Ex-Senate President Kenneth Nnamani Praises Governor Mutfwang for Restoring Calm, Says Peace is Essential for Development

The Chairman of the Board of Governors at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) and former Senate President, Sen. (Dr.) Ken Nnamani, GCON, has praised Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, for restoring relative peace and stability in the state. He emphasized that lasting development can only be achieved on the foundation of peace.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Governor at the New Government House, Little Rayfield, Jos, Nnamani described the current calm in Plateau as a welcome break from years of violence and unrest that had drawn national and international concern.

“What we are seeing in Plateau today is calmness and peace. Without peace, we wouldn’t even be able to gather here. There can be no development without peace. We have been reading about killings and disturbances, but you seem to have quietened it a bit, and we congratulate you for this,” Nnamani said.

He further congratulated Plateau State for its forthcoming cultural showcase at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York and at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., describing the invitations as “a rare privilege that brings pride, not just to Plateau, but to Nigeria as a whole.”

Responding, Governor Mutfwang thanked Nnamani for his statesmanship and recalled his legacy of leading the National Assembly with honor and dignity. The Governor assured the NIPSS delegation of Plateau State’s continued partnership, while urging a candid approach to addressing the state’s security challenges.

“Our state has been under siege for almost three decades. This is not a mere farmer-herder clash, but orchestrated banditry with undertones of land grabbing. Several of our communities have been displaced. When we mischaracterize the situation, we proffer the wrong solutions. But if we see it as a threat to national sovereignty, the dynamics will change,” Governor Mutfwang stated.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to supporting NIPSS in its research, studies, and policy recommendations on security and sustainable development.

The Director-General of NIPSS, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, also commended Sen. Nnamani for his pivotal role in safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy during his tenure as Senate President, describing him as “a leader who stood for what was right at a critical moment in Nigeria’s history.” Omotayo appealed for Plateau State’s sustained cooperation in resolving land compensation, infrastructure, and security issues affecting the Institute’s Vom campus, underscoring their importance to national development and peacebuilding.