Gov. Lalong deserves to be President – Fulani Youths

Fulani youths in Plateau State say the tribe now enjoys peace more than ever before, owing to measures and policies of the Simon Lalong led State Government.

The Governor’s establishment of a committee to resolve disputes between the tribe and other tribes during his first tenure in 2015, and the various appointments and empowerments enjoyed by the tribe make him distinguished among his equals, Mr. Abdulkarim Bayero, leader of a concerned Fulani youth group told journalists in Jos.

“We as Fulanis on the Plateau have never seen a Governor that has the Fulani ethnic group at heart like Governor Simon Lalong, since return of democracy in 1999,” Bayero said.

The Governor who was recently elected Chairman of the Nigerian Northern Governor’s Forum according to Bayero deserves to be President to impact more.

In his words, “If he had not carried everybody along, he would not have been considered for the NGF Chairmanship position and that is why we are saying he should not just be Vice President but President in future.”

The group therefore dismissed criticism against the Governor as baseless.

The Governor on Wednesday swore in his Party man from the Hausa/Fulani extraction as Chairman of Jos North Local Government Area.

A similar appointment in 2000 led to the Jos crisis of 2001, reports say.

Since then, no one from the ethnic group has been Chairman.

Mr. Shehu Bala, as other flagbearers of the APC in the October 2018 LG Chairmanship polls in the State – Mr. Mafeng Gwallson of Riyom LGC, Mr. Dachung Yohanna Chairman Jos South, and Barr. Ezekiel Mandyau of Barkin Ladi LGC were sworn in amid protests by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The Governor had failed to conduct polls in the four LGAs citing insecurity.

Lalong has repeatedly boasted of returning peace to the State but could still not carry out democratic elections to fill the positions still on the grounds of insecurity.