Can you introduce yourself to our audience?

 

My name is Dan Manjang, I was born 52 years ago in 1961 and I have worked mostly within the Church cycle and as a Journalist. I worked in the Nigerian Standard for some years and participated in the translation of the Old Testament to the Berom language. I also studied classical and modern Hebrew at the Hebrew University in Israel and I speak them fluently.

 

In 2008, Governor Jang appointed me as his Special Advise on media and public affairs. I later left to this position to contest the House of Representatives seat, which I unfortunately lost at the primaries. I was not invited back to the Government but the late Senator Gyang Dantong invited me to work with him as his Senior Legislative Aid for about a year before he died.

 

Tell us about the person of Senator Gyang Dantong and his achievements as a senator.

 

Whatever I say about this fine gentleman will be an understatement. I first met him as a young man when we went for our National Youth Service (NYSC) at Akwa Ibom State. He later worked as a Medical Doctor at the Vom Christian Hospital where he was committed to helping poor patient’s who could not afford to pay their medical bills. In 2001, after becoming a Senator he still carried out operations on his patient’s in the same hospital for free. 

While serving as a Senator, he electrified the whole of Pengana chiefdom as a constituency project. There is no ward in the Jos-North constituency that he has not sunk a borehole. He has completed many Primary Care facilities in Zandi, Fan, Bachit and Bisichi. He started the electrification of Riyom local government from Rim through Hoss, to Sok, in Bachit. He also made a lot of impact on the

INTERVIEW WITH MR DAN MANJANG  ( Former Spaecial Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Jang)

October 2013

                                                                                                                                                     

VPN: Can you introduce yourself to our audience?

 

My name is Dan Manjang, I was born 52 years ago in 1961 and I have worked mostly within the Church cycle and as a Journalist. I worked in the Nigerian Standard for some years and participated in the translation of the Old Testament to the Berom language. I also studied classical and modern Hebrew at the Hebrew University in Israel and I speak them fluently.

 

In 2008, Governor Jang appointed me as his Special Advise on media and public affairs. I later left to this position to contest the House of Representatives seat, which I unfortunately lost at the primaries. I was not invited back to the Government but the late Senator Gyang Dantong invited me to work with him as his Senior Legislative Aid for about a year before he died.

 

 

 

 

 

VPN:  Tell us about the person of Senator Gyang Dantong and his achievements as a senator.

 

Whatever I say about this fine gentleman will be an understatement. I first met him as a young man when we went for our National Youth Service (NYSC) at Akwa Ibom State. He later worked as a Medical Doctor at the Vom Christian Hospital where he was committed to helping poor patient’s who could not afford to pay their medical bills. In 2001, after becoming a Senator he still carried out operations on his patient’s in the same hospital for free. 

While serving as a Senator, he electrified the whole of Pengana chiefdom as a constituency project. There is no ward in the Jos-North constituency that he has not sunk a borehole. He has completed many Primary Care facilities in Zandi, Fan, Bachit and Bisichi. He started the electrification of Riyom local government from Rim through Hoss, to Sok, in Bachit. He also made a lot of impact on the education sector within his constituency where he built exams halls and paid the tuition fees of students in various schools within the constituency. 

 

VPN:  What impact did his death have on his family and the constituency? 

 

The impact on his family has been devastating and a void has been created which only God has been able to fill. 

His contributions at the National Assembly will be greatly missed. As a Medical Doctor, he was the chairman of the health committee in the 7^th senate and the committee under his leadership was working on a comprehensive health bill. This Health bill was later passed on the floor of the National Assembly but the presidency did not accept it for reasons best known to them. 

 

VPN:  What happened to the uncompleted projects he started?

 

Before I comment on Senator Dantong’s completed and uncompleted projects, I like to use this opportunity to again congratulate his successor, Senator GNS Pwajok because he has picked up the gauntlet and has gone ahead to finish up and commission some of the projects that the late Senator started; he has also shown great respect for the late Senator Dantong in the way he commissioned the projects completed by the late Senator. 

 

A few of Senator Dantong’s projects had not been completed before he died.  Atypical example is the electricity project around his hometown area of Bachit, which we are now talking with Senator GNS Pwajok to ensure that the good work started does not go to waste. I have confidence in Senator Pwajok because he is a man who believes in continuity of government and he has demonstrated this already by completing and commissioning some projects, which were started by the late Senator Dantong. I know Senator Pwajok personally and I know he is one man that you can always count on what he says.

 

 

 

 

 

VPN:  Is the relationship between the Late Senator’s wife and Senator Pwajok cordial?

 

The circumstances that brought Senator Pwajok to the upper house was one she was not happy about initially and she made her feelings clear about this. At the time of Senator Dantong’s death, the Member, House of Representatives also died and his wife was allowed to contest her late husband’s seat meanwhle Senator Dantong’s wife was not allowed to do same and naturally she felt side lined. However as am talking to you now, she has since moved past that and she and the Senator Pwajok have reconciled their differences and both of them are working together for the benefit of their constituents. She has a lot of respect and admiration for his magnanimity when recently during the commissioning of projects within the constituency he asked her to cut the tapes of the projects her late husband completed during his time and the ones Senator Pwajok completed. Senator Pwajok has shown uncommon humility and teamwork by not only finishing uncompleted projects by his predecessor, but also giving him the credit of projects he had completed or started and finally allowing his wife to be a participant in commissioning them.

 

VPN:  You sound very confident in the way you speak about Senator GNS Pwajok; in what capacity have you know him?

