As President Muhammadu Buhari arrived Jos on Tuesday following the killing of scores of people in Plateau state, the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, has described the President’s visit as an “after thought”.
The party lambasted Governor Simon Lalong for frittering away security votes and not doing enough intelligence gathering to stem the attacks, even when “there were plans to attack communities in Plateau State immediately after sallah.”
The state chairman of the party, Hon. Damishi Sango, while addressing journalists in Jos on Tuesday, insisted that the Lalong administration has failed in its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property and was even pressured to cancel “his planned Russia trip just to go and watch soccer where an advance party was already on ground.”
Sango accused the federal and state government of trivializing “The ongoing act of terrorism, reducing it to the activities of politicians even when some people have been considered a special race to be allowed to carry modern and sophisticated weapons to unleash mayhem on innocent locals with impunity.
“We insist that the Lalong government has failed in its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives, and property and should therefore step aside.
“We are aware of the pressure brought to bear on the governor before he cancelled his planned Russia trip (just to go and watch soccer) where an advance party was already on ground to receive him.”
The party added that, “As we condemned in the strongest terms the pogroms in Plateau State and other parts of the country, permit me to use this opportunity to condole with families and communities of those killed in cold blood. We also mourn along with the good people of BarakinLadi, Riyom and the entire State.
“I call on the Federal Government to intervene immediately by resettling the affected communities, through the reclamation of lost grounds, rebuilding of their houses and ensuring their safety thereafter.
“In the same vain, I am calling on the good people of Plateau State to remain calm and eschew violence, even in the face of pains.”
