I am still dazed, perplexed and dumbfounded by a call I received around eight o'clock in the morning on Sunday, informing me of one of the most heinous crimes unleashed on humanity.
The caller, sounding heartbroken and in a quivering tone, informed me of the gruesome assassination of an astute and outstanding journalist- Slyvanus Namang, the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress in Plateau State.
This unexpected news not only sent shivers down my spine, but cast my mind back to a similar incident, where a friend and classmate from Bassa Local government area was murdered by some 'unknown gunmen' .
To compound my state of mind at that time, was the information that one other person was killed along with the late Namang.
Tearfully and sorrowfully, as I scribble this piece, Namang's innocent face intermittently kept flashing my mind, reminding me of our shared goals and mission in promoting the ideals of the APC, not only in Plateau State but the Country as a whole.
As spokespersons of the Party and the governorship campaign outfit, we were virtually, the face of APC in Plateau State, to the extent that anything we said or wrote, were taken seriously.
Unfortunately, some people for whatever reasons misrepresented our positions and regarded us as enemies .
We were not only cyber- bullied but received series of threats to our lives to the extent that at various points in time, we had to employ some people to watch our back .
Undeterred by the cacophonous threats, we kept firing from all cylinders, until the jig was up, and the game over.
One thing that made Namang to stand out, was his flair and passion, in carrying out his assignment to the latter, not minding whose ox is gored as long as it was within the precinct of the law and his mandate.
The late Namang showed courage, strength of character, commitment and sacrifice, as well as putting his life on the line, in the cause of APC in the State.
The sixty-six year old Namang, from Kopa'al in Panyam district of Mangu Local Government area, was a man of strong conviction and principles, who never shirked his commitment to the cause of his party, despite the fact that majority of his Kith and kin belonged to a different political divide.
He never relented in propagating the ideals of his party in the face of persecution, humiliation, and name-calling from within and without his tribal enclave.
Therefore, when the cowardly and mindless assassination news broke out, it was to me shocking but not surprising, in view of the threats to our lives, except that I never thought it would come even after all the dust associated with the electioneering campaigns and legal tussles had since evaporated like soap bubbles.
Though the police in a statement had claimed that the deceased was a victim of kidnap attempt, a lot of narratives are being peddled, which call for more detailed explanation by the security agencies.
Namang's death is a monumental loss to both his immediate family and the mwaghavu'ul nation, and as such it needs to stand up too, so that its voice would be heard in demanding for justice over the death of this great son of Plateau, a journalist of repute and patriotic Nigerian.
Let the killers of Namang know no peace, and may his soul rest in peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment