The political son of the Pioneer National Chairman of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Chairman of Langtang North Local
Government Council, Dr. Joshua Laven Ubandoma has praised the Plateau
State Governor, Simon Lalong for treating Local Government Chairmen in
the state fairly with monthly subvention from the Federation Account.
Ubandoma who is the only surviving PDP Local Government Chairman in the
state said that despite his travails at the tribunal that culminated in
his victory at the Appeal court, he has enjoyed cordial working
relationship with Governor Simon Lalong. In this interview, he vowed to
remain in PDP to protect the party’s legacies left behind by the
founding fathers including late Chief Solomon Lar.
As the only surviving Local Government Chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State, what will you say has been your
experience in the last 100 days in office?
I believe you all know my travail very well and the crisis that I
went through but to God be the glory that at the end of the day, I
became victorious at the Appeal Court after the tribunal. Governor Simon
Bako Lalong, who truly has a reputation already and a Lawyer who
respects the rule of Law, swore me into office on October 9, 2019 and
January 2020 was my 100 days in office which coincided with his election
victory at the Supreme Court; that is how significant that day is for
him and me. My 100 days in office was a day of his Judgement at the
Supreme Court and to a very large extent, we have enjoyed a working
relationship with him despite the fact I am from the opposition PDP.
What I thought he is, is not what I am seeing; to some extent, he gave
us a free hand to run the administration of the Local Government; he is
not too concerned about the local government; he allowed us to use
whatever comes for the development of the people apart from the
frontline charges that are statutory deductions to finance the state and
local government projects like Universal Basic Education, Primary
Health Care and most projects that the state and local government are
enjoying. These are the projects that the state and local government
will co-sponsor, but like our capital projects, money for VAT, no local
government Chairman will say the governor has anything to do with our
VAT. These VATs that are coming are strictly in our hands and we used it
for the projects that benefit our people. The Ministry of Local
Government and Chieftaincy Affairs only guide us on how to spend the
money because most Local Government Chairmen could be reckless if
allowed not to be scrutinised by the Ministry, therefore you must write a
project and how you are going to spend the money. The zonal inspector
must be in the picture and your Director of Finance and Director of
Personnel Management must sign and then you must go to tender board
before the money is released. The zonal Inspector will be the one to
finally sign because that is the eye of the Ministry but not that he
will stop you from doing what you want. It has to be a project, you
cannot use that money for anything apart from projects. As the only
opposition in the Plateau State Executive Council, and the only
surviving PDP Local Government Chairman in the state, I will say there
is a level of transparency in the activities of the governor. I score
him when it comes to that, he is doing well. But in my achievement for
100 days in office, I first of all ran into crisis with Military men who
were supposed to come to Langtang to take over because of the crises in
Wase Local Government Area axis where the militia attacked Chief Lot,
the Second Class Chief of Kadarko. Some militia men came there around
August/ September, 2019 and a lot of Tarok people where killed, and you
could remember that crisis. The Military took over that environment for a
while, and someone was caught which created a lot of crises. The Tarok
people that were displaced came to Langtang immediately and there was
this order that came from above that the Military should come and
ransack every where, but we got intervention with my counterparts from
Langtang South and we were able to meet with Major General Agundu, the
Commander of the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) and we saw the Chief of
Defense Staff, and we told them to give us the benefits of doubt that we
will recover illegal weapons in Langtang land.
Were you able to recover the illegal weapons?
Yes, that is one of my achievements because before Christmas period
in Tarok land, people used to go to bed around 7pm to 8pm but now,
people stay awake till the next day; they can sleep with their eyes
closed now. The criminality in Langtang is no more and before I came in,
there was no water in the local government Secretariat; they used to
buy water and today, there is a solar power borehole where there was no
water, there are running taps within Langtang Local Government. There is
another solar power borehole across the Secretariat where people fetch
their water without hardship. When I came, I remodeled the Council
Secretariat, particularly the office of the Chairman and I think we have
one of the best office now in Plateau. In all the wards in Langtang
North, I was able to construct and drill about 20 hand pump boreholes. I
have been able to pay the arrears of local government staff promotion
together for 7 years. When I came in, I made sure that everybody is
happy doing his work. The people are enjoying synergy and freedom among
themselves, I think that calls for celebration, and a lot of investors
are coming in within the short period of time; everybody is happy.
How have you fared in terms of running the local government council?
Everything has been smooth except in December where we had a short
fall in our allocation which affected the salary of political
appointees, especially; the Chairman and the Councilors were not paid
their salaries, I struggled to see that done but last week, we were able
to clear that. To God be the glory, this month, the subvention is a
little better but it is not enough to pay salary of political office
holders and my appointees but with little effort to put one thing and
the other together, it will be fair to say that the governor don’t
interfere with the local government finances; there is a free hand
because I am willing and ready to say it the way it is because I am in
the opposition and I have nothing to hide. But in as much as I have
control over my VAT since I came into office, nobody has told me that I
must use the money for this, apart from statutory deduction which we are
still appealing that the state government should take responsibility of
that or better still, they should pay more so that the local government
will pay less so that there will be more development in the grassroots.
There must be collaboration between the two tiers of Government but
there are some of those deductions that can be waved because they are
just unnecessary deductions. Like the cost of servicing the Local
Government Service Commission, Local Government Ministry, Universal
Basic Education, contribution to Operation Rainbow, a security outfit.
Are you satisfied with the leadership style of Governor Simon Lalong?
I am encouraging him to do the right thing because we in the Southern
zone are calling him to give us attention too to work on our roads and
schools; we need his attention now, he has done enough for the Northern
zone; it is the turn of Southern zone, he should come back home and link
our roads so that Langtang-Shendam and Ajikamai road will be relieved.
Bandits are attacking people on the road now because of their bad
nature. If those roads are fixed, our security will be able to check
mate criminality. Northern Zone was absolutely developed by former
Governor Jonah and he has equally done a lot. In fact, the Solar light
everywhere now in Jos is commendable; we need a replacement of same in
the Northern zone too; I am not being sentimental about that. Also, in
the Central zone, the road that links from Du to Mangu Halle should be
given due attention because that is the only road now people from
Central and Southern zone ply mostly and the quality of the road needs
to be improved upon. Generally, I think his administration has done
fairly good and now that his victory has been affirmed, I think he
should concentrate now that he is free of litigation. We can now see
signs that the potholes that we have been complaining about in Jos has
been fixed. We can see some changes now, the administration has picked
up very well.