28th May, 2017
Former Plateau governor Joshua Dariye said on Sunday that the sharp division among the state’s elders had cost Plateau so much in terms of development.
“The elders are sharply divided along political, ethnic and religious lines. Such division has cost us so much. It has made it impossible for us to form a strong force to collectively pursue what is due to Plateau,” Dariye said in Jos.
Dariye, who currently represents Plateau Central in the Senate, challenged the elders to unite and work toward a greater Plateau irrespective of their differences.
The former governor, who spoke at a thanksgiving service to mark this year’s Democracy Day, expressed regret that elders preferred to “undo each other instead of burying their differences and working toward one goal”.
“Clearly, the elders have failed, including me. Every elder has become an institution unto himself. No one wants to work with the other. There is clearly no leadership.
“Where is the Plateau Unity Forum we stated years ago? Plateau needs a rallying point. We must work together.”
The senator stated that political parties were mere platforms to win elections, saying that they should not stand in the way of a united Plateau.
“Former governors like Fidelis Tapgun, Jonah Jang and Joshua Dariye could all belong to different political parties today, but they must realise that they are first and foremost Plateau people.
“As leaders, we must work together because we need each other. We must not destroy Jang or any other person today because tomorrow we will need them,” he added.
He said that the numerous community development associations should have been the rallying points for pursuing collective interests, but regretted that they were fanning the embers of division among the common people.
Mr Peter Azi,Speaker, Plateau House Assembly, in his remarks, called for synergy between the state and national assembly members from the state so as to attract development to Plateau.