The Plateau State chapter of Jama’at Nasril Islam JNI has again raised concern over the sidelined of other crisis victims of the crisis in the compiled list of palliative by the government.
Recalled that the wife of the president Senator Oluremi Tinubu had visited the State and donated the sum of N500miln which is to be shared among the affected Victims/communities.
However, the state government singled out only Christians as its beneficiaries leaving the Muslims/Hausa Fulani victims from the said palliative.
In a recent outcry, the JNI decided to write to the state government regarding the issue, in a letter signed by Dr. Salim Umar Musa Secretary of JNI plateau state, the group reminded the governor that this act confirmed the narrative going around about how the government of Barr. Caleb is not running an all-inclusive leadership.
Read the statement below:
The Plateau State branch of the JNI had cause to write a letter of complaint/protest to His Excellency Barrister Caleb Mutfwang, dated September 13th, 2023 complaining about the lopsided compilation of the list of 500 families being victims of the crisis in Riyom, Barikin Ladi, Bokkos, Mangu, Jos South and Bassa local government areas in the recent past, following a N500m cash assistance brought by Her Excellency Senator Remi Tinibu, the First Lady and wife of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In the said letter, the JNI noted “with sadness that the JNI as a critical stakeholder in the peace processes in the state was not invited. We also note that the JNI had no input in the list of 500 victims of the crisis even though we have hundreds of Muslims killed, maimed or displaced as a result of those series of crises.”
The JNI added in the letter that, “this is truly disheartening and gives room for many speculative theories flying around that your government is not carrying everyone along. We believe there must be a mix-up or miscommunication somewhere, hence our resolve to write to you hoping to receive clarification and possible amends where necessary.”
To our dismay, there was no word from the state government apart from an unfortunate rebuttal of our clear complaint issued by the Plateau State Commissioner for Information. While waiting to redress the imbalance and ensure that justice is done by including Muslim victims of the crisis that are found in all the local government areas to which the donation was intended, the state government closed its ears to our genuine concern and it started the distribution of the assistance to the victims in Mangu local government area with no single Muslim included.
This to us is the highest sense of irresponsibility, because we have been monitoring the posture of the state government in the way it is carrying out its activities as if Muslims do not exist in the state. It is a known fact that Muslims are found in all the 17 local government areas in the state and our percentage is high that it will be injustice and lack of fairness to run a government without considering us.
We note with sadness that the state governor didn’t deem it fit to give a single Muslim the position of Special Adviser in negation to the established tradition of giving that position to a minimum of three Muslims, commensurate with our heavy presence in more than five local government areas of the state. This is after the same government looked away from us in depriving us of the minimum post of Deputy Chief of Staff which usually gives the Muslims in the state a seeming sense of belonging. The position of Deputy Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly usually reserved for Muslims in the state under the past dispensations has been taken away from us as well even though we have Muslim members in the Assembly.
The world should note that in the present set-up of the Plateau state government, the governor, his deputy, secretary to the state government, chief of staff, and head of the service among key government functionaries are all of the same faith as if Muslims are no longer relevant as citizens in the state. Needless to say, Muslims in Plateau state have played great roles and contributed positively to the fortunes of all political parties in various elections, as such we should be recognized and appreciated appropriately.
The JNI under our watch has a moral responsibility to speak on behalf of the Muslim Ummah, and we will not hesitate to review all engagements with this government should these discriminatory tendencies continue. We are citizens deserving of all rights and privileges as provided in the Constitution.
No society thrives and prospers on injustice and the treatment of some citizens as second class. We ask for quick amends and we will not rest on our oars until justice is given to Muslims in the state proportionate to our numerical strength. We pray the Plateau state government will make amends.
Dr. Salim Musa Umar
State Secretary.