FOR PEACE ON THE PLATEAU
It takes eyes and boots on the ground to see. Sometimes, too, ears have to be put on the ground to hear.
Timothy Daluk is a Chiarman of the Christian Association of Nigeria. Not for the entire country. That honour belongs to Daniel Okoh.
Not even for his entire state, Plateau. Polycarp Lubo is. But of Mangu, currently and easily the most troubled of Nigeria’s 774 local governments.
Mangu, the ancestral home of the Mwaghavul people, was largely peaceful. Until the seismic dispatch of the APC-led government and candidate by Caleb Mutfwang.
In the election of March 18, 2024, Plateau voters unanimously voted for Caleb Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party. A Native of Mangu. Since Mutfwang won, Mangu has known no peace. His victory has produced a lethal marriage of politics to terrorism which is quickly cutting down his people.
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It was when Daluk launched his attack on the Nigerian Army. In the viral video, he accuses them of complicity and even collusion in the killings. The Defence Headquarters has reacted by inviting Daluk for questioning. CAN in Plateau State has said it will stand by one of its own in what is clearly shaping up to be a tussle between the collar and the khaki.
But Daluk should know. He should know what he is talking about. He is from Mangu and he is in Mangu. He is a leader in Mangu. The beleaguered people of Mangu clearly come to rest their battered heads on his shoulders. So when he speaks, he has to be taken seriously.
Rather than look for Daluk who has made it clear he will not honour the Army’s invitation, the Defence Headquarters should look at its own. The Nigerian army should examine its ranks. It is QRW WKH ÀUVW WLPH LW KDV EHHQ DFFXVHG RI FRPSOLFLW\ ZKLOH LQWHUYHQLQJ LQ D FULVLV ,W ,V DOVR QRW WKH ÀUVW WLPH SHRSOH ZKR KDYH QR UHDVRQ to lie have laid such weighty allegations at its doorsteps.
The few soldiers indicted by Daluk’s revelation may not represent the Nigerian Army. Many people appreciate soldiers for their VDFULÀFHV LQ D FRXQWU\ ZKLFK KDV EHFRPH LPSRVVLEO\ DVVDLOHG E\ WHUrorists. But among roses are a few, sharp thorns. They must now be LGHQWLÀHG $QG UHPRYHG
7KLV ZLOO SURYH GLFXOW ,W ZLOO UHTXLUH D GHJUHH RI VHOI VFUXWLQ\ WKH DUP\ LV QRW XVHG WR ,W ZLOO WDNH GUDVWLF DFWLRQ WR ÀQG ODVWLQJ peace in Plateau State. The insecurity has been resilient and relentless. Only transparency can crack it at this point. Daluk is not the enemy. Neither is the Nigerian army. The enemy is those who move only at night, decapitating children, and burning houses.
The real enemies are those who occupy abandoned ancestral lands. They are the ones that deserve to be fought to a standstill. The Nigerian army must immediately commission an audit of all soldiers. Especially the soldiers who go to the front lines. They must be seen to stand with Nigerians and no other. For peace and unity
Professionalism and prudence demand that this is done immediately. All cannot be fair in war with what is happening in Plateau State. For peace to become a reality, all those who work for peace must be above board.
6ROGLHUV LQ FRQÁLFW VLWXDWLRQV DUH DOVR SHDFHNHHSHUV DQG PDNHUV To keep peace, professionalism, restraint, and a strong sense of justice are invaluable. The chaos in Mangu Local Government Area in is rather regrettable. It appears that the governor’s kinsmen are paying a price for producing the state governor. Timothy Daluk’s outburst could have been more measured. But a leader in his situation is a leader under back-breaking pressure.