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.

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

count | 1818

Jang to Lalong: Stop trying to divert people’s attention from burning issues with probes