UNIJOS grills government candidates from the plateau

The University of Jos held a town hall meeting for all Plateau State gubernatorial candidates on Wednesday.

All six gubernatorial candidates in the state who contested the election on the platform of different political parties attended the town meeting held in the auditorium of the university’s Faculty of Social Sciences, Naraguta Campus.

The university’s vice-chancellor, Professor Tanko Ishaya, said the town hall meeting, which was organized in conjunction with the Voice of America Hausa Service, was intended to promote participation in the democratic process in the state and Nigeria in general. to deepen.

They asked the gubernatorial candidates to explain how they intended to provide the Plateau state with good governance if they came to power.

The candidates, speaking in Hausa language, shared with Plateau citizens their political philosophies and manifestos, expressed their commitment to the enthronement and ensuring peace in the state during and after the 2023 elections.

People’s Democratic Party leader Caleb Mutfwang said that peace and security are sacred to the existence and development of any society and said Plateau is no exception.

He assured that his administration would demonstrate justice, fairness and skillful leadership in the administration of Plateau to accommodate every individual and ethnicity in the state.

He said: “Where there is uncertainty, you find injustice and lack of courageous leadership. Therefore, we will ensure a proper legal system and comprehensive governance to secure and protect our people.”

He noted that he will revive and equip the state security equipment “Operation Rainbow” fighters and Vigilante groups to provide community security to fight the incursion of outlaws and crime in rural communities in the state.

Mutfwang added that the issue of justice in virtually all Plateau communities requires attention, adding: “I will listen to the people of Plateau and do what will improve relations between them to bring justice to all ethnic groups in the state.”

All Progressives Congress candidate Nentawe Yilwatda said his administration will establish a security trust fund to address security issues for greater unity of the people.

Yilwatda added that the services of vigilante groups and hunters would be deployed to secure rural communities in view of their track record in fighting bandits and other forms of crime in the state.

He noted that he will build a responsive justice system and work closely with Plateau State Peace Building Agency to promote peace and unity among different ethnic groups in the state.

Luka Panpe of the People’s Redemption Party explained that his government will promote good governance that will bring people together and come up with strategic leadership that will address issues that lead to violence in the state.

He noted that he would work with security institutions, especially the Center for Conflict Management and Peace Studies, University of Jos to strengthen confidence building across the state.

His Social Democratic Party counterpart, Ibrahim Ponyah, said he would bolster security in local communities by gathering intelligence on issues culminating in violence so that a swift response could be made.

Ibrahim explained that security companies inside and outside the state would be brought in to provide security and respond quickly to early warning signs to curb violence.

All Progressives Grand Alliance gubernatorial candidate Samuel Abashe and his Action Democratic Congress counterpart Solomon Chendan said priority would be given to physical safety and security of life and property in the state.

Chendan said his government would take a community-led approach in addressing security challenges and said strategic leadership would be used to engage different ethnic groups in the state for peace and unity.

UNIJOS VC noted that Nigerian democracy could be better than the people who lead it, adding, “If we have weak leaders, we will have a weak society.”

He explained that the university provides an important place of training for future leaders and said that the institution attracts people who want to do important things in life because they also realize the important role the university plays in society.

Ishaya credited Voice of America Hausa Service for the collaboration, saying the media is providing enough information that would prepare Plateau people to make an informed decision ahead of the 2023 election.

The director of the Center for Conflict Management and Peace Studies, University of Jos, Danny McCain urged all candidates to embrace peace during and after the election.