Gyang Bere, Jos
Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence and senator representing Plateau North in the National Assembly, Barr Istifanus Gyang, has said that lives and properties cannot be secure in Plateau with arms but through reconciliation and sustainable peace.
Sen Gyang disclosed this on Monday when Muslim Ummah in Jos North and Barkin-Ladi local government areas of the state paid him a courtesy visit in his resident in Rayfield, Jos South.
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He assured the people that the mandate given to him would be maximised for genuine reconciliation between various ethnic groups and the Hausa-Fulani.
“This mandate that you have given me, I will ensure that we pursue peace and security and reconcile the people of Plateau North. We need to reconcile with ourselves, we have fought ourselves in the past, we have done things that are not good before God and before ourselves.
“In this reconciliation, it is for us to say God, we have sin against you, we are seeking for forgiveness and then seek for forgiveness from ourselves. I want to say to the Jos North community particularly the Hausa-Fulani that on behalf of other tribes in Plateau North, I am asking you for forgiveness.
“Where ever all these ethnic groups have wronged you, I am asking you for forgiveness. I will also go to them and tell them that the Hausa-Fulani of Jos came to me and asked for forgiveness for whatever wrong they have done to you.
“We want to secure the people through peace, you can’t secure people through arms; you can’t secure people through bow and arrows; you can only secure people through peace and reconciliation.”
Sen. Gyang applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for taking drastic steps towards boosting Universal Basic Education in the country.
“Earlier this year, President Muhammadu Buhari took a decision concerning states government that were unable to pay their counterparts funding to Universal Basic Education and Plateau State was unable to pay N4.5 billion.
“But when there was refund to states on Paris debt refund, the President said the states that were unable to pay the counterparts funds, he would deduct their money from source to pay for the states.
“With the N4.5 billion for Plateau, the Federal government will also, add N4.5 billion, therefore, the money that is coming to Plateau State is almost N9 billion and that money started coming in June.”
Sen. Gyang said members of the National Assembly from the state would monitor the utilisation of such money and ensure that it was used for the purposes of boosting education from the grassroots.