Mutfwang: Nigerians Experienced Complete Failure of Governance Under Buhari

•Describes current state of insecurity as national calamity

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has lamented that former President Muhammadu Buhari left Nigeria fractured with a complete failure of governance, adding that on Buhari’s watch, criminality took centre stage where banditry escalated into terrorism.

He added that the security challenges in his state were similar to other states, though in a different context.

The governor, who spoke in an interview with a Washington DC-based media commentator, Pearl Matibe, for Premium Times after a meeting on security hosted by the US Institute of Peace (USIP) for 10 northern Nigerian governors, described the current security situation in Nigeria as a national calamity. 

Recall that 10 northern governors were in the US recently where they held extensive meetings with officials of USIP on how to address some of the country’s most pressing challenges.

The conversation explored Nigeria’s prospects for peace, the roles of Nigerian citizens and leaders in managing tensions and violence, and the key issues for state governors.

The dialogue took place in the wake of recent mass kidnapping that highlighted the ongoing insecurity in the northern region, exacerbated by violent extremism and organised crime.

Mutfwang stated that the major challenge in the state was what he described as “broad daylight criminality” manifesting as banditry, leading to the displacement of communities.

“The situation in Plateau State is not too different from other states, though the context of our security challenges differs by zone. There has been significant insurgency and insecurity throughout Nigeria, which didn’t start today. Under the immediate past regime, we experienced a complete failure of governance, exacerbating these issues. Today, we face a national calamity.”

The governor added: “Specifically, in Plateau, we deal with banditry that has evolved into terrorism. The farmers-herders conflict is minimal and insignificant. The major issue is broad daylight criminality manifesting as banditry, leading to the displacement of communities.

“Currently, we have about 17,000 people in IDP camps. This situation is troubling, especially given Plateau’s role as an agrarian state, contributing significantly to the national food basket. Over 90 per cent of Nigeria’s Irish potatoes come from Plateau.

“It appears there’s a pattern where the onset of the farming season sees increased criminal activity to disrupt farming,” he added.

Governor Mutfwang however assured the people of the state that his government was working hard with security agencies to ensure the communities are secure for the people to return and resume their activities in peace. 

“For people to return to their homes, we must ensure their safety. This involves securing settlements and providing sanitation infrastructure, good drinking water, and agricultural inputs. The most important guarantee is safety.

“We are working with security agencies to ensure these communities are secure so that people can return and resume their activities in peace. We hope to map out and implement these strategies soon.

“We have received tremendous support from President Tinubu and are mobilising all security assets to secure the land, people, and properties, ensuring our people return to their ancestral homes to farm.

“For people to return to their homes, we must ensure their safety, and this involves securing settlements and providing sanitation infrastructure, good drinking water, and agricultural inputs. The most important guarantee is safety”, he explained.

The governor also said the meeting with USIP would go a long way to make a difference in addressing the security challenge in his state.

He said: “Specifically, this visit at the invitation of the USIP, has allowed us to interact with the State Department, Defence Department, and Department of Trade, laying the groundwork for future collaboration.

“We’ve emphasised seeing Nigeria as an opportunity rather than a liability. The previous administration’s abdication of responsibility led to a deterioration of values and expanded our fault lines. 

“Interacting with US officials and the business community has given us hope for rebuilding. We need foreign investment to aid our production, especially in agriculture. I’m returning home with a bag of ideas that, if followed up, could bear fruit for Nigerians and Plateau State in particular,” he added.