Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on the people of Plateau State, particularly the younger generation, to reject ethnic profiling and inherited bitterness, insisting that criminals should never be identified with any tribe, religion or community.
Shettima made the appeal on Saturday while speaking at the 80th birthday celebration and public presentation of the autobiography of former Plateau State Governor, Senator Jonah David Jang, in Jos. Addressing guests at the event, the Vice President urged Plateau residents to embrace peace, forgiveness and reconciliation as essential steps toward ending the cycle of violence that has troubled the state for years.
“Criminals have no tribe or religion, and I urge the younger generation to reject inherited hatred and embrace peace and reconciliation,” he said.
Shettima expressed concern that many young people in Plateau were carrying emotional and social burdens created by conflicts they neither started nor participated in. According to him, the next generation must refuse to allow historical grievances dictate their future.
“The young men and women of Plateau have inherited baggage they did not create. They carry the grievances of a generation they never met and the quarrels of a history they never wrote,” the Vice President said. He appealed to elders to guide younger people towards forgiveness rather than revenge, stressing that healing begins when communities choose reconciliation.
“Tell them what hatred costs. Show them that forgiveness is the hardest labour a strong man ever undertakes and the only virtue greater than revenge,” he said. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Shettima added: “The weak can never forgive; forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
In one of the strongest parts of his address, the Vice President warned against blaming entire ethnic or religious groups for crimes committed by individuals. According to him, those responsible for attacks across Plateau do not act on behalf of any legitimate community.
“Those carrying out these atrocities have no mandate from any community. They represent no religion, no ethnicity and no culture. When innocent people are condemned for the sins of criminals, we deepen our divisions and hand victory to those who profit from violence,” he stated.
He lamented the devastating impact of prolonged violence on communities, saying insecurity had destroyed livelihoods and weakened trust among residents.
“They turned fertile lands into places of mourning. They emptied markets of laughter. They sought to replace trust with suspicion and hope with fear. Yet, even in these painful moments, the people of Plateau have refused to surrender their humanity,” he said.
The Vice President also paid glowing tribute to former Governor Jonah Jang, urging the elder statesman to continue mentoring younger leaders and promoting peace in Plateau State.
“Baba, give them your ears, your patience and the wisdom of a guardian. Those who have earned the right to be heard on this subject must continue to speak,” he said. Describing Plateau as a state of strategic importance to Nigeria’s unity and security, Shettima praised Jang’s decades of public service and leadership.
“Life is measured by the difference we make among our people. Office passes from one hand to another. Power is temporary, but what endures is the good we leave behind in human lives,” he noted.
The Vice President concluded by praying for continued strength and good health for the former governor while urging Nigerians to remain united in building a nation where peace, justice and security triumph over division and violence.
