By Mani Imman
The popular American proverb, “If you would enjoy the fruit, pluck not the flower” references the conversation on the plateau on the pace and pattern of the Caleb Mutfwang administration.
The proverb means that anyone interested in reaping the benefits or fruits of any venture must not prematurely judge or interfere by picking on the process (flowers).
Remarkably, not even the governor was averse to the challenges that were before him following the election and even before the inauguration.
The dramatic alteration from the aloofness and lack of accountability that preceded the era of Governor Mutfwang undeniably drew out the best from him with the deployment of lucid suppositions in the art of governance.
The jury is still out on what sector has been most impacted by the Mutfwang administration with road infrastructure and agriculture being among the top contenders.
Beyond the hitherto seasonal handouts of fertilisers to farmers, the administration has proceeded towards boosting the state’s contribution to national agricultural production by incentivising the sector and with it, drawing in many more participants into the agriculture value chain.
Not only were hundreds of trucks of feritlizer bags distributed, the administration has also acquired 20 tractors to support mechanised farming.
Even more, the administration has oiled the sector by ensuring direct procurement of grains from farmers to boost value addition, training of youths in modern agricultural practices to ensure sustainable food security, and signing a landmark agreement with the African Development Bank (AfDB) for a Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone to revolutionize agriculture, training of 600 youths under Operation Rainbow for intelligence gathering and sharing.
While the administration has been hailed for opening up many rural areas through the grading of rural roads, it is also worth noting that that move has also had a positive effect on agriculture as it has made the movement of food produce a less challenge for farmers.
One other challenge to food production is insecurity. Though his hands are not on the levers of the control and command structure of the security agencies in the state, the administration has been hands-on pertaining to security matters providing assistance to the various agencies.
A major motivation for the security agencies was the provision of a drone with a 300km coverage range that has helped in spotting the bad guys around the state.
The administration has also distributed 100 motorcycles among other gadgets to boost the surveillance of the state.
Unlike the lackadaisical posture of the preceding administration on issues of transparency and accountability, the Mutfwang administration has been spot-on on bringing enablers found wanting.
For the 21 months he has been in power, the governor has on average applied the big stick on aides found wanting.
Several have been interrogated, some suspended and five removed on account of their failure to trudge the path the governor has vowed to take.
His leadership acumen and dignified approach to governance have confirmed him to be a beacon of hope, steering the state towards a future as bountiful and varied as its terrain.
He is fully in charge of his administration without any form of internal or external incursion. Governor Mutfwang did not only arrive with well-laid prgrammes but also with a heart attuned to the people’s voice, knowing the capacity and the ability of his appointees.
Governor Mutfwang, a humble and a man who fears God, does not mix governance with friendship. He scrutinized all those who are serving with him and appointed them based on merit and their integrity. It is on this account that two Commissioners and a few of his appointees were suspended from office when they derailed from the social contract he signed with Plateau people.
His administration has never and will never condone any form of corruption as his searchlights are always on all appointees to ensure funds are approved are judiciously in the interest of the people.
Mutfwang has built trust and confidence on the Plateau, particularly among investors, thereby creating the necessary atmosphere for investment in the state.
Suggestions in some quarters that a subordinate of the governor is beyond reproach or that corruption has been allowed to fester is far from the truth and is beneath the character of the man we have as governor on the Plateau. Governor Mutfwang has demonstrated capacity in calling subordinates to question and is undoubtedly focused in bringing home the good fruit for everyone on the plateau beyond the flowers that some may see.
