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Obasanjo meets Plateau leaders over violence

FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday met with some religious and traditional rulers in Jos, the Plateau State capital in what was believed to be a peace-broking mission.

The former president who arrived Jos on Wednesday on a Presidential Jet was said to have met with selected representatives of various ethnic and religious persuasions considered key to the peace process in the state.
It was learnt that the invitations went out discreetly to those concerned to attend the meeting at the Government Guest House known as Green House.


None of the top government officials contacted was forthcoming on Obasanjo’s mission but it was reliably gathered that it might be a personal initiative to intervene in seeking a solution to the unending crises in different parts of the country.
The source hinted that he would head for Maiduguri from Jos on a similar mission relating to the Boko Haram crisis there.
It was, however, learnt that some of those invited to the meeting declined because they were contacted in their individual capacities rather than through the leadership of the bodies they represent.
Meanwhile, people of Plateau State have been reacting to the presidential directive that the military should take full charge of security in the state to end the incessant violence.
A human rights activist, Gad Peter Shamaki, does not believe that something exciting is in the directive.   According to him, “the military have been on ground on the Plateau since 2008. I am made to understand that the Commander of the Special Task Force (STF) takes directives from the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). He has always been answerable to CDS. So, I really don’t see anything new or exciting about the whole action. However, I am in full support of anything that will give us peace on the Plateau.
“But I am really very surprised that it is now that Mr. President sees the need to ask for a review and implementation of past commissions of inquiry. I thought these things should have been on his table a long time ago while we should be talking about their implementation but he is just going to take a second look at the various reports.”
But General John Temlong (rtd) said the President’s directive should not be viewed with sentiment and parochial interest in as much as it concerns national security. “On national security issues, you don’t bring in sentiment and parochial interest, because it deals with the survival of this state and the people. The responsibility is well enshrined in the constitution and the people must hold the government responsible. We should not start bringing sentiment into this situation,” he said.
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