*Says action is parochial
By KEMI KASUMU
The Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has been accused of nursing anti-Muslim sentiments for failing to include a single Muslim in his 11-man security committee, which he appointed Wednesday over religious crisis in his state.
Making this accusation was an Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), in a press release issued by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Thursday, 1st February, 2024.
The MURIC’s ED said, “The Executive Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has constituted an 11-man security committee. However, all members of the committee are Christians.
“This move lacks tact. It also suffers desertification of decorum, total absence of diplomatic acumen and acute dearth of parliamentary behaviour.
“For a state facing one of the worst security threats in the country, Governor Mutfwang has just exposed himself as unprepared for lasting peaceful settlement of the ongoing crisis in Plateau. All he cares about is how to eliminate Muslims and Fulanis from the state.
“With large numbers of people being killed in the state on a regular basis and with the general knowledge that the brouhaha is between indigenes of the state and residents who have settled there more than a hundred years ago, Mutfwang is still yet to realise that he as the leader needs to carry all parties along if he wants genuine peace. His latest move has exposed his anti-Muslim body language.
“A letter containing the list of members of the security committee and dated 29th January, 2024 was signed by the Secretary to the government of Plateau State, Arc. Samuel Jatau. The Committee has AVM Napoleon Bali (rtd) and Jatau himself as Chairman and secretary respectively. All remaining nine members are also Christians.
“MURIC strongly condemns the composition of this committee. It is parochial, archaic and prebendal. Nothing objective can come out of such a highly partisan committee. It is also a declaration of total war on Muslims in the state.
“The governor of Plateau State is living in self-denial. In his illusion, he believes that the solution to the Plateau crisis lies in the hands of the indigenes alone. But whoever heard of an orchestra pianist who swore to use only one key colour. What kind of music will he produce? To get the best tunes from a piano, one needs both the white and black keys. We hope Mutfwang is listening.
“Neither the governor nor the indigenes can deceive Nigerians. Not anymore. Not long after they have been caught pants down over the General Alkali affair during which even their women joined in the attempt to fool the army who came searching for the late general’s body. Not long after that the indigenes killed dozens of Muslims travelling through Jos. Not all Nigerians suffer from general amnesia.
“Like Joshua Dariye before him who declared that Plateau State is a Christian state, like Jonah Jang who supervised the killing of a large number of Muslims under him, Mutfwang has failed in state craft and fallen short of the grace of leadership. Only those who can tolerate the minority succeed in the art of statesmanship.
“The panacea to the Plateau imbroglio lies in carrying all stakeholders along. It is high time the Plateau Governor came down his high horse and realized that even as executive governor of a whole state he cannot clap with one hand.”
