Plateau governor-elect sues for unity among citizens

The Plateau State Governor-elect, Barrister Simon Lalong, has stressed the need for the people of the state to work together as members of one family to actualize the task of good governance in the state.

Lalong expressed confidence that with the galaxy of retired military generals such as Joshua Dogonyaro, Domkat Bali, Jeremiah Timbut Useni and John Shagaya as citizens of Plateau State supporting him, they will overcome the insecurity that had bedeviled the state for many years now.

The governor-elect, who spoke on Tuesday while receiving a delegation of Tarok-speaking natives of Plateau State, said the state should not have suffered the crises it became noted for over the past decade if the people in government had taken full advantage of the many former top security chiefs that the state is blessed with.

He said: “With these generals around, security is sure in Plateau.

“We have among us people who can stop the mess called insecurity.

“A wise leader would use them.

“If you don’t use them, you suffer.

“I’m privileged to have these people.

“We must be united so we can chase insecurity out of the state.”

Lalong said apart from Dogonyaro and Shagaya, Plateau State, particularly the Langtang axis of southern Plateau, boasts of numerous retired military generals.

They include former FCT Minister, Jeremiah Oseni; Ponzhi Tarok; Domkat Bali; as well as Air Marshal Bennett Banfa, Air Marshall Jonah Wuyep and General John Timlong

Earlier, leaders of the delegation, Generals Dogonyaro and Shagaya, had urged Lalong to be magnanimous in victory and to seek earnestly to unite all the various tribal and religious groups of the state for optimum state-wide socio-economic development.

Dogonyaro said: “Your victory is a historic development as we, for the first time in a long while, will be having one of our own, someone from southern Plateau as governor.

“You have our total support.

“But you have all the people of Plateau State to govern.

“We pray that God will use to restore unity and development to our state.”