By Golok Nanmwa,Jos

Plateau state Government on Friday assured civil servants in the state that the Simon Lalong led administration would continue to sustain prompt payment of salaries and initiate more worker-friendly programmes despite the ravaging effect of the dreaded COVID 19 virus on the economy .

Commissioner for Information in Plateau Hon Dan Manjang made this known while speaking with our correspondent in Jos .

He assured workers of continuous efforts to build their capacities, through training and retraining programmes, stressing that “with God’s help workers would not be thrown back to the dark days of staying for many months without salaries.”

Manjang said the Simon Lalong led administration has done well and his projects are there for all to see .

He said on assumption of office the Lalong led adminstration continued and completed projects started by his predecessors.

Our correspondent reports that among the projects started competed and commissioned by Gov Lalong are the Mararaba Jamaa–Secretariat –British American Way, the Miango-Rafiki road, the Secretariat junction flyover bridge amongst several others .

The projects were started by Lalong’s predecessor, Sen Jonah Jang.

Manjang who lauded Lalong for completing the projects, said that his spirit of continuity was worthy of emulation by all leaders.

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” The Lalong led All Progressive Congress APC led government also has done well in the installation of streetlight in Jos, the state capital .

Governor Simon Lalong ,on assumption of office in his second term has been working hard to leave a lasting legacy in the state in line with the manifesto of his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC.)

He said the Lalong legacy projects, are key projects initiated by the administration to impact on the lives of the people of the state.

Most of the projects are on critical infrastructure like education, health and human development the legacy projects includes several comprehensive hospitals, several comprehensive secondary schools and eight comprehensive primary schools, all scattered across the three senatorial districts of the state.

He further said that Governor, Lalong on assumption of office also standardize and stabilize education in the state for growth and development.

The massive projects he embarked upon at the Plateau state University is also there for all to see .

He also said that state Government has also well in bringing peace to Plateau .

” On assumption of office , the Lalong led adminstration established the Peace building agency and has been carrying out community engagements and
promoting peaceful co existence .

It is common knowledge on the Plateau that before the advent of the Governor Simon Lalong-led administration, the state had been dragged behind by protracted crises that had bedevilled previous administrations, with several years of crises but the Lalong led adminstration worked so hard and now the state is peaceful .

Our Governor Simon Lalong is also doing well in carrying all tribes along in governance ,there is no tribe in the state that has not been carried along .

Speaking on the dreaded COVID 19 Virus , Manjang said the state has been carrying out massive awareness .

He said Plateau is among the states with the highest testing rate of the dreaded COVID 19 virus in the country.

He said that “There is Increase in community testing for the disease as Plateau State has 3 testing Centres at the National Veterinary Research Institute NVRI Vom ,Plateau Specialist Hospital and Jos University Teaching Hospital.

He said that the State is one of the few to have tested all its civil servants and continues to test other citizens.

He said that due to slow pace of processing samples, not all test results are released immediately thereby resulting in backlogs.

He further said that despite the fact that there is increased awareness about the pandemic in the State, Government has noted wide non-adherence and or compliance to laid down protocols of wearing face masks, social distancing and hand washing by many citizens.

“Government hereby uses this opportunity to call on its citizens to remain calm and strictly adhere to the protocols as these numbers will subside after the samples awaiting test are exhausted, and the situation normalises.”

Manjang said that government has spent humongous amounts of money to provide free medication and other forms of support for those infected with the disease.

He said that 25 deaths related to COVID-19 have been recorded in the State which represents 1.2 percent fatality rate, a figure that is by far lower than other States that have recorded well over 2 percent.

“Government hereby assures its citizens of utmost support and uses the opportunity to call on them to continue to observe the COVID-19 protocols of hand washing with soap under running water, use of certified sanitizers, wearing of face masks and maintaining social distancing. “

Manjang who also spoke on the recent statement credited to a consultant psychiatrist with the Jos University Teaching Hospital Dr Chris Piwuuna who in the said write called on Plateau State Governor Dr Simon Bako Lalong, to resign from his office for what he described as lack of capacity said ,Lalong has done so well and would not resign .

He said the people of the state are with the Lalong led Government at all times
” Governor Lalong would continue to work to better the lives of citizens of the state ,he further added .

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COVID 19 – Plateau to sustain prompt payment of salaries