AS THE WAR ON GOSKOLO IS DECLARED: A LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY, GOVERNOR SIMON BAKO LALONG OF PLATEAU STATE.
[Originally written Jan. 22, 2017]
Dear Governor Lolong,
Your Excellency Sir, today I wish to write my first letter to you since you assumed office in 2015. I congratulate you for having the trust of all Plateau people, for your huge successes during and after the election, including the days of peace recorded and counting on the Plateau.
Purposely, I write to express my happiness, as I read with joy earlier yesterday (January 21st, 2017) that you listened to the cries of our clergies and elders to have declared a "war on Goskolo," that deadly local gin which claimed many lives of youths especially in the recent past.
Thank you for this gesture Sir. But I think there is need to critically consider the strategies with which you may be using to fight this war.
In the last administration, though the timely intervention of Governor Jonah David Jang on Goskolo, together with Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang, was booed by some, it was welcomed by many including myself. When Governor Jang began the fight, the first of it kind after that of 'Solution' during Governor Dariye, it was almost over for him in the Government House, most of his strengths were shared on how he can install a successor of his own and how he can get himself to Abuja, at all cost, for the Senate. There was also the threat of unrest within the state and insecurity all over the nation.
However, Governor Jang managed to fight the war according to the major global strategy on 'war against drugs' ALONE; 'eradicating its supply and incarcerating the supplyers and abusers.' During his time in office for example, many arrest were made and a lot of Goskolo/beer joints were identified and shutdown especially in places like Boda at Tudun Wada, Gada biyu and Unguwan Rukuba. But what we later learnt was that, this Goskolo, which was locally made by women (who shamelessly booed Gbong Gwom) within Plateau state had later been manufactured and transported surreptitiously from other states of this country. It means others have immediately took over advantage of the ban within the state to enrich themselves from elsewhere, recruiting more traffickers and killing our teaming youths in cold blood.
This global strategy adopted by the then Governor, has for more than 40 years recorded massive failure world over with devastating unintended consequences; increase in small scale productions, creation of new noxious drugs, mass incarceration, corruption and systematic human rights abusive. This was why it also failed in Plateau State. This is because, prohibition, arrest and prosecution of those youths alone MAY reduce the amount of people taking the gin but it also do a lot of damages to the society as a whole and can not solve the problem as a whole.
Today, it is evident that even the local productions as well as consumption of Goskolo and other harmful drugs is on the rise.
Your Excellency sir, today, Plateau is still celebrating the return of peace and harmony, Nigeria is also celebrating almost zero-attacks of the dreaded devilish Boko Haram sect, you still have more than two years in office having all the people of Plateau smiling at you. You are just a fortunate prince among all the past Governors in Plateau state. Hence the natural law - there is no honour without responsibility!
I am suggesting that his Excellency and the Plateau State NDLEA Command will choose to take and maintain with all sincerity, a different approach on not just the 'war on Goskolo' but drugs abuse entirely. To the NDLEA, 'Goskolo and other locally brewed alcoholic drinks are according to law classified as alcoholic drinks which are not illegal therefore could do little about prosecuting manufacturers.' Hence the need to consider making a State Law to enable it operates a "strict compliance" on the gin and hopefully other related intoxicants. This will on one hand operate as the global strategy but having a state power on its own to make decisions.
Nervertheless, the effort should not just focus on the Supply (producers) side only but mainly on the Demand (consumers). There is no chance of winning the war on the supply side. Not only that the alcohol and drugs will still be widely available, demand unbroken but the government would lose large amount of its resources in vain. Including it's political excellence.
The major driving forces of our youths to alcoholism and drug abuse in Plateau State, like in most other places, is illiteracy/ignorance and unemployment. And there is a morality aspect of it too. It is these youths who are more susceptible to feelings of alienation, low self-worth and resentment than those who have knowledge and got established. They are those who always want to get 'high' or transmute into a higher realm especially at this time we are healing from the social and psychological injuries, caused by our mistakes in the past decade.
Your Excellency Sir, I think, together with the state law, when past mistakes are avoided, these two to three driving factors are address accordingly; launching a massive awareness campaign against alcohol and drug abuse, involving social workers to engage the addicted ones, and empowering the youths roaming our streets, and many other professional strategies, the 'war' will in short time begin to record huge success. And your name will be written in gold in the pages of Plateau history.
Once again, thank you Sir for being a leader. For listening to the cries of those who cares about the future of our youths. The future of Plateau state. I wish you God guidance, success and good fortune in all your first-class agendas for your stay in office.
