In a unanimous resolution, lawmakers in Plateau State House Of Assembly have declared that the federal government has failed the state due its inability to secure people of the state having taken over the security of the state since 2010. The decision of the House was reached by the 23 members of the state house of assembly in an emergency sitting held Monday evening.
Hon. Johnbull Shekarau ,deputy speaker of the assembly who presided over the sitting in his opening address said “It is with deep pains that we converge for this emergency sittings”. The House members who all dressed in black uniform observed a minute silence as a mark of respect for late Senator Dantong and the House majority leader Hon. Gyang Fulani before the commencement of the emergency sitting.
He added , “This is because since the beginning of this political dispensation in 1999 we have never experienced what we are going through today. One of us in the house, member representing Barkin Ladi constituency died in attack at a time he went to bury members of his constituency killed in earlier attack.
“More worrisome to us is the fact that one of the three senators representing the state in the national assembly also died in the same attack. The pain is too heavy to bear, this more than a tragedy, it is a calamity of immense magnitude and I believe the best honor we can do for our slain legislators is to come here pit our heads together to review the state of Plateau state”.
Hon Istifanus Muansat, member representing Pankshin South constituency said, “I fear for Plateau state, I fear for Nigeria, I fear that we are going the way of Republic of Mali where rebels have taken parts of the country. It is high time the Nigeria police and army confess to all Nigerians that they are incapable of securing Nigerians. The loss of lives to terrorism in Nigeria is growing each day and something urgent must be done by the federal government to stop this trend”.
On his part, member representing Kanke Constituency Hon. Timothy Golu said they are finding it increasingly difficult to console their people all the time innocent people are killed saying the people are fast running out of patience.
According to him, obviously, the federal government has failed the state in its responsibility to provide safety for their people adding that the federal government took over the security of the state from the state government yet insecurity in the state continue unabated. The lawmaker said “If the federal government cannot secure a small state like Plateau and most states in the country, what is government doing in Dafur, Sudan and so on? This is a shame on a nation, terrorism is consuming this nation”.
Also, contributing, member representing Pengana constituency Hon Gondina Musa Sambo called on the federal government to withdraw the soldiers from the streets of Plateau state. Hon Sa’adat Garga, member representing Kantana constituency described what is going on in the state as ethnic cleasing. Hon Zaina Dogo, representing qua’an Pan North Constituency advised the
national assembly to summon president Goodluck Jonathan to appear before National Assembly to Nigerians and world why he failed to protect citizens of Nigeria because the situation is becoming unbearable.
After a long deliberation, the deputy speaker said “We have resolved as a House that Mr. president owes us explanation and he should come out and tell Nigerians what is going on.
“We have also resolved that this House is demanding for a state police because it is obvious the federal police have failed woefully. We are also demanding for the immediate withdrawal of soldiers from the streets of Plateau and return the responsibility of securing citizens of the state to the governor of the state who is the chief security officer of the state”.
