By Sunday Oyinloye
I do not know the background of the Plateau State Governor, Mr. Simon Lalong and I don’t care to know at least for now, but it is not difficult to conclude that the man is not fit to be a state Governor in a complex country like Nigeria where there are many intellectuals.
When Dr. Reuben Abati did a piece about the foul spirit tormenting people in Aso Rock, he was widely attacked by many who saw the article as one of those tales by moonlight coming from a typical African setting. However, it is becoming ‘’evident’’ that people at the corridor of power in Aso Rock and their visitors are sometimes at the mercy of an unknown demon as claimed by Abati. For instance, how do you explain the many troubles of the landlord of Aso Rock?
The man who many saw as a “messiah” in 2015 has continued to manage one crisis after the other. It has even gotten to a level where the old man is being attacked openly and being told that he is not doing enough to secure the lives of the people. Some said he should never dream of returning back to Juju rock, sorry Aso Rock after four years as the landlord. A man called ‘Lion’’ by his admirers has suddenly fallen asleep. He is now at the receiving end . But, I don’t want to say whether or not the lion can still roar.
The story of whether the lion is still active or not is for another day. My focus this week is on Mr. Lalong who probably didn’t appease the foul sprit of Aso Rock before his visit to the landlord. He visited, he saw but never conquered. The foul spirit of Aso Rock covered his face and at the end of his visit to President Muhammadu Buhari, Lalong did the unthinkable.
I listened to this so-called leader on Channels Television two nights ago, and I wept for my country. His utterances revealed the leadership crisis in Nigeria, wrong people finding themselves in right places.
On the day the nation stood still to mourn and bury innocent Benue State people massacred by herdsmen, Lalong threw caution to the wind saying he warned Governor Samuel Ortom, against implementing the state anti-grazing law recently passed into law in Benue State. As the Plateau State Governor responded to questions from the State House Correspondents, he showed no sign of being a father or husband, neither did he show respect or sympathy either for the dead or their relatives. Incidentally, this is the governor of a state that has seen hell in the hands of terrorists masquerading as herdsmen.
Like a man controlled by a ‘’strange spirit” in the seat of power as portrayed by Abati , Governor Lalong shortly after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja said it was wrong to start implementing anti-grazing the law without proper alternatives.
Listen to him:“To be honest with you, I advised him. I told the governor of Benue State when he was initiating the law, I said ‘look, why don’t you tread softly, just be careful, take other steps before you start implementation.’
At a time he was supposed to respect the dead, Lalong said that his administration would not implement the anti-grazing law. According to him: “I cannot wake up like some people said last year that I should go and do anti-grazing law and I asked ‘anti-grazing law for what? ‘’
It is sad that the Plateau State Governor could not apply wisdom and allow the dead to rest in peace. There is actually a time for everything, a time to speak and a time to be quiet. However, it is only the wise that know how to control their tongues. His utterances on the day of mass burial for the victims of the brutal attacks in Benue State clearly reveals that many of the so-called leaders in Nigeria are morally bankrupt and heartless. If Mr. Lalong decides to mortgage the future of his state for political gains, must Ortom do the same thing?
Lalong is definitely not a student of history or he is just being mischievous . Why did I say this? Herdsmen had been attacking states, including Benue and Plateau, before the anti-grazing law by Ortom. Though, the media aides of the Plateau State Governor tried in vain to defend their paymaster deceiving the public that he was misquoted, but I am telling them and the faceless groups defending him that I heard Lalong myself. He simply does not have conscience and not fit to be a governor. Any human being that does not have feelings for others brutally murdered is not fit to be in position of authority. With that unfortunate interview granted by the governor after his meeting with Buhari, it is now clear why the terrorists masquerading as herdsmen are killing innocent people almost on daily basis and getting away with their crimes.
Again, I say Governor Simon Lalong has no human feelings and I have no apologies for taking this position. He is not the kind of leaders that Nigeria needs, no, not a man like him.