 

I worked with him while I was Special Adviser to the Governor on media and at the time he was the Director General of the Research and Documentation for the Government House and later the Chief of Staff, Government House. He is quite a young man, very intelligent and full of great ideas. I am not exaggerating because anyone who meets and interacts with him will find that what I am saying is true. He proved himself to be a strategist when during the 2008 crisis; some of his postulations were used to ensure elections took place in Jos-north despite all pessimistic suggestions from various quarters. He has contributed a lot to the policies of the current administration an example is the transport policy being used by the present administration.

 

 

 

 

 

VPN:  Being an ex-service man of this administration, are you proud of its achievements? 

 

When I was SA on media to the Governor I was doing what I like to call “fact telling” which implies informing the world of the achievements of the administration, counteracting rumours with facts and putting out the position of the government so that people can understand every decision taken by the government. At the time, there were Local Governments that were in arrears and a lot of retired civil servants who were being owed monies here and there, but this Government paid everything up. The achievements of this Government surpass the achievement of all the past governors put together with the exception of the late JD Gomwalk who achieved a lot for a Plateau state that was larger than we know it today.

 

Governor Jang has given us leadership and shown courage even in the face of aggression and sabotage. What he has achieved in infrastructure stretches beyond Jos-north as many people like to claim. Go and have a look at the Jibam bridge in Pankshin Local Governement. It now connects two communities that were once cut off from each other by a huge river. Many have died, attempting to drive through this river in the past years. This Government has also made new roads in the southern senatorial zone like the roads from Wase to kannam and Langtang to Mabudi. These developments have opened up communities and expanded the scope for farmers and transporters all over the State.

 

The ASTC project is another fantastic innovation that has tackled the most basic economic potential of the State i.e. agriculture. A large percentage of our population lives in rural areas and survives on subsistence farming. This innovation provides commercial opportunities to both rural and township dwellers to boost their financial base by embracing this mechanised opportunity put before them. The achievements of this Government are undeniable and only people who have not visited Plateau State or gone round to see what has been done continue to criticize the Government. 

 

It is common human nature that great leaders are only ever celebrated after they leave positions of leadership and I only pray that the Governor will remain mindful of that fact and continue with what he is doing.

 

VPN:  Is there anything you wish the government did differently?

 

The gains recorded by this administration far outweigh any omissions, however, I will like to comment on the information machinery of the state, which I think is in a comatose state. First the absence of the Nigerian Standard has allowed enemies of Plateau State to use other media organisations to rend damage on the image of the State and the Middle-belt. Without a viable media presence in the state, our image has been shaped by other media organisations that have not portrayed us in good light.  A good look at other States around us speaks volumes about the lame nature of the media structure in our State. There are States with worse security situations than Plateau State yet you don’t hear much about what is going on there like you hear about Plateau State. There are again States with no security challenges but poor democracy dividends recorded yet you hear a lot of media hype about the very few projects they have recorded. 

 

The poor quality of programmes coming out from the PRTVC is again unfortunate. First the broadcast coverage around the State is patchy yet a lot of cash injections have been made into the PRTVC. It is a well-known fact that there are a lot of dead woods in the PRTVC but unfortunately the Government has not flushed them out.

 

VPN:  How do you think the media machinery of Plateau State can be improved?

 

I have to be careful not to come across as wanting to take someone’s job but the truth needs to be said. A simple way of boosting the media machinery of the State is by meaningful investment in the existing media facilities we have e.g. the Nigerian Standard and the PRTVC. We need to be able to give them a wider coverage that will make information disseminated through them worthwhile. Another way of boosting our image in the State is by engaging actively with international media organisations. Organising press conferences and putting the right people out there to answer criticisms coming from outside. It is unfortunate that despite the achievements of the government you don’t hear any commissioner, media spokesmen or people within the government making the effort to educate people or even elaborate on what the government is doing or planning to do. 

 

VPN:  What is your experience of working with Governor Jang?

 

He is a very experienced and straightforward man who came into government with a blueprint idea and he has not disappointed. I have found him to be a good listener who implements projects to the latter. He is very personable and loves sports and overall a fantastic person to work with and be mentored by. He means very well for young people in Plateau State as you can see the reflection of that on his cabinet.

 

Having said that he takes his work very seriously and will keep you on your toes at all times if you win his confidence. We used to play ‘wayo” (tricks) on him. We will study his mood and when we realise he is in a more relaxed mood about work and is laughing with us, we will gather all our memos and ask him for approval. Sometimes he will just laugh and say “wato kun gane ni yanzu ko” (so you have studied me very well now right?). He is a great man to work under and I am privileged to have had that opportunity.

 

 

 

 

 

VPN:  What are you doing now and what are your future aspirations?

 

I am now a consultant for Hamtul Press, which is a part of the Hamtul group of companies. The company is into farming, printing, and construction. I am a consultant on corporate services for the whole group. I also run a foundation, which I named after my late father Bitrus Manjang foundation. We have 5 areas of focus which include leadership and training, trauma healing in view of crisis resolution, networking and advocacy e.g. where a woman looses her husband and the relatives maltreat her, we step in and source legal aid to prevent such from happening by going to court. We also collect materials like used or new clothing, household products and food for onward distribution to the needy and less privilege in our communities. We only started recently and we are doing very well. I find it very rewarding and I am greatly enjoying it greatly.

 

I have a wealth of experience in Journalism and Politics and I still have a reserve of experience that I believe can help the young political generation coming up. I may not be actively looking to contest a political position due to the high cost involved, however my services and reserve of experience will always be available to like like-minded people who may want to partner with me in any capacity.

 

 

 

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Viewpointnigeria: Exclusive interview with Mr Dan Manjang, former Special Adviser on Media to Governor Jang.