Senator Jonah Jang, the immediate past
governor of Plateau state has described Governor Simon Lalong’s
constitution of a committee to probe his administration’s purchase and
distribution of vehicles and tricycles to members of the public, as a
“diversionary tactic”, which seeks to turn Plateau people’s attention
from burning issues.
Jang made the assertions in a press
release through his media aide, Mr. Clinton Garuba – where he described
the Lalong administration as “naive”, “incompetent” and “ill-prepared
for governance”. He said, after a year investigating and probing his
administration, no wrongdoing has been established and that, that should
impress on Lalong the fact that his administration did all within its
power to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.
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Further, he said the Lalong
administration is one of the worst in recent history and that the last
one year has been utter shambles for Plateau state and its people. He
said, his government not did stage-up deceitful commissioning of
projects just to appear as though it is doing something, but that rather
his government undertook several capital infrastructure projects, which
past president (Goodluck Jonathan) had a field day commissioning on the
Plateau. He said what is happening in contrast is that the current
administration puts up smokescreens by commissioning non-projects or
projects which were already commissioned – like the PLAGIS.
He said “what
we see today is the commissioning of wells, uncompleted roads, filled
potholes, already commissioned projects such as PLAGIS, and the
inclusion of already completed projects in the budget, with new
allocations, etc. Instead of facing the business for which he was
elected, the governor has continuously gone globetrotting with no
particular effect of the state or the people“.
Full text of the press release is below.
Gentlemen of the press,
The attention of Senator Jonah David
Jang has been drawn to the inauguration of a Committee with the mandate
to investigate the purchase and distribution of vehicles on loan to
members of the public, under the auspices of the Tackling Poverty
Together program of the last administration.Coming on the heels of the flagrant
display of political naiveté́ by the Simon Lalong led APC administration
in Plateau State, it is obvious that it is only but a diversionary
tactic and deliberate plan to turn the Plateau people’s attention away
from the burning issues. After spending the last one year searching for
perceived wrong doing of the last administration aimed at bringing the
hard earned reputation of Senator Jang into disrepute , Governor Lalong
and his handlers should by now realize that the last administration did
its best in delivering the dividends democracy following laid down
procedures meticulously.We have thought, we would just watch and
see how the APC display its incompetence and ill preparedness for
governance with high tendencies for scoring own goals but we were wrong
as we have become the whipping child of the APC in Plateau State as a
cover up for its none performance. All we hear is After spending one
year in office is a litany of falsehood that visible to the blind and
audible to the deaf.The Lalong led administration should
learn that nobody goes up by pulling anybody down, it was elected to
correct the perceived wrongs of the last administration, if it lacks the
capacity, Plateau people deserve better, simply apologize for betraying
of the people. They didn’t vote the government to mortgage their future
or discontinue from the path of greatness on which the state was, it
has been one year of woeful performance, name calling, excuses and blame
game.It is noteworthy that the APC Government
has admitted that the programme for which it has inaugurated a
committee to investigate, was a laudable one with tendencies for huge
multiplier effects on the sociopolitical and economic development of
Plateau citizens. This is clear indication that the present government
is not only bereft of ideas on what to do but has embarked on an
unnecessary chasing of shadows just to show that it is working.To hurriedly arrange so quick fixes in
the name of proving to the plateau people that the government is working
smacks of mischief and the struggle to undo the towering achievements
of the immediate past administration.It is on record that the immediate past
administration in Plateau State was not in hurry to arrange some
smokescreen of a commissioning just to score some cheap political
points. The former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan had a filled day
commissioning projects when he visited Plateau State during the lifetime
of the Jang administration.What we see today is the commissioning
of wells, uncompleted roads, filled potholes, already commissioned
projects such as PLAGIS, and the inclusion of already completed projects
in the budget, with new allocations, etc. Instead of facing the
business for which he was elected, the governor has continuously gone
globetrotting with no particular effect of the state or the people.As a responsible opposition, albeit,
temporarily, we would not fold our arms and watch the APC continue to
push the reputation of once enviable state amongst states in Nigeria
down the drain by their unpopular and non friendly policies and
programs. We insist that the Governor Lalong led government in Plateau
State as things stand today could possibly pass for the worst and most
insensitive administration since the creation of Plateau State and we
must say that we are not delighted thus will advise that the blame game
should stop and efforts should be made in seeking for ways to better the
lives of the Plateau and stop the wasteful spending, for instance, the
money paid to KPMG in the name of audit would have been enough to pay
workers salary for two months.Make no mistake, Senator Jang is not
scared of whatever probe but deeply pained by how huge state funds is
being looted in the name of probes and audits. It is on record that
between 2007 and 2015 Plateau recorded one of the best if not the period
of massive infrastructural development since her creation.The constitution of any committee for
whatever reason, is a deliberate plan to distract plateau people from
the real issues and the nonperformance of the government in the State.
We maintain that the immediate past administration did its best within
the resources available to it, to bring good governance and development
to the state. This evidence is littered all around the state for people
to see.We advise the government of the day to
live up to the expectations of the people and reciprocate the goodwill
which it enjoyed as it prepares to give way for a more virile government
in 2019.In ending, we call on the Governor
Lalong to take a step further by denouncing the grazing policy and
tender apology to the good people of Plateau for attempting to mortgage
their future.
The statement was signed by Clinton Garuba, aide to Senator Jonah Jang
_ViewpointNigeria