Till I write you again.
Thank you.
Dear Governor Lolong,
 |
| Simon Bako Lalong Plateau State Governor |
Your Excellency Sir, today I wish to write my first letter to you since you assumed office in 2015. I congratulate you for having the trust of all Plateau people, for your huge successes during and after the election, including the days of peace recorded and counting on the Plateau.
Purposely, I write to express my happiness, as I read with joy earlier yesterday (January 21st, 2017) that you listened to the cries of our clergies and elders to have declared a "war on Goskolo," that deadly local gin which claimed many lives of youths especially in the recent past.
Thank you for this gesture Sir. But I think there is need to critically consider the strategies with which you may be using to fight this war.
In the last administration, though the timely intervention of Governor Jonah David Jang on Goskolo, together with Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang, was booed by some, it was welcomed by many including myself. When Governor Jang began the fight, the first of it kind after that of 'Solution' during Governor Dariye, it was almost over for him in the Government House, most of his strengths were shared on how he can install a successor of his own and how he can get himself to Abuja, at all cost, for the Senate. There was also the threat of unrest within the state and insecurity all over the nation.
However, Governor Jang managed to fight the war according to the major global strategy on 'war against drugs' ALONE; 'eradicating its supply and incarcerating the supplyers and abusers.' During his time in office for example, many arrest were made and a lot of Goskolo/beer joints were identified and shutdown especially in places like Boda at Tudun Wada, Gada biyu and Unguwan Rukuba. But what we later learnt was that, this Goskolo, which was locally made by women (who shamelessly booed Gbong Gwom) within Plateau state had later been manufactured and transported surreptitiously from other states of this country. It means others have immediately took over advantage of the ban within the state to enrich themselves from elsewhere, recruiting more traffickers and killing our teaming youths in cold blood.
This global strategy adopted by the then Governor, has for more than 40 years recorded massive failure world over with devastating unintended consequences; increase in small scale productions, creation of new noxious drugs, mass incarceration, corruption and systematic human rights abusive. This was why it also failed in Plateau State. This is because, prohibition, arrest and prosecution of those youths alone MAY reduce the amount of people taking the gin but it also do a lot of damages to the society as a whole and can not solve the problem as a whole.
Today, it is evident that even the local productions as well as consumption of Goskolo and other harmful drugs is on the rise.
Your Excellency sir, today, Plateau is still celebrating the return of peace and harmony, Nigeria is also celebrating almost zero-attacks of the dreaded devilish Boko Haram sect, you still have more than two years in office having all the people of Plateau smiling at you. You are just a fortunate prince among all the past Governors in Plateau state. Hence the natural law - there is no honour without responsibility!
I am suggesting that his Excellency and the Plateau State NDLEA Command will choose to take and maintain with all sincerity, a different approach on not just the 'war on Goskolo' but drugs abuse entirely. To the NDLEA, 'Goskolo and other locally brewed alcoholic drinks are according to law classified as alcoholic drinks which are not illegal therefore could do little about prosecuting manufacturers.' Hence the need to consider making a State Law to enable it operates a "strict compliance" on the gin and hopefully other related intoxicants. This will on one hand operate as the global strategy but having a state power on its own to make decisions.
Nervertheless, the effort should not just focus on the Supply (producers) side only but mainly on the Demand (consumers). There is no chance of winning the war on the supply side. Not only that the alcohol and drugs will still be widely available, demand unbroken but the government would lose large amount of its resources in vain. Including it's political excellence.
The major driving forces of our youths to alcoholism and drug abuse in Plateau State, like in most other places, is illiteracy/ignorance and unemployment. And there is a morality aspect of it too. It is these youths who are more susceptible to feelings of alienation, low self-worth and resentment than those who have knowledge and got established. They are those who always want to get 'high' or transmute into a higher realm especially at this time we are healing from the social and psychological injuries, caused by our mistakes in the past decade.
Your Excellency Sir, I think, together with the state law, when past mistakes are avoided, these two to three driving factors are address accordingly; launching a massive awareness campaign against alcohol and drug abuse, involving social workers to engage the addicted ones, and empowering the youths roaming our streets, and many other professional strategies, the 'war' will in short time begin to record huge success. And your name will be written in gold in the pages of Plateau history.
Once again, thank you Sir for being a leader. For listening to the cries of those who cares about the future of our youths. The future of Plateau state. I wish you God guidance, success and good fortune in all your first-class agendas for your stay in office.
Till I write you again.
Thank you.
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