GOV. SIMON LALONG DESERVES OUR FORGIVENESS- Denis Yillah
January 30th, 2018

By Pam Moses

Events proceeding the recent unwitting outburst of Plateau state governor, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong, suggesting the new year day attacks on Benue communities were owing to the enactment of the law banning open grazing in Benue state, has brought out the humility in the Plateau state governor; hence the governor deserves the forgiveness of Plateau people in that regard; Mr. Dennis Yillah, an international business mogul has opined.

The Kanke born philanthropist, who floats Yillah foundation to Carter for the underprivileged members of the society, said the singular act of tendering unreserved apology by the governor when his remarks at the Presidential Villa drew the ire of Plateau citizens and other well meaning members of the public alike, was a rare display of humility by any highly placed political office holder in recent times.

Mr. Yillah said he holds no personal grudges against the governor, but only desires quality stewardship and accountability from our elected representatives; therefore, he commends, as well as criticizes where necessary.

With the recent position of the 10-man committee of the Nigerian Economic Council to fashion out a workable plan to cushion the upsurge of herder/farmers clash in the country leaving the contentious issue at the discretion of state governors, it now behoves on Gov. Lalong to utilize this opportunity and remedy the seeming bad blood among Plateau people, by hearkening to the yearning of his electorate on the ban on open grazing in the state. The recent denial of any plan by Plateau state government to provide land for the establishment of cattle colonies, as championed by the federal ministry of Agriculture, is a pointer to the fact that the governor is retracing his steps, and is likely to do what his people want.

Mr. Yillah opined that since Nigerian authorities have alleged that the killer herdsmen are aliens, it is incumbent on the state government to enact such ban on open grazing as a sure means of curbing the excesses of such aliens.

According to him, “Plateau lands are for Plateau people and other Nigerians, therefore banning activities of non-Nigerians on Plateau land would not amount to the infringement on the rights of any Nigerians”

The philanthropist concluded that, despite the scanty developmental projects executed by the Lalong administration in the past three years, Lalong can still win his way into the hearts of Plateau people if he does what is right in this circumstance.

He said that Lalong’s popularity rating was far much higher than that of his Benue state counterpart prior to the enactment of the ban on open grazing in Benue state, but the singular act of enacting that law, which they called “the people’s law”, has earned Ortom a pride of place in the hearts of Benue people. Replicating same law in Plateau state, Mr. Yillah believes, will restore Lalong’s popularity rating in Plateau state and almost guarantee his return ticket in 2019. But warned that hobnobbing with the Abuja powers at the detriment of the Plateau interest is a guarantee to Lalong’s defeat as he seeks re-election. Governor Lalong must place the interest of the people of Plateau State above parochial and interest of a few which will affect his goodwill negatively.

Yillah expressed pleasure with the outpour of discontent by Plateau people when the controversy lasted, which made the governor to apologize, and thereby restoring the brotherliness that has been existing between Benue and Plateau people over time. This has further revealed that the voices of the people are being heard and respected.

He described the widespread resentment, disappointments and dissatisfaction that greeted the governor’s action as a display of the high level of healthy political enlightenment embedded in Plateau people, and the efficacy of social media in entrenching core democratic values, good governance and effective leadership in the State and Nation at large.
It is an attestation that the people are now more concerned about the collective interest of the State not parochial sentiments.

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GOV. SIMON LALONG DESERVES OUR FORGIVENESS- Denis Yillah