University of Calabar lecturer, Dr. Dorncklaimz Enamhe has written an open letter to Plateau State Governor, Mr. Simon Lalong, urging him to move quickly and restore peace to the city of Jos.
The letter is coming on tge heels of the recent spate of killings in the area.
Enamhe told Lalong to eschew politics but to act firmly to restore peace to the historic town.
“The government should stop playing politics with people’s lives and tackle this hydra-headed beast once for all; let’s get the Plateau working again!” he wrote.
Read full text of letter:…
“Your Excellency
Rt. Hon S. Lalong
Executive Governor
Plateau State
Jos, Nigeria
Your Excellency Sir,
Letter of Appeal to write your name in gold
Greetings.
I write with tears in my eyes, though not a stakeholder or a native but a regular visitor
I refuse to be emotional when talking about issues surrounding Jos (a town after my heart)
When I look at the incessant crises that has bedeviled your beautiful state and a tourist destination for the past few years, I feel like as a friend of the Plateau, I should make you this humble appeal
I was in Jos a few weeks ago and I was wowed by your beautiful town and amazing weather, which reminds me of the Obudu ranch, another unbelievable gift to nature in my Cross River State.
As a matter of fact, we were out in the cold enjoying the beautiful weather of Jos till about 3am before the Vice-Chancellor ordered us to go and sleep!
I remember us arriving Jos at night and driving with my colleagues freely to locate my Vice chancellor’s hotel, imagine if it was now!
Prof Florence Banku Obi, the unstoppable and multiple award-winning Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, was to be honored by the University of Jos Alumni and we were privileged to be on her team
In the last 15 years, maybe more, possibly because the cries from the Plateau had fallen on deaf ears, the narrative from Jos has not been very encouraging
Maybe because ears were deafened due to tribal and religious affiliations or financial/political gains to be made by the political class, just maybe…
I am therefore almost numb when I hear of one skirmish here, reprisals there, people dying needlessly
All of them avoidable deaths
If however I’m pressured to speak, I would say this:
All lives matter!
No one should be killed by anyone; No one should have to die or have his home and property destroyed for no just cause, it’s barbaric and unacceptable!
Revenge isn’t also the answer and will never be!
Unfortunately, the response by Government both at the State and Federal levels have further exacerbated the matter, sadly too.
While the government handles on one hand, cry for help with kids gloves, immediate attention is given to another; sad indeed and very unfortunate, this must change
Suddenly security forces know how to arrest!
When the people feel they are denied justice, don’t forget, they will take laws into their hands and this never ends well
Just like the situation, we find in our hands now
Injustice only begets injustice.
The government should stop playing politics with people’s lives and tackle this hydra-headed beast once for all; let’s get the Plateau working again!
Your Excellency Sir,
Condemn all killers and let them all face the full wrath of the law or maintain silence.
My dear Governor,
The last time we met, recall you told me, you were rushing to go and visit one of your children in school on visiting day
That’s how a father should behave, no matter your status in society, show a child all the love the child deserves and the child will grow up with love
Your Excellency, can I tell you something? There are people who can’t visit their children now because, the children had either been kidnapped from school or were killed by some armed bandits
There are also children whose parents were also kidnapped or killed on their way to visit their children in school or on their way to farm to look for food for their children
Your Excelkency you have been lucky to have been in government for over 20 years
You know how PDP is wired and you also know how APC is wired because you are a beneficiary of both
Remember a generation has been raised in the Plateau and in most Nigerian towns with stereotypes, mostly hatred and mutual suspicion; politicians feed on this for their selfish gains; we can’t continue like this!
Your Excellency must speak up now!
Like I said earlier, I’m tired of saying the same things over and again; we can’t keep doing the same things and expecting a different result!
Your Excellency, We just want to live-live and raise our children in peace! Is that too much to ask for?
Your Jos is a beautiful city
The good people of the Plateau are very nice people;
They deserve better
You are a good man
What happened in the last few days must be condemned and perpetrators brought to book Immediately!
The Governor of Ondo state has stated clearly that no Ondo state indigene was killed. Let the people bury their loved ones in peace
Plateau deserves peace under your watch. I know you will love to go to the Senate after your time as Governor, because that seems to be the last bus stop for governors even when some of you should rather hide your faces in shame but I wish you luck, just that I can’t predict the party you will run from; Governors are very unpredictable
Please remember that two of your predecessors are in the Senate: one is reporting from Kuje and the other from EFCC, anyway none of them was a Governor’s Forum Chairman or former Speaker like you
I would love to watch you speak from the Senate with confidence some day like “when I was a Governor The Plateau was a peaceful nation”
Imagine if I was told about the happenings in Jos a few days before my VC’s visit, of course I would have discouraged her from attending and your beautiful farmers on the road would have lost the chance of improving on their economy from what we bought.
Meanwhile Your Excellency Sir, accept my sincere condolences over the demise today of our leader, elder statesman and former Deputy Senate President Late Senator Ibrahim Nasiru Mantu
May his gentle soul Rest In Peace, Amen
Signed: Sir D.C Enamhe, a teacher, writes from University of Calabar, Calabar Nigeria.”
