Nigeria Governors’ Forum Chairman and Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq yesterday, led a delegation of the Forum to commiserate with the government and people of Plateau State over the recent violence in parts of the state.
While commiserating with the families of the victims, he also commended the interventions of the security agencies, which prevented further escalation.
The NGF delegation was received by Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
The delegation comprised governors of Borno, Bauchi, Benue, Oyo and Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State.
Speaking during the visit, Governor 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.
“Sustainable development can be a mirage in an atmosphere of tension and violence. The Plateau is full of potential, especially in agriculture and tourism. But, these potential could be affected negatively if we allow violence or threats of it to define how people see our communities.
“We commend 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.”
Responding, Governor Mutfwang thanked the NGF delegation for the show of solidarity, describing the visit as encouraging to the people of Plateau.
He explained that on assumption of office, he concentrated on building bridges of unity across the board irrespective of faiths, and as such the renewed wanton attacks and killings in Plateau was a terrible setback.
According to the governor, his administration is open to constructive ideas and suggestions on how to address the security challenges in the state, adding that what happened in the last one week was totally needless.
Credit: The Sun