The Governor of Plateau State, North Central Nigeria, Governor Simon Bako Lalong says the state remains peaceful, and not a war zone, as being speculated in some quarters.
The Governor, who disclosed this during the opening ceremony of the FCT Minister’s Press Corps Media Retreat in Jos, the Plateau State capital, noted his administration was working to route out all criminal elements, in any guise that have been constituting political and security threat.
Governor Lalong who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Dr. Michael Pam, on the directives of the Commssioner for Information, Mr. Dan Bafter.
Lalong also stated that his administration has remained resolute with its mandate of developing the state and delivering dividends of democracy to all citizens, in a peaceful atmosphere.
According to him, the perversed narrations suggesting that Plateau was at war and therefore unsafe, was a cheap blackmail by enemies of peaceful co-existence.
He also added that relevant security agencies have been re-engineered to tackle all the isolated cases of criminal activities and attacks at various remote communities, to safeguard innocent people, while dealing with the criminal elements.
According to him, “You are now critically positioned to tell the true story of Plateau State. Out there, the narrative is like Plateau is in a state of war, but you have seen for yourselves that we are a peaceful, hospital and likeable people, who are at all time accommodating.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of the FCT Minister’s Press Corps, Mr. Ikharo Attah noted that observation has shown that the security challenges in Plateau have been largely over- exergerated.
While he noted that the choice of holding the retreat in Jos, was to help form broader views on issues of development in the state, and also provide better media perspective that will further strengthen national unity and peaceful co-existence.
Attah assured that from the media retreat would give birth to objective reportage that will change negative narrations that fuel insecurity in the state.
