BROADCAST BY HIS EXCELLENCY, CHIEF OLUSEGUN OBASANJO GCFR,
ON
THE IMPOSITION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN PLATEAU STATE,
TUESDAY MAY 18,2004
Fellow Nigerians
It is with a grave heart that I address you all today. We have all made
personal and collective sacrifices not just to enthrone peace, stability
and democracy in Nigeria but also to consolidate our democratic
enterprise and cultivate new values. .It is therefore very painful when
that new collective commitment to democracy, peace and security is
compromised, contaminated or mediated in any way or form.
The situation in Plateau State, to say the least, constitutes a
challenge to our democracy, negates the norms of rational human
interaction, contradicts the tenets of civil society, and devalues
opportunities for peace, stability, coexistence and social justice. It
constitutes a grave threat to law and order and a great danger to
security in Plateau State and the neighbouring States of Bauchi,
Nassarawa, Taraba and Benue.
It is therefore clearly a great threat to the security and unity of
Nigeria. Even if active conflict and killings seemingly subside for now,
it is a facade that will erupt again if fundamental actions are not
taken now at it had subsided and erupted on and off since September
2001.
As at today, there is nothing on ground and no evidence whatsoever to
show that the State Governor has the interest, desire, commitment,
credibility and capacity to promote reconciliation, rehabilitation,
forgiveness, peace, harmony and stability. If anything, some of his
utterances, his lackadaisical attitude and seeming uneven-handedness
over the salient and contending issues present him as not just part of
the problem, but also as an instigator and a threat to peace. Plateau
State cannot and must not experience another spate of violence, killings
and destruction of property. If allowed, the crisis will engulf the
entire nation.
Considering my constitutional responsibility as President of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria and having exhausted all possible avenues to have
and to help the Governor of Plateau State to ensure security of life and
property generally in that State, and cognizant of the proven inability
and incompetence of the Governor to maintain security of life and
property generally in the state and particularly in Langtang, Wase, and
Yelwa-Shendam in the past few months, I have painfully come to the point
that 1 have to resort to the last constitutional option available to
ensure security of life and property of all citizens of Nigeria and
non-Nigerians alike residing in any part of Plateau State.
Since 2001 when I first visited Plateau State as a result of the crisis,
the situation has steadily deteriorated politically largely due to the
failure of governance and the gross inefficiency in managing the rich
and robust diversity of the state.
Tension and social differences have been exacerbated rather than
building new bridges of harmony, tolerance, inclusion, and
accommodation. Political errors have been magnified and politicized by
opportunistic politicians that often put personal interest above those
of the people and the State. Violence has reached unprecedented levels
and hundreds have been killed with much more wounded or displaced from
their homes on account of their ethnic or religious identification.
Schooling for children has been disrupted and interrupted; businesses
have lost billions of naira and property worth much more destroyed.
Christians and Muslims that used to live together have become
arch-enemies and the embers of hate have reached totally unacceptable
levels.
Visitors and investors have fled or are fleeing Plateau State and the
neighboring states have had their economies and social life disrupted
and dislocated by the influx of internally displaced persons. Among
leaders and ordinary people, the language of hate, distrust, violence,
intolerance has become the norm. Nobody seems to be able to be neutral
or impartial as you must either be tainted or drawn to one side or the
other. Much more pitiful is the palpable loss of confidence in the
political leadership of the State.
The consequence of insensitivity to existing realities and failure to
put in place the necessary checks is what we are witnessing today in
Plateau State and its neighboring states. The killings, looting, and
wanton destruction of property in Kano are the direct result of the
mismanaged affairs in Plateau State.
Nothing of course should be done or said to justify actions in Kano that
must be condemned as the handiwork of manipulated irresponsible
hoodlums. As I have advised all Governors in their capacity as Chief
Security Officers of their states, they are held responsible for
breaches of security in their respective States. No excuse will be
tenable for such breaches. Henceforth, Governors will be held
accountable.
Both Christianity and Islam hold life as sacred. Anyone who kills or
instigates the killing of another human being except on established
judicial judgment is a murderer and must be treated as such. The Federal
Government and the neighboring states to Plateau State are incurring
huge expenses in managing the socio-political and economic consequences
of the near collapse of state authority and the breakdown of law and
order in some parts of Plateau State and elsewhere. Opportunities for
building networks and webs of dialogue across primordial lines have been
recklessly squandered by a weak and incompetent political leadership
which has allowed discontent to fester into deep hatred manifesting in
bitterness, rage and destruction.
What has become clear is that the constituted authority in Plateau State
is incapable of maintaining law and order, giving confidence to the
people, managing religious, ethnic and social pluralism, and protecting
lives and property of all citizens or determinedly unwilling to do so. I
have had several meetings with political, religious and traditional
rulers and leaders of thought from Plateau.
