Caleb Mutfwang, the governor of Plateau State, said the situation in Nigeria is a result of a failure of governance, particularly at the national level.
The governor said this at a forum organised by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) in the US on Tuesday.
The event, themed “Advancing Stability in Northern Nigeria,” was attended by ten governors from the northern part of the country.
The conversation at the forum was centred on Nigeria’s prospects for peace, what Nigerian citizens and leaders can do to manage tensions or violence, the most important issues for the state governors, and how stability in northern Nigeria can contribute to progress and prosperity for the country.
Speaking at the event, Mutfwang said the experience of Nigeria in the last eight years of the previous administration was a situation where the central government either abdicated responsibilities or, in concert with perpetrators of criminal acts.
He argued that this gave the criminals the confidence to build capacity, which has become a monster today.
“What is happening in Nigeria is a failure of governance, particularly at the national level. I will say the experience, particularly in the last eight years of the previous administration, was a situation where we saw the central government either abdicating responsibilities or, in some cases, in concert with the perpetrators of these criminal acts.
“It gave such leeway to these criminals to build capacity, that today it has become a great monster—a big elephant in the room,” Mutfwang said.
Speaking on his experience as Plateau governor since he took over 11 months ago, Mutfwang said he “inherited a state bedevilled with deep-rooted suspicion.”
He concluded that there was an elite conspiracy to be able to perpetuate criminality as a way of seeking advantage in competitive politics.
The governor recalled the deadly attack in his state on Christmas Eve, saying that it is beyond farmers-herders clash.
Mutfwang said the demands of the masses are the same. They want access to quality education, health, good roads, and other social amenities, but all these can be achieved if there’s no security.
Speaking on the opportunity for Nigeria, the governor said we must redefine governance and make people rebuild trust and confidence in government. He added that there must be an elite consensus that enough is enough and turn around this situation.
