The President of the Senate, David Mark, yesterday, said that the death of Senator Gyang Dantong should serve as the sacrifice needed for peace in Plateau State and Nigeria.
Mark, who described late Sen. Dantong as sacrificial lamb, also decried the proliferation of weapons in the region.
?Dantong and a member of the Plateau State House Assembly, Hon Gyang Fulani were killed on Sunday by gun men while attending a funeral service in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State.
Speaking with newsmen after plenary, Mark warned that Dantong’s death must not be in vain and urged those in possession of firearms to surrender them to security operatives in the interest of enduring peace in the country.
He stressed that resolutions drawn from dialogue involving all the parties in the conflict remained the only way to ensure lasting peace in Plateau State and Nigeria.
The Senate President said “We should never get tired of preaching that there have to be dialogue because that is the only solution; every other solution is not going to be a lasting one. Once there is dialogue and people are able to speak out their mind and it is resolved and decisions are taken, then it will be a lasting solution.
“My prayer is that late senator’s death brings peace and unity to plateau state and Nigeria in general. He has become the sacrificial lamb now, and his death will be in vain if we continue with this madness beyond this point.”
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, in his reaction called for a permanent enduring peace committee over the security situation in Plateau.
He said that since imposition of state of emergency and deployment of troops have failed to secure peace; there was a need to set up this permanent committee.
He added that in the past, ad hoc committees have been set up without achieving long lasting results.
Ekweremadu said “The death of Dantong is very shocking. I’ve always believed that violent people die in conflict situation; but now we see a peacemaker die in conflict situation. It is very sad, and very tragic. He has been promoting peace and dialogue in Plateau State, but today he has been consumed by the same conflict that he was trying to resolve.
Meanwhile, the Action Congress of Nigeria Caucus in the Senate has expressed regrets at the sudden and untimely death of Senator Gyang Dantong, who was killed on Sunday by unknown gunmen along with many of his kinsmen on Sunday.
The Caucus described the late Senator as “a soft-spoken seasoned professional, an indefatigable soldier of democracy and a committed, magnanimous brother and friend.”
The Caucus said in a statement made available on Tuesday that the sudden and untimely loss of Dantong was too painful to comprehend.
Following the decision of the state security council meeting yesterday, Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang has relaxed the curfew imposed on four local government areas of the state.
A statement signed by the state commissioner of information and communication said the curfew is now 7pm in the evening to 6am in the morning with effect from yesterday.