I have had several private consultations with political leaders and the
Governor of Plateau State. The Federal Government had even set up at
least three all-embracing peace committees charged with finding and
using all possible ways and means to restore peace, law and order to
Plateau State. The committees have been frustrated by vested interests
in Plateau State that were clearly not on the side of peaceful
coexistence, inclusion, tolerance, and harmony. In my personal and
official capacities, I have done everything to bring lasting peace to
Plateau State. lf nothing else, the political leadership in the state
has failed woefully to guarantee peace and security and in many
instances, it has wittingly and unwittingly encouraged acts that have
subverted peace and tranquility.
At every point, the Governor of Plateau State either made himself
unavailable on the ground to take appropriate action to stem the tide of
violence or when he was available he was simply incompetent to take
action. His personal conduct and unguarded utterances have inflamed
passions.
The latest evidence of gross dereliction of duty, incompetence and
insensitivity to the situation on ground in Plateau as well as disregard
and disrespect for constituted authority was, when contrary to my advice
that Governors should inform me before they travel out of the country so
that I can deal with their deputies when they are away as well as know
where to find them at quick notice in cases of emergency, the Governor
of Plateau traveled out without notifying me. In this year alone, the
Governor of Plateau State has traveled out of the country more than four
times without bothering to notify me.
When crises broke out in his State, the Governor made no effort to
return home immediately; he was away for about two weeks. And when he
did return to the country, his first priority was to attend the Sports
Festival in Abuja at a time when his State was burning.
It was not until Tuesday the 11 of May that, at my prompting, he
informed me that he was calling a Security Committee meeting of the
State. At the same time, 1 suggested to him to visit the areas of
conflict and the displaced persons' camps that had flowed out of the
state to the adjoining states; he was still making excuses as to why he
could not do so.
On Thursday the 13th of May, I took it upon myself to visit the major
centres of violence- Langtang, Yelwa-Shendam, and Wase to see things for
myself 1 also took the opportunity to visit displaced persons in Bauchi
State. Even in my company, the Governor's car was stoned and he did not
escape abuse and insults from his own people.
>From what 1 saw and heard, we need to take very serious action to stem
the tide of what has now become a near mutual genocide in the affected
areas of Plateau State and the stream of displaced persons to the
adjoining states.
Until I visited the areas of disturbances with the Governor, he had
neither visited the locations nor had he visited the displaced persons
who had moved to Bauchi State since 200 I, let alone make arrangements
for their return and resettlement back in Plateau State.
I have briefed the leaders of the National Assembly. One leader each
from the Senate and House of Representatives accompanied me on my tour
of Plateau and Bauchi States. The National Security Council had met and
after necessary consultations at the government and party levels, it has
become imperative that the bloodshed in Plateau State which has also
reverberated in Kano and is threatening Kaduna, Bauchi, Taraba, Gombe,
Benue and Nassarawa, even the Federal Capital Territory, should and must
be stopped. The spillover from Kano is already threatening Owerri and
Umuahia
The Nigerian Constitution 1999 foresees the ultimate or emergency in
part or all of Nigeria and provides for it as the last resort.
Therefore, by virtue of Section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria (1999), I hereby declare a State of Emergency in
Plateau State. This declaration has been published in a Federal Gazette
as of today.
The Governor and his deputy, by this declaration will go on suspension
and cease to be in charge of the affairs of Plateau State for six months
in the first instance. An Administrator to manage the affairs of Plateau
State in the person of retired General Chris Ali is hereby nominated, .
The Plateau State House of Assembly also goes on suspension as the
formal legislative body of the state with immediate effect. Having a
State Assembly in position under a state of emergency is incongruous and
may not allow for the expeditious actions that the Administrator will
need, to put the state back into a situation of peace, harmony, security
for all, and maintenance of law and order throughout the state. Elected
officials below the State level are not suspended. The Federal Gazette
containing the Declaration has been forwarded to the National Assembly
in accordance with the Constitution.
It is hoped that the Administrator will not need new laws for the
administration of the State. But if he does, it will be in the form of
regulations which he will submit to the President for consideration by
the Federal Executive Council and promulgated by the President for the
State.
Violence brings no good to any people. It retards development, scares
away investors, stultifies creativity, and contaminates social
relations. At this period when we are all joining hands to carry out
far-reaching fundamental reforms to ensure growth, stability,
development and democracy, we cannot afford or tolerate acts of violence
and destruction, precipitated by poor and incompetent leadership and
insensitivity to the conditions of all the people.
The decision to impose a State of Emergency in Plateau State was based
on the collective desire to strengthen our democratic practice,
institutions, and values. This decision would without doubt enhance
security as well as protect the stability and corporate existence of our
nation for which many have died.
It is my hope and prayer that this six-month period will be used by the
Administrator and all peace-Ioving people in and outside the state to
bring peace and join hands to promote democratic values and enshrine the
values of transparency, accountability, social justice, love, good
neighborliness and good governance. .
May God bless Plateau State. ..
Long Live a united, peaceful, secure and democratic Federal Republic of
Nigeria.
