​By Rayyanu Bala
The Punch newspaper in its publication of Friday 3th November, 2017 carried a report with the caption “Al-makura appoints Ombatse adviser as SEMA boss” in the said report, the paper tried albeit unsuccessfully to portrayed the appointment of Zachariah Allumaga as undesirable in view of the alleged role which outlawed Ombatse group played in the massacre of security operatives in May 2013 at Alakyo village as well other hideous crime committed by the group against the rest of the people of Nasarawa state.

Of-course the brutal murder of security personnel at Alakyo in May 2013 was most unfortunate and the world did not hesitate in condemning this cowardly act. Up till today nobody in his real sense can applaud what has happened at Alakyo and the killings other of innocent souls in the state allegedly carried out by the outlawed Ombatse group.

There is indeed, no disputing the fact that Al-makura led administration did not only condemned the killings allegedly perpetrated by Ombatse but went an extra-mile to constitute a judiciary commission of inquiry to probe the incident, a result of which later led the state government to  outlawed  the group.

Equally worth stressing is the fact that Al-makura led administration did everything possible and ensured that all recommendations of the investigative/administrative committees it set up relating to Ombatse activities in the Nasarawa State were fully implemented to the later including the recommendations of judicial commission of inquiry headed by retired Chief Judge of Kwara state, Justice Joseph Badeyan.

 As it is today, there was no single recommendation of these committees that the state government failed to address.  The people of Nasarawa state can indeed testify to that and bear witness that the state government dealt a deadly blow to Ombatse scourge in the state.

The state government received lots of accolades from all well-meaning individuals within and outside the state for the decisive manner it handled Ombatse menace. Some prominent Eggon leaders and elders too expressed satisfaction with the actions the state government took against the group.

Despite what mischief makers and agents of doom might say, the people of Nasarawa state would not forget in a hurry the role Al-makura led administration played in bringing about the end of Ombatse and the return of peace in the state.

Regrettably however, same set of mischief makers had then politicized the Ombatse saga in the state, an action which made the state government not to get the support of federal government towards implementations of criminal aspects of recommendations of all the committees it set up on Ombatse. The then PDP led federal government was made to believe by these elements that the massacre of security operatives at Alakyo as well as other hardships inflicted on the people by Ombatse was right and that the killings of security operatives and that of innocent souls are what the people of the state deserved for rejecting the PDP at the polls in 2011 and the then President of the country Goodluck Jonathan bought into that.

Indeed the PDP led federal government which was by law empowered to take responsibilities of implementations of criminal aspects of the recommendations of the committees set up by the state government have failed woefully in the discharge of it responsibilities as it has refused to charge Ombatse members to court to answer for the crime they allegedly committed thus, the issues were buried under the carpet. In fact the only thing the PDP government did was to pardon all those that took part in the Alakyo massacre. The then Director General of DSS at the candlelight in memory of the DSS staff who lost their lives at Alakyo conveyed this pardon massage to the stoned nation.

Against this background therefore, it is preposterous for one to now insinuate that Al-makura did nothing to bring those that perpetrated Alakyo killings to book as the Punch Newspaper report insinuated. The blame for non implementations of criminal aspects of the recommendations of committees of Ombatse should be placed at the door step of the then PDP led federal government.

The appointment of Zachariah Allumaga as executive secretary of SEMA was not done to pleased Eggon nation or to serve as reward to Ombatse for the crime they committed as The Punch report was trying to depict.

On the contrary, the appointment of Allumaga at this material time was purely in the spirit of unity and progress of Nasarawa state which we all yearn for. The sole responsibility of a leader world- wide is to build unity and confidence amongst the people and what Al-makura did with regard to appointment of Allumaga was part of confidence building mechanism amongst our diverse group.

Indeed, blaming Al-makura for appointing Allumaga as executive secretary of SEMA can not serve any purpose so also the creation of Ombatse phobia.