Senate Bids Senator Gyang Dalyop Dantong Farewell In A Valedictory Session.

Tears flowed freely as the Senate yesterday bid a final farewell to Senator Gyang Daylop Dantong who died when terrorists attacked mourners at Barikin Ladi, Plateau State, recently.
Amidst sobbing, senators took turns to pay tribute, eulogise and soberly reflect on his immense contributions to peace in Plateau State and in the country's health sector by their fallen colleague.
In a valedictory session for Sen. Dantong, senators paid glowing tributes to his passion for peace for the state, stressing that his death should not be in vain.
The Senate, however, raised a nine-man condolence committee led by deputy minority whip, Sen. Ganiyu Solomon (ACN, Lagos). Dignitaries present at the valedictory session include governor of Plateau State Jonah Jang and former deputy Senate president Ibrahim Mantu.
In his farewell remark, the president of the Senate, David Mark, said: "Nobody has borne the tragedies of Jos, particularly in the past three years, more than Dantong. As the killings continued, he became a fixed feature at burials. For each casualty of this senseless crisis, Dantong was equally a victim.

He never stayed in the comfort of his Abuja home. Rather, every week he went to console the families of the dead or to attend the burial of one of his constituents. Days before his death, he was at the funeral of his ward chairman in Sharubutu, Bachit District of Riyom local government area.
"Dantong had been a worried man in the last few years because of the mindless crisis that engulfed his beloved state. The people he buried every week in his last years were not strangers. They were people he knew so well in his close-knit community where life revolved around agriculture and the church.
At the Vom Christian Hospital, where he was medical director, he attended to some who became victims of the wanton killings in Jos. Others were his patients or parents of patients. Indeed no one can truly know the pain he endured. In the end, he paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom, human dignity and peaceful coexistence in Plateau State.
"Having paid this supreme sacrifice, his death must not be in vain. Peace must now return to Plateau State. If peace does not return to Plateau State, then, his death would have been in vain. For the sake of the late Senator Dantong and all those who have lost their lives in Plateau State, I urge all warring parties to sheathe their swords and return to dialogue like brothers and sisters.
Mark, in a sorrow-laden voice, continued: "To us his colleagues in the Senate and in the House of Representatives where he started his legislative career, Dantong was a parliamentarian par excellence. He was devoted, diligent and deft in the discharge of his responsibilities.
He never shied away from any assignment no matter how difficult or unsavoury. He was collegial as chairman and effective as a member in other committees. He was a member of the Senate committees on aviation, MDGs and co-operation & Integration in Africa and NEPAD."
Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon Aminu Tambuwal, while lamenting the death of Sen Dantong, said his death should serve as a wake-up call to the challenges of security in the country.
Represented by the deputy speaker, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Tambuwal said Sen. Dantong died on active service in pursuit of peace in Plateau State. For us left behind, it calls for soul-searching and that the time for politicking is gone. A lot of lip service is at the heart of what is happening".
Sen. Bukola Saraki said: "I am sorry for our dear nation where it seems now that we allowed death to steal our good men so cheaply, so routinely. Sen. Dantong was a quintessential senator, a man worthy of his representation - he stood by his people through celebrations and mourning. He symbolized in his death an unflinching and abiding faith to the service of his people.
"All our flurry of excellent eulogies will be empty if we do not today, more than ever, pursue collectively the development of our dear country in unity. This is the only way we can ensure his death is not in vain."
The Senate leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, described Sen. Dantong as a complete gentleman, calm and of unassuming composition. "We are consumed by two things, either what we lost passionately or what we fear very badly," Ndoma-Egba said.
"Dantong's death further confirmed this. He was a man of peace and worked for it. He hoped for it and he feared the ethnic and religious divisiveness that has become a feature in Plateau State. But we had our consolation in the Bible injunction that 'Happy are the peacemakers for they shall see God.' I ask, where is Jos of old?
Where is Plateau State of old? Who has replaced laughter with tears, handshakes with bullets and guns? Who has replaced tears of joy with bomb? Senseless killings in our nation must stop. He was the bridge between tribes, culture and religion; let his death not be in vain. Let his death promote justice and peace, that Dantong stood for."
The deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu said: "It is a very challenging time for us as a country. At Christmas, Church was bombed and several people died. The same thing happened during the Easter.
Even a market was bombed in Yola, leading to the death of many cattle. Recently, there was an air mishap that claimed over 153 people. A few days ago, we had a tanker incident in Rivers State claiming over 100 lives.
It has been one incident after the other on the negative side. As we mourn Dantong and all the people that die in these incidents, it is time to ask God to bring peace in the country to help us and, if we have sinned, to forgive us.
Senator Dantong was in the House of Representatives. In the last Senate, he served in the ECOWAS Parliament and distinguished himself. Those making trouble are alive but those seeking peace are dying."
According to Senator Thompson George Sekibo: "Gyang became my friend in 2003 in the House of Representatives. Our closeness became closer when we both came to the Senate. Even as we mourn today, there is something I observed.
In the midst of life, we are in death because we do not know whose turn it is next. In the past eight months, we cannot mention, in terms of real figure, how many innocent souls have gone down the drain in different forms, either man-made or natural disasters. It was like a tale until death came to the chambers. We are all helpless; in our powers, we became powerless.
Today, it has come for Dantong; we don't know who it will come for next. Dantong was not expecting death, if the man's death does not solve a problem, he died in vain. Dantong wished that no further killings would be in Plateau State but he feared that something gruesome might happen in the state. I am afraid because I don't know whose turn is coming.
We have to wage war against this kind of death, against these criminals and against those who want to destroy our country. When evil men conspire, good men should congregate. Congregate to do what?
To find lasting peace in Plateau and all the states we have this killing problem. We have to congregate to save Nigeria. The number of deaths recorded so far is enough to put this nation in crisis. We have to stand up as a nation and confront the enemies of this country.
Sen. Ahmed Lawan said: "I know his level of commitment to unity not only in his constituency but the entire state. He tried to reach all the groups to ensure there was understanding peace and unity in the society. We have learnt this lesson that we must all unite our various ethnic groups regardless of ethnicity. If we do that the death of our colleague would not be in vain."
Sen. Abdul Ningi said Sen. Dantong was a brigde-builder, peacemaker and very sincere. "He was passionate about the crisis in Plateau in particular and the north in general. Exactly two weeks ago, he said to me, 'leader', as he usually called me, 'as long as I am a Senator, and as long as I am alive, I will continue to pursue peace with whatever it takes in Plateau.'
Sen. Chris Ngige, who is a member of the health committee chaired by Sen. Dantong, said aside Dantong being a very qualified doctor, he exhibited uncommon humility by carrying all members of the committee along.
Speaking on the spate of crisis in Plateau, Sen. Ngige said: "Do we need to water the blood of thousands of people before peace returns to the state? If I may ask, where are the Solomon Lars, the Dasukis, the Gwom Gwom Jos, the Wash Pams? Are they telling us that the matter is over them and they can't talk peace? Do they want more Dantongs to die before the situation is taken care of?"
Sen. Adegbenga Kaka, who described the death of Sen Dantong as a sacrifice on the altar of criminal negligence, added that politicians, traditional rulers and other stakeholders have abdicated their responsibility to the citizens.
Also, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, who is the vice chairman of the committee on health, said Sen Dantong why a man of peace and had paid the supreme price in pursuit of peace. "He was a patriot," he stated.

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