A group under the aegis of Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN) has decried the spate of unabated killings by persons suspected to be Fulani herdsmen in Riyom, Bassa, Jos South and Jos North LGAs in Plateau State.
The group also frowned at the persistent spate of kidnapping and other criminal activities in the State.

The group said from available data, 34 persons were gruesomely killed in less than 3 Months and decried the gross inefficiency of the security system.

PIDAN called on the government to review the security architecture with a view to halting the continued marauding activities of Fulani Herdsmen and curbing further killings, kidnapping and other criminal activities.

These were made known in a Press Conference held by the group on 3rd July, 2021.

Details of the Press Conference are as seen below;

COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL MEETING OF PLATEAU INITIATIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND ADVANCEMENT OF THE NATIVES (PIDAN) HELD ON JULY 03, 2021 AT THE NUJ PRESS CENTRE, JOS.

1:00. The National Council of Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives, PIDAN, comprising of National Presidents and Secretary-Generals of National Development Associations of Ethnic nationalities on the Plateau met on July 03, 2021 at the Nigeria Union of Journalists’ Secretariat, Jos. At the meeting attended by 31 of 56 ethnic nationalities, Council discussed and arrived at the following:

2:00 SECURITY
The Council reviewed the security situation in Plateau State and expressed worries on the following:
i. The continued killings by suspected Fulani herdsmen in the LGAs of Riyom, Bassa, Jos-North and Jos-South as evidenced by reported deaths among whom were Stephen Joshua at Byei Village in Riyom LGA on 28th March 2021; 8 miners (Talatu Sunday; Jummai Useini; Davou Dalyop Pwol; Gyang Joseph Nyam; Gabriel Nuhu; Nvou Dung; Dung Monday; Mrs Shabang) around Cabitex Mining site Kuru, Jos South LGA on 9th April 2021; 8 persons (Sam Bulus 21yrs; Ezekiel Dung 30yrs; Pam Samuel 20 yrs; Pam Esther 5 yrs; Leah Pam 7yrs;Noroh Gyang 19 yrs; Garose Dung 81yrs; Jessica Monday 18 yrs; ) at Kwi (Kohorok) village in Riyom LGA- on 23rd May 2021; Rifkatu Friday(pregnant, 25yrs), Ladi Friday-7yrs, Minchwe Gado-86yrs all at Zanwra Village, Jebbu-Miango in Bassa LGA on 27 May 2021; Bulus Sunday at Dong Community in Jos North on 12 June 2021; 12 persons (Darap Ayuba Rap; Stephen Ayuba Rap; Ibrahim Monday Dong; Feng Gyang Dalong; Davou Matthew; Naomi Samuel Mwadkon; Kaneng Dung; Davou Pam; James Fom; Gyang Juma; David Dalyop; Chigwuze Emmanuel Paul) at Sabo line Kuru Jos South LGA on the 14th June 2021; Mr Bitrus Manzere (Primary School headmaster) at Gwol-Hoss in Riyom LGA on 28th June 2021; Mr Patrick Pam 21 yrs at Byei Village in Riyom LGA on 29th June 2021; Agah Dille at Ri-Bakwa Village in Bassa LGA on 29 June, 2021. Sunday Dogo, 42yrs and Joshua Usman, 30yrs of Tamborong village in Ganawuri Riyom LGA on 30th June 2021.
ii. The persistent spates of kidnapping of law-abiding citizens particularly in Bassa and Jos-North linked to activities of Fulani herdsmen. Thereafter, the meeting resolved as follows:
a. while PIDAN appreciates the peace process put in place by the Plateau State Government, a total of 34 deaths in less than three months strongly suggests gross inefficiency of the security system. Council called on the Government to review the security architecture with a view to halting the continued marauding activities of Fulani herdsmen and curbing further killings and kidnapping.
b. That the national leadership of all Autochthonous Development Associations under the umbrella of PIDAN should equally compliment government peace building efforts by engaging in pragmatic dialogue with local Fulani leadership and other civil society groups to establish and where it exists strengthen community driven peace processes in their respective domains to address the twin evil of killings and kidnapping.
c. That each Association’s leadership should educate their members and its community-security members on the need to carefully take note of strange movements and strange persons or suspects and report to the security agencies. Council equally called on all security agencies to response to calls on such matters from community leadership promptly and endeavour to provide meaningful feedback on such incidents.
2:00 NATIONAL LIVESTOCK TRANSFORMATION PLAN, NLTP.
Council re-examine its position as contained in its communique of March 20, 2021 and subsequent developments on the proposed National Livestock Transformation Plan. It resolved as follows:
a. Council reiterates its concern on the inherit inadequacies of the NLTP as it currently exists in the public domain especially its focus on cattle to the detriment of other livestock such as pigs, goats, dogs, etc.
b. Council again noted with reprieve the Government intention to send an Executive Bill on the program to the State House of Assembly to provide legal backing to the program and urges Government to re-visit the issues of compensation to land owners in respect of so-called gazetted grazing reserves. Council hopes that the intended bill will address the concern expressed above.
c. Council further re-echoed its advice to the leadership of each Association to educate its members on the content of the NLTP as presently available in the public domain and await the public hearing session of the executive bill where they would be chanced to bear their minds and make pragmatic inputs on how to go about implementing the program in the various communities.

