This Muftwang Has Much to Learn
Governor Caleb Muftwang of Plateau State made a grievous and deeply troubling error by officially hosting the Ambassador of Israel—an envoy of a regime widely accused of apartheid policies, ethnic cleansing, and egregious human rights violations in Gaza and the occupied territories. Watching the public spectacle of this visit was, for me, a moment of profound disgust and disappointment.
As a Christian, one would expect Muftwang to stand in solidarity with victims of oppression—not embrace representatives of a government implicated in the killing of thousands of innocent Palestinian children, women, and civilians. How does he reconcile his faith with the decision to welcome agents of mass murder and religious intolerance into his official residence?
More importantly, as a human being, how does he sleep at night after this ill-advised move?
Is he unaware of the role that Israel and its Western allies are alleged to be playing in the destabilisation of regions across Africa—including his own Plateau State? Has he not considered who may be benefitting from the widespread killings, displacement, and land grabs in the North and other parts of Nigeria?
Does he truly not know who arms, funds, and supports terrorist organisations like Boko Haram, ISWAP, ISIS, and Al-Shabaab? Does he not understand the global game of proxy warfare being played at the expense of innocent lives?
Read Also:
Let him ask his newfound Zionist allies why none of these terrorist groups has ever attacked Israel or its interests. Let him ask who funded the Biafran cause during Nigeria’s civil war—and to what end. Let him also inquire how African Jews from Ethiopia, the Falashas, are treated in the so-called “Jewish homeland.” Many of them have been subjected to systemic racism, forced sterilisation, and medical experimentation simply because of their skin color and African roots.
To receive the emissary of a brutal regime led by a man like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who many around the world now describe as a blood-soaked tyrant—is a moral affront. It dishonors the memory of the innocent women and children massacred in Gaza and betrays the values of justice, equality, and truth.
Worse still, in doing so, Governor Muftwang may have inflicted a spiritual wound upon himself and his administration. Welcoming the representative of a nation perceived by many as morally bankrupt and ruthlessly expansionist will not solve Plateau’s crises—it may only deepen them.
As the ancient saying goes: “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.” We all remember how the Trojans learned this lesson too late. One hopes the people of Plateau will not suffer a similar fate.
Did the ambassador mention to the governor that Christians are routinely spat upon in Israel? Or that the Talmud, a sacred text to many in Israel, allegedly describes our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in blasphemous terms? Did he inform him that Christians and Muslims alike face discrimination, detention, and state-sponsored violence in his homeland?
Tragically, just a day after the ambassador’s departure from Plateau, reports emerged of yet another massacre—over 100 people killed by terrorists. Should we consider that a coincidence?
Governor Muftwang has much to learn—about history, about geopolitics, and most of all, about moral leadership.
Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is the Sadaukin Shinkafi, Wakilin Doka Potiskum, Otunba of Joga Orile, a former Minister of Culture and Tourism, a former Minister of Aviation, and former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Olusegun Obasanjo.
