Cultism: CSO Urges Gov. Lalong to Urgently Declare State of Emergency

*Tasks security agencies to be ruthless with cultists

*Pledges total support to security agencies

*Appeals to residents to support security with information on cultist’s hideouts

*Seeks speedy passage of Plateau anti cultism law

A peace advocacy and human rights group in Plateau State has decried the unabated criminal activities associated with cultism in the state,calling on Governor Simon Lalong to urgently declare a state of emergency on the menace.

This was as it tasked the Plateau State House of Assembly to immediately prioritize the treatment of the state anti cultism law by working towards its immediate passage for effective and efficient treatment of cultism related cases in the state.

On the other hand,the group under the aegis of Coalition of Plateau State Civil Society for Peace and Human right tasked security agencies to be ruthless with cultists in the state,saying the change of approach had become imperative to end the ugly development.

In a press statement,Thursday,signed by its National Coordinator, Dr Pam Pwajok and National Secretary, Mrs Hannah Golu respectively,the peace advocacy and human rights group said its positions followed its emergency meeting on the 18/11/2020 where it deliberated extensively on cult activities in the state.

The group, according to the statement,”condemned in the most strongest terms the barbaric senseless and inhuman killings of over 10 young men in a renewed activities of cultism within Jos Metropolis by rival cults within the space of one week.”

“This action is reprehensible and must not be allowed any place in the state,” it said.

“We call on the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Simon Bako Lalong,to as a matter urgency, declare a state of emergency on cultism in Plateau,” it said,adding:” We appeal to Plateau State House of Assembly to speedily pass the anti cultism law for the state.”

The group further said:”While we task the governor to liaise with all security agencies to clamp down on this miscreants with every vigor, we urge the security agencies on the other hand to wield a very big stick on cultism with a view to defeating the menace once and for all.”

While commending security outfits in the state especially Operation Safe Haven for routing crimes and criminality,most especially the inglorious herders/farmers conflicts that once enveloped the state,it tasked the security agencies to be ruthless with cultists henceforth,saying it was the best approach to ending the menace just as it expressed confidence on them.

“We have confidence in the security agencies operating on the Plateau,especially Operation Safe Haven to deliver on this urgent and important task. We urge them to rise to the occasion the very way they handled the once incessant farmers/herdsmen conflicts and other heinous crimes within their mandate,” it said.

It added:”We kindly appeal to all the security agencies to collaborate and rescue Plateau citizens from this menace that is threatening the security and peace of the entire state.

“The activities of these cultists have gone out of hand in recent time and must be stopped by using maximum force if we want to achieve meaningful results.”

According to the group, ” For some obvious reasons, our judicial system is incapacitated and unable to give these criminals maximum punishment due to lack of sufficient evidence or adequate law to prosecute them hence security agencies need to rise up to this singular challenge of cultism bedeviling the state.”

It regretted that:”The activities of these cultists have led to the death of several productive young men from rival groups and even innocent persons who were caught in cross fire.”

“Available information to us indicate that these groups of cultists perpetuate all the dangerous crimes ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping and extortion while hiding under this deadly and evil association called cultism hence must be stopped once,” it claimed.

” We in the civil society and human rights organizations wish to pledge our total support and maximum cooperation to our security agencies in this fight to enable them sanitize our dear state before it becomes ungovernable.

“We stand by them and will provide valid information that will help them in prosecuting this war against cultism,” the group declared in the statement.

It tasked the governor to provide necessary support to all the security agencies in the state to enable them prosecute the war against all criminal activities in the state.

” We therefore want to finally appeal to Governor Simon Bako Lalong to provide the necessary support to all the security agencies to enable them defeat this crime once and for all,”it said.

THE INSENSITIVITY OF HON. HARUNA MAITALA TO THE CONSTITUENTS OF JOS NORTH/ BASSA

THE INSENSITIVITY OF HON. HARUNA MAITALA TO THE CONSTITUENTS OF JOS NORTH/ BASSA

By

Coalition of Vanguards for Change and Good Governance.

Serving the people in any political capacity entails serving the people and running their errands.

Insensitivity in this context means a total disconnect, adamant and non-chalant to the plight of the people Hon. Maitala claims to be representing in all capacity.

As a member representing Jos North/ Bassa constituency in the Green Chamber of the National Assembly, Hon. Maitala in our opinion would say has failed in carrying out his constitutional responsibilities to his constituents. We also feel the constitutional provisions in section 68 (1)(f) and 69 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended should be invoked by his constituents in fulfillment of exercising their constitutional rights over poor and ineffective representation.

For some time now, the people of Bassa Local Government Area who happened to be members of Hon. Maitala’s constituency have been continually terrorized by “unknown gunmen” as stated by the media, even though some of the victims of the said attacks claimed they know their attackers; yet their challengers remained mute on the lips of their representative and stored in his belly for reasons only known to him.

It is inhumane for a representative who is expected to express his constituents grievances in the Green Chamber (being an avenue for ventilation of grievances) regarding the state and level of insecurity in the region which has negatively impacted on the production of food, human and capital development, deprivation of constitutional human right to life and destruction of lives and property which ought to be the primary responsibility of any government.

Hon. Maitala’s function as a representative to legislate on behalf of Jos North Bassa federal Constituency and to undertake other functions such as deliberative functions, constituency functions, oversight functions etc have been defeated because of his inability to properly represent his constituency in the Green Chamber and that has constitutionally incapacitated him to remain in the position of representing an entire constituency who yearns desperately for governments presence most especially the one mandated to speak on its behalf.

It is true that humans are not God and so cannot do all or satisfy everyone, but the least of telling the authorities at high places the challenges facing the people of Jos North/ Bassa should not be an issue for Hon. Maitala unless there is an ulterior motive or possibly taking orders from an anonymous quarter(s) other than the one that gave him the mandate.

Summarily, it is understandable that as age adds, the body system degenerates and becomes vulnerable to ailment because its immunity will grow weaker. On this note, illness (as alleged) should not be an excuse to holding an entire constituency to ransom and stagnant. Ideally, in such circumstance, it is expected that the leader resigns base on health issues as he is incapacitated and there by allow the constituency flourish under capable leadership.

 Sign

Godknows Moses Richard