(By Dr. Samaila Achigak A. Rukuba)
Since assuming office as Governor of Plateau State on May 29, 2023, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang has continued to make assurances about restoring peace and security. Yet, more than three years into his administration, many communities across the state remain trapped in cycles of violence, displacement, fear and uncertainty.
The central question confronting Plateau citizens today is simple: where is the security transformation that was promised?
Before becoming governor, Mutfwang was fully aware of the depth and complexity of the security crisis confronting Plateau State. During the electioneering period, he made strong promises to confront insecurity and restore lasting peace.
However, critics argue that the reality since he assumed office has fallen far short of those expectations.
Rather than witnessing a decisive end to attacks and displacement, several communities have continued to experience violence and humanitarian crises. For victims who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods, repeated government assurances have increasingly raised a painful question: when will promises finally translate into protection and justice?
BILLIONS FOR VICTIMS, BUT WHERE IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY?
One of the most troubling issues surrounding the humanitarian consequences of insecurity is the management and distribution of funds reportedly donated for victims of attacks.
On September 13, 2023, the First Lady reportedly donated ₦500 million to support victims displaced by the April and May 2023 attacks.
Critics and concerned stakeholders have continued to demand a transparent public account of how the funds were distributed, who benefited and the extent to which the intervention improved the living conditions of genuine victims.
Similarly, on July 3, 2025, Senator Oluremi Tinubu donated another ₦1 billion for victims of attacks in Plateau State.
Again, questions remain over the beneficiaries, the disbursement process and the specific humanitarian interventions funded by the donation.
Following the Angwan Rukuba tragedy, the President reportedly approved ₦2 billion for victims on April 29, 2026. There have also been questions surrounding other donations, including the ₦100 million reportedly presented by Apostle Salman during a visit to Angwan Rukuba and handed to the state government.
For victims still struggling with displacement and loss, the issue is not merely about announcements of donations.
The issue is accountability.
Where did the money go?
Who received it?
How many displaced families were resettled?
How many homes were rebuilt?
How many victims received medical, psychological or livelihood support?
Until clear and verifiable answers are provided, concerns about transparency and the management of humanitarian assistance will continue to grow.
THE TOWN-HALL THAT NEVER HAPPENED
Another major issue raised by critics of the administration concerns the proposed presidential town-hall engagement scheduled for Jos on Monday, April 21, 2025.
The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, alongside the then Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, were expected to participate in an engagement aimed at receiving firsthand accounts and exploring lasting solutions to Plateau's persistent security challenges.
According to the critics, the planned engagement did not eventually hold as expected.
Instead, a Peace Walk involving Christian leaders and groups was organized to the Government House, where a letter was presented to Governor Mutfwang for onward transmission to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
For many observers, the cancellation or disruption of a direct town-hall engagement with the Presidency represented a missed opportunity.
A town-hall meeting could have allowed victims, community leaders, security stakeholders and ordinary citizens to speak directly about their experiences and present their concerns without political filters.
The question therefore remains: why was such an opportunity lost?
PROMISES OF SECURITY, BUT WHAT HAS CHANGED?
In July 2023, during a visit to the then Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, Governor Mutfwang pledged to provide logistical support to security agencies and pursue both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies to address the crisis.
The governor stated that his administration would provide the necessary logistics to enable security agencies to perform effectively while also strengthening dialogue among communities and leaders.
The commitment sounded reassuring.
But years later, critics insist that Plateau people deserve to assess the administration based not on promises, but on results.
Has insecurity been significantly reduced?
Are rural communities safer?
Have displaced persons returned home?
Have perpetrators of attacks been brought to justice?
Has the government succeeded in building genuine reconciliation among divided communities?
These are the questions that assurances alone cannot answer.
A FAILURE OF UNITY?
Security cannot be separated from unity.
A divided society is more vulnerable to conflict, suspicion and manipulation. This was why the then Chief of Army Staff reportedly emphasized the need for unity among the people of Plateau State.
Yet critics argue that Governor Mutfwang's political approach has failed to build the broad coalition required to confront the state's challenges.
Several prominent political figures who were associated with his political journey have since parted ways with him and moved into other political platforms or camps. Among those mentioned by critics are his former 2023 Campaign Director-General, Letep Dabang; Senator I.D. Gyang; and General John Sura, among others.
Their departures, critics contend, raise serious questions about the governor's ability to maintain political unity even among those who once stood firmly behind him.
THE MANGU QUESTION
At the grassroots level, critics also point to political tensions involving the Pyem and Mwaghavul communities in Mangu Local Government Area.
They allege that the distribution of political opportunities and appointments has generated concerns about fairness, inclusion and representation.
Positions and political tickets—including the local government chairmanship, liaison offices, House of Assembly contests, federal constituency representation and commissioner appointments—have become subjects of intense debate.
Critics argue that a government that seeks to build peace must ensure that every ethnic and political constituency feels represented and included.
The marginalization—real or perceived—of any community can deepen resentment and undermine the very unity required for lasting peace.
DIVISIONS BEYOND THE PDP
The controversy, according to critics, did not end with the governor's former political platform.
Even within the APC political environment, there are concerns about growing tensions among different blocs, including groups associated with The Time Is Now movement and the Legacy Group.
For a governor confronting one of the country's most complicated security crises, the challenge is enormous.
Plateau does not need more political divisions.
It needs leadership capable of building bridges across ethnic, religious, political and geographical lines.
THE VERDICT OF THE PEOPLE
Security is the first responsibility of government.
When citizens cannot sleep peacefully, when communities live in fear, when families remain displaced and when victims continue to ask questions about relief funds, government must provide more than speeches and assurances.
It must provide results.
For Governor Caleb Mutfwang, the political debate heading toward 2027 will increasingly revolve around one fundamental issue:
Can Plateau people point to measurable evidence that their lives are safer today than they were when he assumed office?
The people of Plateau deserve answers.
They deserve accountability.
And above all, they deserve security that is real—not merely promised.
To be continued…
Signed:
Dr. Samaila Achigak A. Rukuba
SPS, Plateau PDP
