About two weeks ago, Plateau citizens got wind of the President’s planned visit to the State for the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies’ graduation ceremony of Senior Executive Course (SEC) 39, scheduled for Saturday, 25th November, 2017. This information generated many reactions. Those responsible for infrastructural projects that were hitherto asleep became fire fighters overnight. The snail-paced Secretariat junction-Mararaban Jama’a road project assumed a cheetah-movement pace. Also, it was a subject of debate for political pundits in the State, in the conventional and social media platforms.

While the reactions continued, I reflected on the crude and deceitful form of politics practised in the Third World. The Third World is bedevilled with politics of deceit,
greed, hypocrisy and insincerity.

Again, I recalled the memory of “The Government Inspector”, a Russian play I read in secondary school. The Government Inspector is a satirical play by the Russian and Ukrainian dramatist and novelist, Nikolai Gogol. Published in 1836, the play is a comedy of errors, satirizing human greed, stupidity and the extensive political corruption of imperial Russia. In the play, the corrupt officials of a small Russian town headed by the Mayor reacted with fear to the news that an unknown Inspector will soon be arriving in their town to investigate them. Thus, they resorted to series of flurry activities to coverup their considerable misdeeds.

Expecting to receive Mr President on the Plateau in a day’s time, a statement was released from the Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor, Mr Emmanuel Nanle read “It is however unfortunate that some pressing national and international exigencies of the Office of Mr President have necessitated a cancellation of the visit, and this is deeply regretted…”

From this saga, there are a number of takeaways.
Key amongst the robust discourse on the social media discourse was the issue of holding a town hall meeting with the President, where Plateau people would pour their concerns to Mr President pertaining the security hitches witnessed in the state. Lofty as this idea seems, I share a contrary view. To me, it shows how unprepared Plateau citizens are to finding a concrete solution to this notorious challenge.

So what happens if the President fails to visit Plateau till his tenure ends? Does it mean we would not explore avenues to ensure our voice is heard? A high-powered delegation comprising of the State Traditional Council, religious leaders and illustrious sons and daughters of the State should have since been sent to go present our case to the President in Abuja in the wake of the attacks, rather than aimlessly waiting for his unpredictable visit.

The President being a herder has since been aware of the happenings in the state and the peculiar interest his kinsmen have in Plateau. Thus, Plateau natives who are mostly farmers should beat down their expectations on the President in terms of finding a solution that would benefit the farmers and be to the detriment of his kinsmen. I would rather suggest that we think out of the box and find a way of defending ourselves from external aggression as other states have done through legislation.

Another monumental gain of this drama is the fact that a morality test has been posed to the state government, whether or not the projects would continue in the same pace and momentum as they were in the period Plateau was expecting the President.

And for the average populace, the nostalgia, wish and prayer is that such a drama should be staged more often cos they are the better for it. At least, abandoned projects would be speedily completed.

Malau Sylvanus
Journalist and Commentator reached via, sylvanusmalau@gmail.com

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President Buhari’s Aborted Visit to Plateau: Matters Arising – by Malau Sylvanus