IN his over 50 years sojourn in politics, Elder statesman, first civilian governor of Plateau State and first National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, left his footprints on the sands of time. He made an avalanche of interventions in the series of challenges the nation faced. See excerpts below.

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

ON Boko Haram If we demonstrate our patriotism, the few elements disturbing the country will find it difficult to carry out their evil acts and their activities will come to an end.

On military incursion into politics and his incarceration by General Muhammadu Buhari in 1983
I have forgiven Buhari. I think he acted in ignorance because I know that he has realised that what he did was wrong and this is why he is participating actively in politics.

Solomon Lar

When we were put in the prison in 1984 by the General Buhari and Idiagbon regime under the pretext that some of us stole money but I never stole a penny; the military were just trying to make excuses to interfere with the political administration – something that they don’t have business with.
On recurring ethno-religious violence on the Plateau

This was the state that people were coming from all over the places, like Kano, Borno, Yola, and Kaduna to take refuge whenever there were problems there. So, Jos was a place of peace where everybody was looking forward to coming to because the people did not discriminate against visitors. During the administration of Nigeria People’s Party (NPP) in the 1980’s in the state, all people from over the country were trooping in. In the judiciary we had people who were not indigenes of the state. We had people from Anambra, Oyo, Bendel, Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, etc, who came to work here. They looked at Plateau as the centre of Nigeria. Plateau was a state of hope for the hopeless. This is where people would come to take refuge. Why is it that suddenly, Plateau will now be the one to take refuge somewhere?

On state police
There used to be State Police called ‘Yandoka.’ Yandoka were molesting people. They were agents of oppression. They were being used by chiefs, by the politicians in those areas. We say never again shall we have anything like the State Police.

His unfulfilled dream

UNTIL his death on Wednesday, Chief Solomon Lar had a goal he could not attain: stemming the raging crises in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

But for ill-health, Lar, who took over from Protem Chairman of the PDP, Dr Alex Ekwueme as national chairman in 1998, wanted the crises to be resolved before the end of last month and was prepared to cut short his medical trip abroad to realise the quest. He did not hit the target before he passed on.

Lar said in a statement early September by the Executive Director of Solomon Lar Foundation, Mr. Adeyi Major: “The PDP cannot be divided. We, as a political class will not fail the country. There must be a way out of this storm. All those who mean well for Nigeria will not want a spilt in the PDP. Nobody will pray for a repeat of the 1966 political disaster again.

“I am making efforts to cut my medical trip short to return to the country. We shall look into all the issues at stake.”
We, as a party, cannot afford to rubbish what we built in the last 16 years. It is not time to blame anybody, but to reconcile everybody. If there are those who are bent on destroying the party for selfish reasons, I will use my fatherly position to call them to order.”