Born on the 5th of May 1963 in a serene countryside of Ajekamai in
Shendam local government of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong has emerged
to provide the kind of leadership that rekindles fond memories of the
legendary JD Gomwalk.
Following an era of devisive leadership, the people have been nostalgic
about the kind of leadership that will restore plateau to it’s lost
glory.
Subsequent administrations, notably that of Chief Solomon Lar and JC
Dariye contributed immensely to building a cohesive society, but the
most audacious has been the work by the current administration in
Plateau State led by Simon Lalong.
Following the support he received across party lines, ethnic divides and
religious faultlines, Lalong rolled up his sleeves and plunged into his
assignment with the needed energy and zest.
Though the challenges appeared daunting having inherited a state with
unpaid salary arreas of 7 months and a debt profile of N220 billion,
Lalong came fully kitted for the task ahead. Coming with a rich
experience as an excellent administrator and manager of men and
resources, garnered as the longest serving Speaker in the history of
Plateau State, he quickly identified patterns, spot opportunities, made
the connections between pressing demands and limited resources.
Though he was of a different political leaning with that of his
predecessor, he did not allow the partisan sentiment becloud his sense
of judgment but took on the projects that were yet to be completed by
his predecessors and continued work on them.
Believing that serving the people is more important than being
politically correct, Lalong demostrated honesty and integrity by
decisively mobilizing contractors to site with sourced funds for the
completion of projects, not bothering who started them as long as they
were meant to serve the people of the state.
Before long, critical infrastructures, mainly road projects inherited
from the last administration were completed in no time and were
commissioned by no less a personality than President Muhammadu Buhari.
They include the Mararaba Jama’a expressway and the fly-over at the
Secretariat junction in Jos, the state capital.
Lalong also completed and commissioned the Miango Low cost, Rafiki road
networks with spur at Domkat Bali road and initiated projects like the
Unguwar Rogo – Alikazaure bridge which is nearing completion.
The governor’s intervention in the agricultural sector has been
revolutionary with the reopening of the Fertilizer blending plant in
Bokkos. He initiated and launched 400 tractors for distribution to
farmers under the Tractor Ownership Sceme and Public Private Partnership
(PPP) between the Plateau State Government and the Plateau All Farmers
multipurpose cooperative society. Furthermore, no less than 800
trailers loaded with 24,000 metric tones of fertilizer were given to
farmers at subsidized rate, while the multi-mullion naira Panyam Fish
Farm has been revived and operational.
Angry at the rot and decay in the education sector where the performance
of the state at the WAEC examination was very poor, the governor
introduced reforms in the sector by employing and training about 700
teachers, constructing 500 new classrooms, and massively injecting funds
into the primary education sector.
The Plateau State University, Bokkos earlier shut down by the previous
administration was reopened, providing hope and opportunities for the
teeming youths. More than 200 lecturers have been given scholarship for
further studies within and outside our shores.
But perhaps a greater work is in the area of social justice. Plateau
State was in recent times known as a center of crisis owing to the
sectarian crises that had engulfed the state. Lalong ensured social
justice in all strata of governance leading to the return of peace.
Lopsidedness in appointments gave way to more inclusive representations
and projects were not restricted to a geo-political area but spread
evenly across the state for the benefit of all. More than 24 road
projects, spread across the 17 Local Government areas in the State are
on-going. This has enhanced even development, attracting investors.
Security issues were given priority. Early warning signals were
identified and nipped in the bud with Standard Operating Procedures
(SOP) institutionalised through the Plateau Peace Building Agency. The
result is that commercial activities and personal enterprise began to
thrive at a pace that had not been seen before. New hotels are springing
up to meet up with demands of tourists pouring into the state. Jos is
fast becoming the sort after conference destination. In the past 2
weeks, for instance, tourism operators (NATOP), Chairmen of State
Electoral Commissions and Town planners hosted their Annual General
Meetings and conferences in Jos. The Nigerian Theatre Arts Festival
(NUTAF) will bring together 45 Universities along with about ten
thousand artistes to perform at the Plateau State University next month
in june!.
Abandoned industries like the Highland Bottling Company is back on track
while progress is being made to revive the moribund Jos International
Breweries (JIB), Jos Main Market and other enterprise. Efforts at
reacquiring the multi million naira BARC farms is nearing completion.
In no time the state has been readmitted into the club of those given
serious consideration by the Federal Government for siting of programmes
and policies, a departure from the immediate past where Federal
agencies were being relocated out of the state. Today Plateau State is
benefiting from Federal programmes and interventions schemes like the
National Food Security Council, the Potato value chain and social safety
net interventionist programms.
By far the restoration of peace and regular payments of salaries is
ranked amongst the greatest achievements of the Lalong administration
thus far. Lalong set a clear direction to motivate the workforce by
clearing the backlog of inherited 7 months salary arrears. The regular
up-to-date payments of emoluments has not only triggered the local
economy, but empowered traders, artisans and entreprebuers along the
value chain.
The youths also benefited from skill acqusition and starter-packs from a
partnership with the Industrial Training Fund(ITF). 500 youths are
today employers of labour, further depleting the unemployed youths and
women.
The establishement of the Peace Building Agency and the historic launch
of the Plateau Roadmap to Peace document by the President Buhari is the
iceing on the cake.
Lalong started from a very humble background. He had his elementary and
secondary schools education in Shendam Local Government Area. His quest
for knowledge took him to
the Ahmadu Bello Uinveristy Zaria in 1990 where he bagged a Bachelor’s
degree in Law. After graduating from the prestigious Law School in
Lagos, he was called to Bar. He later obtained a master’s degree in Law
from the University of Jos in 1996.
He started his professional career as an attorney between 1992 and 1998,
Between 1992 and 1994 he was the Deputy Scribe of the Nigerian Bar
Association in Plateau State.
He joined politics in 1998 and contested and won election as the Hon.
Member of the Plateau State House of Assembly representing Shendam
Constituency. In October 2000 he became the Hon Speaker of the Plateau
State House of Assembly, a position he occupied for a record 7 years. He
was two times elected Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of the 36
states of Nigeria by his peers
He remained his humble self in the period between when he left office as
Speaker and when he finally returned as Governor in 2015.
His humility and simplicity has continued to endear him to friends and
foes alike, who are amazed that the perks and privileges of office have
not changed him. He has remained passionate about improving the lot of
the masses and ever willing to lend a helping hand.
As he marks 55 birthday today, the thought of the people and their
prayer, is that God should preserve him with good health and sound mind,
to accomplish the good things he has set out to achieve for Plateau
State
As he returns from Washington DC where he made the list of the only two
Governors chosen to accompany President Mohammadu Buhari to the historic
visit to the White House, Lalong keeps walking, crossing boundaries and
building bridges for generations yet unborn.The intuitive and visionary
leadership Lalong aplies in a unique context, in governance has indeed
raised the bar in public service. Little wonder, this diciplined persona
is honoured at home and celebrated abroad. Like a little lad born in a
manger centuries ago, Lalong has emerged from the ashes of Ajikamai 55
years ago, to hold courts with world leaders at the Rose garden of the
White house!
By Yakubu Dati
Plateau State commissioner for Information and Communication