PLATEAU MASSACRE: PDP URGES LALONG TO
VISIT AFFECTED AREAS.
By Dickson Gupiya
3rd July, 2018
The
Plateau State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed
displeasure over Governor Simon Bako Lalong’s inability to visit the areas that
came under heavy attacks last week by suspected Fulani herdsmen which led to
the death of more than 200 people mostly women and children.
In a
press statement signed by its publicity secretary, Sir John T. Akans KSM and a
copy made available to African Drum,
the party described as shameful that ten days after the pogrom in Gashish, Gana
Ropp and Ngar areas of Barkin Ladi Local Government, the governor has not deem
it fit to visit the areas where the crime was committed stressing that such
attitude as exhibited by the governor was a clear evidence of a character of a
leader who lacks compassion and quality care toward the people he has sworn to
give protection as his primary responsibility.
According
to the statement, the best Plateau State has got from Governor Lalong after the
ugly incidence was his visit to some of the victims at a hospital in Jos but
for the remaining time, he simply waits at the Government house Rayfield for
his colleagues and other dignitaries to pay him condolence visits and advised
him to emulate his Benue State counterpart Samuel Ortom who stood and is still
standing by his people in their travail.
The
statement further called on Lalong to stop blaming his perceived enemies on a
journey it described as “in competence and poor performance wondering that even
while curfew was still on, attackers swooped on the people of Kantoma Junction
leaving six people dead and a church burned down without any challenge from the
security.
The
PDP also said it was worried over the failure of the Federal Government to
respond swiftly and provide relief materials to the victims of the heinous
attacks.
The
party further said that its biggest shock and shameful act was the comments by
a presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu who described the senseless genocide
as farmers/herdsmen clash and even attributed the unprovoked murder of defenseless
people in their houses as retaliation to cattle rustling adding that Shehu’s
statement was an insult both to the people of Plateau State in particular and
Nigerians in general.
It
stated, “it is indeed most unfortunate that this sentimental show of shame is
coming from on our leaders who are supposed to protect us all but have chosen
to exhibit a deep sense of ill will towards some people despite claiming to
belonging to all”.
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