3:00. EDUCATION AT PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS LEVELS IN PLATEAU STATE.
The Council deliberated on an issue of public concern brought before it by the Council Secretariat on some unpleasant developments affecting unnecessary levies at Primary and Secondary Schools in the State.
i. Council was worried about how private schools in the State collected full school fees from parents during the COVID-19 lockdown, a period that schools were closed and students were at home. Despite the collection of full school’ fees, some of such schools did not pay full salaries to their staff during the same period. Council frowns at such practice and call on the State Ministry of Education to investigate this matter and direct the proprietors of such schools to make refund proportionate to the period when children were not in school and teachers did not receive full salaries.
Council further focused its deliberations on a recent directive that affects secondary schools in the State.
ii. It noted with grave concern the directive that Secondary schools in the State should purchase the portrait of the Commissioner of Education at the Sum of N5,500. Council is aware of the tradition where relevant institutions such as schools do have the portraits of the Head of State and that of the State Governors only and such portraits used to be provided to institutions at no extra-cost to the institutions. Council did not see how the purchase and mounting of the portrait of Commissioner of Education in schools would improve the quality of education or even infrastructural development of such schools. Council resolved that:
a. Council viewed such directive as exploitative and designed to further impoverish the poor and overburden parents at this difficult economic period.
b. If Government strongly believes in the usefulness of presence of the Commissioner’s portrait in the schools, it should bear the cost rather than transferring the cost to poor parents.
c. Council is calling on the State Government to direct the State Ministry of Education to withdraw such direct and refund those schools that had already purchased the portrait.
4:00. THE FORTH-COMING LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS
i. The Council is very pleased with the decision of the State Government to conduct Local Government Council elections in the State. This exercise shall be the second in the life of the current administration and Council expects the Government to build on its previous experience and deliver fair and credible elections.
ii. However, preparation and actions of the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) have fallen short of the expectations of the people as mirrored by the views of the leadership of autochthones Development Association in the State as expressed by their submission at the Council meeting.
iii. Council seriously frowns at the exploitative fees prescribed by the Commission for the offices. The nomination form fees (Form and processing) of N1,150,000 for Chairmanship; N900,000 for Deputy Chairmanship and N600,000 for Councillorship are outrageously exploitative and far above the average earning of a self-employed youth desirous of contesting for any of the offices. If one adds this to the party form fees which are equally very high with some parties charging N400,000 and N600,000 for Chairmanship and Councillors respectively and campaign costs, one could only imagine the financial burden of contesting for any of the offices at these local elections.. The fee structure will certainly disenfranchise most young persons who otherwise could provide better leadership to their communities if given the chance.
iv. The conduct of the primaries by the parties and supervision of the party primaries by PLASIEC have equally fallen short of the expectation of the people. Of the two most popular parties in the State, one party is reported to have allocated votes and reeled out names of party favourites for the chairmanship and Councillorship positions while the other party simply deployed a mere consensus approach to bring out its candidates for the Chairmanship elections. There is palpable fear that PLASIEC may not deliver fair and credible elections. Council resolved as follows:
a. Council wishes to call on PLASIEC to live up to the public expectation by reviewing its exorbitant nomination fees downward and compel parties to do same. The Commission should also improve on its supervisory role over the party conduct and participation in the elections.
b. Council equally frowns at the practice where winners of supposedly on-going elections are announced by an Electoral Commission and hope that the good people of Plateau State do not witness such undemocratic practice during the exercise.
c. Council demands that election results be announced at the polling unit and such results be transmitted similarly to the collation centres and to the Commission.
5:00. ACQUISITION OF LAND FOR GOVERNMENT PROJECTS.
Council notes:
It has been the practice of Government to acquire land from Communities for the siting of government projects for public use and for public good. Communities are usually happy to make land available because such projects are usually of tremendous help to the people.
In the past, government at all levels have acquired such lands and used it for building institutions such as schools, hospitals, projects, industries, etc. However, in recent years, we have witnessed a trend with Government in the State where land acquired from communities for projects for public good, were later on sold to individuals for private businesses especially where the initial project did not yield the desired economic dividends envisaged by government. Council resolved as follows:

Council frowns at such practice of selling the land following failure of such projects to individuals for private use.
Council wishes to state that the sale of such acquired land to private individuals breeches the public principles of government-community moral agreement on service delivery of service of public good.
Council wishes to advice government to uphold the principle of government-community moral agreement on Service delivery. This implies that whenever a project is adjudged by Government to have failed, the land should be returned to the community owners.
Council would equally parley with leadership of the Plateau House of Assembly with a view to seeing that a law is put in place to compel government to act in such matter in the overall interest of the Community that gave out the land.

Prof Aboi Madaki
President, PIDAN

Comrade Nanle Gujor
Secretary General, PIDAN

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Plateau Group, PIDAN Decries Gross Inefficiency of the Security System, Speaks on other Critical Issues