A Presidential Visit That Changed All Misgivings

President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Plateau State, last week, changed all misgivings about his popularity in the state, writes Seriki Adinoyi

Indeed, everyone in Jos would agree that President Muhammadu Buhari was warmly received by the people of Plateau State during his two-day working visit to the Plateau State on Thursday and Friday last week. It was actually his first since he assumed power as President in 2015. Not even the wanton killings that characterised the incessant farmer/herdsmen clashes in the state had necessitated the need to visit, at least, to condole with the affected communities.

The last that was seen of Buhari before last week was when he visited to campaign for his election in the build-up to the 2015 general election. Then, he was only an opposition candidate, and not many gave him much attention considering that he had been a serial loser of presidential elections. Only the Hausa community in Jos and a handful of others came out to receive him.

Buhari, of course, lost to former President Goodluck Jonathan in Plateau in the 2015 elections just as he had always done in previous elections. Thus, visiting Plateau was definitely not one of his excitements, especially that he is a president that will not give ‘95% attention to a state that gave him 5% votes’. It is therefore understandable his reluctance to approving the visit, which he had earlier postponed three times.

The participants of the Course 36 Senior Executive Course (SEC) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, had paid the President a visit, during which they made passionate request that the President do them the honour of attending their graduation ceremony in November last year. The President was expected to use the visit to hold a town hall meeting with the people of the state and also inaugurate projects executed by Governor Simon Lalong of the state.

But November came and passed, and the President gave reasons for shifting the visit. In January this year, Buhari again was rumoured to have planned a visit to the state. Again it was shifted to February, and later to March. When the coast became clear for his visit, an elated Lalong hurried to complete some of the ongoing projects slated for inauguration. He also declared a work-free day on Thursday “to enable civil servants troop out en masse to receive the President.”

Then, the March 8 day eventually came. Alas! Many dignitaries, especially politicians truly came out in a large number to receive him at the Yakubu Gown Airport. It’s significant to note that even dignitaries from the opposition PDP were among those that came out to receive the President.

The like of Senator Ibrahim Mantu, Senator Jonah Jang, and many serving PDP members of the House of Representatives were among the cream of dignitaries that defied party affiliations and went to the airport to receive the president. This was a good omen for a Buhari that was perceived not to have shown enough care for the state, when it was at the peak of Farmer/herders’ crisis.

Even while the President’s convoy drove into the city from the Airport, he was received by a mammoth crowd that lined the road. The crowd was particularly much in locations dominated by citizens of Hausa/Fulani extraction.
For instance, areas such as, Gero Junction in Bukuru, Dadin Kowa and Dogon Karfi/Secretariat Junction moved out in large number to cheer him.

He inaugurated the Mararaban Jama’a secretariat road, Miango state low-cost, Rafiki road, and Secretariat Junction Flyover. The President also paid a courtesy call on the Chairman, Council of Traditional Rulers, the Gbong Gwom Jos, where he was also warmly received.
Heads of federal and state establishments in the state not only gave out their buses for the visit, they led their staff to receive the President.

At the town hall meeting, two things were expected: a low turnout, or visibly angry attendants, who were expected to tell Buhari the home truth about their disenchantment over herdsmen killings in the state. But it turned out to be a very cheerful moment, when the President cracked jokes with the people, and the attendants in turn expressed their delight with his government.

During the town hall meeting, when the President also launched Peace-building agency of the state government, an obviously excited Buhari, who perhaps did not expect the sort of reception extended to him by the Plateau people, said he was reassured by the crowd he saw on the streets that he still has some followers in the state.

“I sincerely thank the government and people of Plateau State for turning out en masse to welcome me to the state. This shows your faith in my government’s efforts at returning the country to the path of progress and genuine development. I wish to encourage the Governor to continue with the good works he is doing for his people.

