The former Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo, Hon Lumumba Dah Adeh has issued a clarion call to His Excellency, Barr Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang to unite the people of the state and restore the dignity of Plateau. In an open letter dated 10th February, 2024 and addressed to Gov Mutfwang, the former member who represented, Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency said “Your Excellency, may wish to show this act of objectivity and respect for the separation of power by removing the hindrances responsible for the subterfuges that have been employed to delay the swearing-in of the 16 members of the Plateau State House of Assembly who won their cases at the appeal court”
www.pointblank.com.ng brings you the unedited content of the open letter below:
OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR CALEB MUTFWANG
February 10, 2024
His Excellency, Caleb Mutfwang
Executive Governor, Plateau State.
Your Excellency,
NEED TO UNITE THE PEOPLE AND RESTORE THE DIGNITY OF PLATEAU
Let me first of all congratulate Your Excellency, for breasting the tape in the tortuous journey towards occupying the Little Rayfield Government House as governor.
2. The hurdles you faced before, during and after the governorship elections are well known; but it is our hope that the joy of the victory and the assurances of ending the litigations, would propel you to put the past behind and concentrate on governance.
3. Mr Governor, with the elections now over, I believe that as the patriot that you are, you will in the bid to build the state, seek the cooperation of all for a successful reign and betterment of Plateau state and its people.
4. No doubt, the processes that accompanied your eventual confirmation as governor was one that was smudged with lots of bickerings, bitter propaganda and the whipping of sentiment with their consequent negativity for creating divisions, promoting mutual hatred and generating unnecessary tension.
5. But having now finally settled down as a governor with no further distractions, permit me to offer a piece of advice or two for you to succeed and earn the respect and confidence of all and for Plateau state to have the conducive atmosphere for development.
6. Y.E, as leader of the entire state, I urge you to shun all temptations to get back at your political opponents but take the challenges as part of the hurdles you needed to scale to win the coveted seat.
7. This provides an opportunity for you to set the pace for a true leadership by being fair to all and to achieve this, it is necessary that you shed any divisive toga and see the entire state as your constituency by dealing fairly with all irrespective of party, ethnic or religious affiliations.
8. Despite the litigation, name calling and mudslinging that pervaded the last elections, it behoves on you sir, to unite all citizens of Plateau.
9. Your Excellency may wish to recall the praises you showered on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu whom you described as a true democrat for not interfering with the election cases at the Supreme Court which affirmed you as governor of Plateau state.
10. Being a beneficiary of such fair minded objectivity and respect for the separation of power from the President, is goes without saying that you should also endeavour to replicate same gesture in your state and encourage the other arms of government to function without hindrance.
11. Your Excellency, may wish to show this act of objectivity and respect for the separation of power by removing the hindrances responsible for the subterfuges that have been employed to delay the swearing-in of the 16 members of the Plateau State House of Assembly who won their cases at the appeal court.
12. Whatever the apprehension you may be entertaining sir, you must come to terms with the fact that these members by offering their services to Plateau are equal patriots who are eager to contribute their quota to the development of the state and there is no doubt that with their experiences that they are capable of performing their roles as legislators for the good governance of the state.
13. They should therefore be given their rights to assume office and begin to work for Plateau as no man can do it alone.
14. Your Excellency, even if anybody has sought reviews of their cases at the courts, it is only proper that the law ordering their occupation of the offices be respected until it is set aside by a court kf competent jurisdiction.
15. This is more so as the government cannot continue to run without the full compliment of a functional legislature in a democracy like ours.
16. As a lawyer and a democrat, whatever the fears are, you have demonstrated the capacity to succeed even with an Assembly made up of largely opposition members. Besides, there are governors with similar experiences who have functioned with majority of opposition in their state assemblies that you can draw from to further understand how to navigate in such circumstances, but denying the 16 members access to the Assembly is entirely undemocratic and not in the interest of our dear state.
17. I also urge you to reconsider the suspension placed on the elected local chairmen and allow them serve out their tenure as appointing caretaker committee chairmen as you have done has no place in a democracy.
18. Even if the claim is that others are doing it, it would be more to your credit to do the right thing and respect all elected officials and accord them their due respect to function having secured the mandate of the people.
19. You have started well in showing objectivity from the works going on in the state, hence must shun all tendencies to fritter away the goodwill you have earned as a result of this.
It is my belief that the teeming number of people that gave you their votes did so on the basis that you will be fair to all hence it would be ill-advised for you to toe the path that makes you look sectional and partisan.
20. All Plateau people, therefore expect you to be magnanimous in victory and be fair- minded and objective as being vindictive in any way would not bring about the peace and unity you require to govern the state, more so that as a lawyer, you should not only be seen to be respecter of rule of law but one that champions it.
21. It is our wish that you will restore plateau to its proper place as home of peace and tourism set on the path of steady and progressive development; starting first by being governor for all and working deliberately and very hard to establish peaceful coexistence among the people by diffusing the thick air of mutual hatred and suspicion that arose from issues around the 2023 general elections.
Accept the assurances of my esteemed regards.
Hon. Lumumba Dah Adeh