Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday charged Nigerians to reject ethnic profiling, religious hatred, misinformation and retaliatory violence in order to build a secure, inclusive and prosperous federation.

Shettima also canvassed a renewed national covenant on peace, insisting that peace is a shared responsibility between government, community leaders and the citizens.

Shettima made the call in Jos, the Plateau State capital, during the 80th birthday anniversary and public presentation of the autobiography of former Plateau State Governor, Senator Jonah David Jang.

According to him: “A people at peace is the highest achievement of any government, because peace is the soil in which every other blessing grows.”

The Vice President, who conveyed the goodwill and prayers of President Bola Tinubu to the celebrant, reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to a Nigeria where security would support economic opportunity and every citizen would feel at home in every part of the country. 

Shettima stressed that sustainable development cannot take root in an atmosphere of fear, insecurity and distrust, noting that the economic fortunes of communities and states in Nigeria are closely connected.

He said: “No community flourishes in isolation. Prosperity cannot survive where fear reigns. A farmer in Riyom depends upon peace beyond his village. A trader in Jos depends upon roads that run through the towns of other men. The confidence of one state is the security of another.”

Describing Plateau State as “Nigeria in miniature,” the Vice President said the state’s diversity, aspirations, difficulties and recovery reflect the wider national experience.

According to him, whatever strengthens peace and development in the Plateau contributes to the stability of the entire federation, while any setback in the state points to the unfinished work of national reconciliation.

“Plateau State is Nigeria in miniature. Its dreams are the dreams of Nigeria. Its struggles are the struggles of Nigeria. Its complexity is the complexity of Nigeria. Its fears are the fears of Nigeria. Its grief is the grief of Nigeria. Its recovery is the recovery of Nigeria,” he stated.

Shettima condemned attempts to associate individual criminal conduct with entire ethnic, religious or regional communities, warning that collective blame enables criminals to deepen divisions beyond the immediate harm caused by their actions.

According to him: “No criminal represents his origin, his ethnic group, his religion, his language, his ancestry, his village or the innocent people who bear his surname. Crime has no tribe. Violence has no religion. Murder carries no mandate from any community.”

He averred that when innocent people are condemned for crimes committed by others, the perpetrator succeeds twice by taking a life and destroying the trust among those left behind.

“He destroys a life, and then he poisons the fellowship of those left behind. This is the lesson the rest of Nigeria must learn.”

The Vice President acknowledged that Plateau had endured years of violence perpetrated by criminals who invested in chaos, disrupted farming, weakened commercial activities and attempted to replace neighbourliness with suspicion.

Paying tribute to Jang, the Vice President described the former military officer, governor and Senator as a father figure whose influence extended beyond the Berom people, Plateau State, his religious faith and political affiliation.

Shettima thanked Jang for the uniform he wore in defence of the country, the offices he held in its service and his continued pursuit of peace in Plateau State.

The Vice President also used the occasion to announce President Tinubu’s appointment of Yakubu Jang, son of the celebrant as a Senior Special Assistant to the President. 

Earlier, former President Goodluck Jonathan said the birthday celebration and public presentation of the autobiography was a testament to Senator Jang’s integrity and accomplishments as a leader. 

Also speaking, Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State explained that the event was an opportunity to honour the values, leadership quality and sacrifices of Senator Jang as a former military administrator, executive governor, elder statesman and bridge-builder. 

On his part, Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State extolled the leadership qualities of Jang, recalling his days as the military administrator of Benue State, which he said has continued to be a guiding light for leaders in the state and beyond. 

In his goodwill message, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, paid glowing tributes to the legacies of Senator Jang, particularly in laying the foundation for the future development of Plateau State.

In his remarks, the celebrant noted that his stewardship in public service was guided by the virtues bequeathed to him by his parents, even as he said his greatest joy as a human being is not in the offices occupied nor wealth or fame but in the lives touched.

In a review of the book, Channels Television’s politics anchor, Mr Seun Okinbaloye, said Jang’s autobiography emphasises the imperative of values, peaceful coexistence and integrity in public service which are worthy of emulation by leaders across all levels.