Governor Mutfwang Appeals for Peace Amidst Protests in Plateau State

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang addressed the citizens on Tuesday, urging protesters of the #endbadgovernance movement to cease their demonstrations. He cited credible sources indicating that hoodlums from neighboring states are being invited to disrupt the peace in Jos.

In a state-wide broadcast, Governor Mutfwang emphasized that these “merchants of violence” are infiltrating the peaceful protests to cause chaos. He outlined steps his administration is taking to alleviate hardship and expressed his commitment to dialogue with youth leaders.

“I am grateful for this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for your understanding and dignified conduct over the last couple of days during the ongoing national protest tagged #endbadgovernance,” Mutfwang said. He praised the protesters for their peaceful demonstrations, which he said have garnered admiration from other Nigerians and the international community.

Governor Mutfwang highlighted the state government’s efforts in various sectors to mitigate poverty and improve living conditions. “While we have taken measures to create a peaceful and prosperous Plateau, we must admit there is still much to be done. Our efforts in public transportation, investments in agriculture – including training 20 youths per local government in modern agribusiness – improvements in the health and education sectors, etc., have all been geared towards laying the foundation for poverty alleviation,” he stated.

He mentioned specific initiatives such as distributing over 200 trucks of fertilizer and other palliatives in collaboration with the federal government, and the empowerment of citizens through the Plateau State Microfinance Development Agency (PLASMIDA). “We have started the empowerment of several Plateau State citizens with a token of N50,000 through PLASMIDA, which is aimed at supporting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs),” he said.

Governor Mutfwang expressed his commitment to ensuring that no one in Plateau goes hungry, children do not miss school due to financial constraints, and everyone has access to medical care. “I am passionate about ensuring that no one living on the Plateau goes to bed without food, no child is condemned to illiteracy because their parents cannot afford to pay their school fees, and no one dies prematurely because they cannot afford to pay their medical bills,” he asserted.

He appealed to protesters to halt their demonstrations and engage in dialogue with the government. “I have heard you clearly, and we are in this together. I, therefore, appeal to you to stay further protests so we can dialogue with your leaders to add value to our thinking and plans for poverty alleviation since we do not possess a monopoly of wisdom,” Mutfwang urged.

Governor Mutfwang warned that continued protests might be hijacked by criminals. “The more we continue with the protests, the more the likelihood of being hijacked by sponsored criminals and hoodlums like we began to notice from Sunday evening,” he said. He noted that intelligence reports indicated that lawful protests had been infiltrated by criminals intending to loot and attack citizens. “We even saw the display of foreign flags by some of these criminally minded intruders. So as a responsible government, we had to take proactive steps to prevent further acts of criminality; thus, the 24-hour curfew we imposed on Jos-Bukuru metropolis starting from Sunday midnight,” he added.

Mutfwang appreciated the efforts of traditional, community, and religious leaders, as well as civil society organizations, in maintaining peace. “Let me appreciate our traditional, community, and religious leaders, as well as civil society organizations who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to assuage the justifiable anger and frustrations of the protesters. We urge you not to rest on your oars until normalcy is restored so we can take more reassuring steps in the right direction,” he concluded.