“I have listened carefully to the impressive statements by the Governor of Plateau State, and I am impressed with the judicious use of funds by the government. I have noted how the government has improved infrastructure, how he has been up to date with the payment of workers’ salaries and pensions, and above all, how he has restored peace in the state,” he said.

In the area of peace, Buhari maintained that “I have been monitoring the activities of the Plateau State Peace-Building Agency. I am indeed quite impressed with gains and successes recorded in the area of conflict management and peace-building, which have returned this state on the path of relative peace. As I formally endorse and launch the Plateau State Roadmap to Peace, let me express the federal government’s commitment to support and assist the Peace Building Agency in its effort to arrest the vicious cycle of violence and lay the foundation for sustainable peace.”

In the area of Agriculture, where the state government had purchased 400 tractors to improve the fortunes of farmers in the state, Buhari said it was noteworthy that Lalong’s achievements on agriculture were laudable.
“I am glad that the state government has keyed into the All Green initiative and the Anchor Borrowers Scheme of the federal government. I must commend the state government for its commitment to African Development Bank funded Potato Value Chain Support Project, which is targeted at wealth creation, empowerment generation and food security.”

Buhari’s excitement for the warm reception possibly pushed him further to grant nearly all the requests brought before him by the government and the people of the state. He promised to look into the genuine request for the dualisation and construction of the road from Abuja to Jos and the gateway extending to the North East, given the economic viability and conveniences.

He added that he would also look into Lalong’s request for more slots for the state in federal appointments so as to reflect federal character in line with his government’s determination to address the issues of marginalisation in the spread of appointments and other privileges.

“The desire of the state to turn Riyom General Hospital to Trauma/Disaster Hospital is a genuine one in view of the location of Riyom as the gateway into the state capital from Abuja. I will direct the Federal Ministry of Health and Federal Road Safety Corps to working close collaboration with the Plateau State Government towards the actualisation of this project”, Buhari assured.

He also promised to refund the money expended on the rehabilitation of the Jos-Bukuru-Mararaban Jama’a road, which is a federal road project in the state. “I hereby direct the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing as well as other relevant agencies to expedite action towards the refund of such funds to the Plateau State Government and the listing of other road projects.”

Evidently overwhelmed by the success of the presidential visit, especially by the warm reception accorded him by the Plateau people, Lalong told journalists after Buhari had been airlifted that he was very happy that the president came and left without any hitch. He added that Buhari’s visit was a strong motivation to him to do more for the people of Plateau State.

He said, “Usually, when a president visits a state, it’s either that there is a trouble in the state that the president is not happy about, or he is pleased with the development in the state. In our case here in Plateau, the president has visited, because he is happy with us. The crowd that came out to receive him was a show of acceptance.”

While some considered the warm reception for the president an extension of the people’s love for Lalong’s administration whom they considered to have done well in the areas of restoration of peace to the state and welfare of civil servants, others simply believed that Plateau people were a faint-hearted lot, who had no courage to confront Buhari with his obvious failures, especially in the areas of providing security for them.

They observed that while Buhari was still in the state, over eleven persons were hacked down by Fulani herdsmen in Bassa and Bokkos local government areas. They believed that for a government that was celebrating peace and launching Peace Roadmap in the state, the killings while the President was still in the state was a big setback.
The opposition has therefore advised Buhari to go beyond the euphoria of the loud reception to fulfilling his many promises to the people of the state and Nigerians by giving them security. They believed that governance was not just about making promises but getting them fulfilled.

The opposition therefore said, “We look forward to one day that Buhari’s Fulani kinsmen will stop the killings in the state. We look forward to the day dilapidated Abuja-Jos road will be rehabilitated and dualised. We look forward to one day, when hunger will become history in Plateau; and we look forward to one day, when our hospitals will start working and our president wouldn’t have to be flown to foreign countries for mere treatment of ear pains/infection. Only then will we take Buhari seriously, not when herdsmen are on rampage in our state, even during his visit.”