Lalong ‘s wishful thinking

By Kene Obiezu

Sir: For forgiveness to be of any value, it must issue from the heart. When it is forced or imposed, it is anything but forgiveness. In such form, it becomes a most dangerous accumulation of pent-up anger and frustration.

Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong has divided opinion since he assumed office as governor of the state in 2015.

While some observers and participants in the affairs  of Plateau State maintain  that the governor has performed creditably, others are adamant that he has not lived up to expectations.

The right   conclusions are difficult to reach. Plateau State used to be known for its peace and tourism until episodic crisis began to convulse the states.

These deadly crises soon took on religious colours and till date, a peace of the graveyard pervades the State. That is not all.

The state is also home to over 10 ethnic groups who variously compete to control the resources of the state. This competition is not always healthy.

This makes it   difficult to gauge opinion about a sitting governor as the divergent opinion of respondents may be coloured more by ethnicity and religion than reality.

To his credit, Governor Lalong has often sought to promote inclusiveness and unity all in   a bit to heal the ethnic and religious wounds which abound on the Plateau and bring about lasting peace.

However, his recent declaration of a “Forgiveness Day” which came full with a public holiday raised some poignant questions and brought into sharp reflection the many problems that confront the good people of Plateau State.

These questions would include: Who are those   causing mayhem in Plateau State? Have they owned up? Have they renounced their crimes? Have they begged the forgiveness of the   good people of Plateau State for   slaughtering   their families and destroying their properties? The answer to one question should lead to the second in that order. But alas there is a skip.

It would seem that in rushing to declare a day for forgiveness in Plateau State without the culprits owning up and showing remorse and a change of heart, Lalong put the cart before the horse and unwittingly branded all the good people of Plateau State participants in the restiveness that has almost torn the beautiful state apart.

By his action, he seemed to imply that every Plateau person had something wrong. That can neither be true nor acceptable.

It is true that at the table of reconciliation, it is sometimes beneficial that fault lines be blurred so that true reconciliation can ensue.

But this only comes to play when the intention to reconcile is   genuine. The good people of Plateau State know that the killers have no intention to reconcile.

Read Also: Forgive one another for peace – Lalong urges farmers, herders

Killers continue to lurk on   the picturesque hills of Plateau State. They strike from time to time; withdraw after sating their thirst for blood and destruction only to strike again.

Governor Lalong being the Chief Security Officer of Plateau State has not identified them. Maybe it is beyond him. His   noble but ultimately foolhardy   attempt at a blanket form of forgiveness seems placatory, even patronizing.

These killers lurk in many parts of the North too. Whether posing as herdsmen, Boko Haram foot soldiers or gangs of kidnappers, they have become the face and stuff of Nigerian terror.

Through their relentless efforts, they have succeeded in sowing fear into the hearts of Nigerians at home, diaspora Nigerians and foreigners who must be indescribably grateful and relieved that they are not in the country at the moment.

These cold-blooded  killers operate a  well-oiled killing  machine and because their savage lust for blood has shown no signs of satisfaction over many years of bone-chilling carnage ,one can safely surmise that they are not about to call off their operations.

Without justice, lasting peace would remain a mere mirage. Without justice, any form of forced forgiveness would only be cosmetic and phony.

The government of Plateau State and the federal government must throw everything but the kitchen sink into identifying and punishing the killers who prowl Plateau State and other states of northern Nigeria. It is not time for forgiveness yet.

• Kene Obiezu,

Abuja.