Since his assumption into office in May 2015, the attainment of peace has been topmost on his cardinal objectives. Though faced with the security challenges of managing herders/communal attacks in communities usually perpetrated in a hit-and-run fashion for over six years, he’d been wooing citizens to embrace peace irrespective of religious, ethnic affiliations.
Other strategies employed by his administration to drive the peace agenda was through advancing dialogues and reconciliation through the Plateau Peace Agency. Other security strategies was pioneering the establishment and adoption of Community Policing structure where he recruited and inaugurated about 595 Special Police Constabularies from the 17 Local Governments to swing into action and work hand in hand with the Police from the grassroots to curtail criminal activities that were causing the disruption of peaceful coexistence.
Strengthening other internal community Policing and security structures like Operation Rainbow to effectively operate was another security stride.
But one of the major security challenges of the Lalong administration is the series of isolated attacks and killings perpetrated in some local governments in the state like Riyom, Bassa, Barkin Ladi, Jos South, Jos North, Mangu and Bokkos Local Government Areas. It became frustrating that most times, the perpetrators of the pockets of isolated attacks usually get away, hardly getting arrested or brought to book, although some were reported to have been arrested. Lalong had publicly expressed his frustrations and said in his various speeches and forums that “they are not spirits”, “Are they ghosts?” He even went ahead to purchase 50 Hillux vehicles and 200 security motorcycles to support the work of security operatives in tackling kidnapping, banditry, and violent crimes. Lalong had expressed his frustration to the Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Alkali Baba and other security heads during the commissioning of the vehicles and security motorcycles in Government House Rayfield Jos, where he said he now wants results and the era of the popular phrase “unknown gunmen” or excuses that security could not reach hilly geographical terrains should end with the huge governments investment in the new vehicles and security motorcycles .
“Fish out the criminals among you that are perpetrating the attacks or engaging in one form of criminality or the other like kidnapping and cattle rustling, you need to be vigilant and work to expose them and their heinous activities,” these were usually the words that always set the tone for the Governor’s discussions and engagements on security matters with stakeholders and citizens. He believed in restoring peace and stability and warned that there are crisis merchants who are always restless to breach the hard earned peace therefore people should be security conscious, while traditional rulers should be accountable for happenings in their domains. He also said communities have a key role to play in the security and the peace process.
Gains of peace
There is no alternative to peace. And without peace nothing can be achieved educationally, economically, or physically. Plateau was able to host national conferences including the one organised by the National body of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) during Covid-19, which attracted Medical Doctors from all over the country. The state also successfully hosted the popular and widely acclaimed 2020 annual National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) in Jos the state capital. The festival which promotes creativity in the field of arts, science, technology, tradition, culture and sports drew an influx of cultural enthusiasts from the 36 states of the federation which gathered for different cultural displays of the rich Nigerian cultures. Attractions included a gala cultural night, golf kitty with participants dressed in Nigerian cultural attires, children indigenous instrumentation and craft competition, and a grand cultural display of the rich cultural values from all states of the country at the Rwang Pam Township Stadium Jos.
These feats spearheaded by the state government was aimed at drawing attention to the state and convincing the world that peace had gradually returned to the Plateau. The aim of hosting the event was also re-write the unending false narratives that portrayed Jos Plateau as a no-go area, killing field, or a place were outsiders were not welcomed. Indeed after the successful hosting of the event, many commentators viewed the state as having returned to it’s status of “home of peace and tourism”.
Governor Lalong made it clear in his speech during the NAFEST outing that his state had produced global professionals, stars, artistes, musicians, sports men and women, and people to reckon with in the movie industry. Elatedly, he announced that investors should troop in to take advantage of economic investments in his state.
Sadly, last month’s security breaches once again torched the peaceful gains of the past 6 years. Tensions brewed from attacks and killings in Jebbu Bassa, Riyom, Rukuba Road, Yelwa Zangam ignited sectarian crisis in the state capital that led to the imposition of series of curfews in Jos North, Bassa and Riyom Local Governments.
Although peace and calm has now returned to Jos, there is still reports of attacks and killings in some villages. While government should do more in the area of giving justice and resettlement of victims displaced from their ancestral homes, citizens need to tow the path of peace because nothing meaningful can be achieved in any society without peace.
A rights advocate goes home
The demise of Obadiah Mailafiya, former Presidential aspirant and a renowned voice on rights issues in North Central Nigeria came to many as a shock. Among Nigerians, groups and bodies within the country and diaspora that expressed sadness over the loss of the Icon was Governors of the 19 Northern states through their spokesperson and Chairman, Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State.
Mailafiya who hails from Kaduna State was a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria who earned the respect of many for speaking against persistent killings and injustices in the central and northern zones of the country. Lalong described him as a personality that stood for truth and Justice, equity and emancipation of people of his zone.
Governor Lalong also sympathised with former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. George Daika over the passing of his wife Ann, and prayed God to comfort the family over the loss.
