Dalung under fire for advocating emergency rule in Benue, Plateau, others

Following his call for the declaration of state of emergency in
Plateau, Taraba, Benue and Zamfara States, Minister of Youths and
Sports, Solomon Dalung, has come under fire with the Middle Belt
Conscience Guard (MBCG), warning him to control his sense of speech.

The organisation said that by calling for emergency rule in the states
over "continuing killings", the minister was up to mischief.

"Dalung cannot deceive anybody anymore. He has continued to lick his
wounds from the terrible defeat he suffered in the hands of Gov.
Lalong during the 2014 Plateau state All Progressives Congress (APC),
governorship primaries and feels he should never be allowed to govern
the state in peace", MBCG said.

President of MBCG and civil rights activist, Prince Raymond Enero, in
a statement Monday night, accused Dalung of "painting a non-existent,
gloomy picture of violence and killings in the region".

He said, "The minister, no doubt, sounded hollow by these submissions.
It marketed him, as a lawyer and high profile government official, but
very deficient in the requirements of the law on extent or magnitude
of violence and killings to compel the Presidency to declare a state
of emergency anywhere.

"What MBCG can infer from Dalung's shameful outing and outburst are
veiled continuation of his personal political bickering with Plateau
State Governor, Simon Lalong. It has pushed him to seek to oust him
from office through the backdoor with the instrumentality of state of
emergency.

"We are aware of Minister Dalung's clandestine instigations of youths
to take to arms in order to create chaos, anarchy, violence and
killings in the state by his strong promotion of the
"indigene/settler" syndrome in Plateau.

"The latest pockets of killings on the Plateau are attributable to the
designs of the likes of Dalung in cohort with other dark minds to
discredit and ridicule the APC administration of Gov. Lalong in the
state as well as the government of President Muhammadu Buhari on
security.

"Unfortunately, these antics by Dalung have failed to create the
needed confusion, since they have not dimmed Lalong's eagle eyes, as
massively affirmed by the people. They have seen and felt the impacts
his policies and actions in terminating the reign of terror he
inherited in the state, which became synonymous with the name of
Plateau.

"We have no option now than to warn Mr. Solomon Dalung to restrict his
gaffes to the Ministry of Youth and Sports development, for the days
he has left in that office, where he has buried the prospects of
sports and youth development of Nigeria.

"He should desist from venturing into specialized fields, such as
security, which is the strangest of all to him with such unguided and
reckless statements."