and perspective taking.
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“Sustainable development can be a mirage in an atmosphere of tension and violence. Plateau is full of potentials especially in agriculture and tourism. But these potentials could be affected negatively if we allow violence or threats of it to define how people see our communities.
“We commend His Excellency the Governor for his leadership at this critical moment. Our visit is to express our solidarity with His Excellency and the government and good people of Plateau State. We pray to God Almighty to repose the souls of the victims and restore peace to our communities.”
Thanking the NGF delegation for the visit and show of solidarity, Governor Mutfwang, who described the visit as encouraging to the people Plateau, lamented that his efforts at building bridges of unity across board, have practically gone up in flames in the renewed wanton attacks and killings in Plateau, constituting “a terrible set back.”
However, his administration is open to constructive ideas and suggestions on how to address the security challenges in the state, the Governor reassured, adding that what happened in the past one week was totally uncalled for.
