PIDAN COMMUNIQUE

1. PREAMBLE
   The Plateau initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN), the umbrella organisation coordinating the activities of 56 autochthones from Plateau State, held its quarterly Council meeting on the 08-06-2024 at the Jos Campus of the Plateau State Polytechnic with over 80% of its active members in attendance.

The Council received solidarity message from the people of South_South geopolitical zone leadership in the State; and briefings/good will messages from African Services, the Plateau Indigenous Doctors Consultative Forum (PIDCF), the Plateau Agricultural Development Program (PADP) and the Conference of Autochthonous Community Development Association (CONAECDA).

The Council equally discussed issues comprising welfare of the people, state of security, governance and political equity in the State.

2. GOODWILL MESSAGES AND BRIEFINGS:
   a. Council appreciated the solidarity message of the South_South people leadership for identifying with PIDAN and their pledge of support to the socioeconomic development of Plateau State. Council noted their concern and promised to advocate for their inclusion by the Mutfwang administration in subsequent exercise.

b. Council acknowledged and appreciated the great work by African Services focusing on helping Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) with livelihood support.
Council noted with deep appreciation the significance and magnitude of such support in Mangu and Bokkos and promised to work with them.

Council also promised to join in the advocacy to the Mutfwang administration to recognise and provide policy-enabling environment to fast track the services of this organization, especially in high conflict ridden LGAs.

c. Council noted the good work of PIDCF in providing support and medical outreaches to people and communities affected by the attacks in affected LGAs. Council noted with deep appreciation, the most recent of such exercises to the Irigwe people in Bassa LGA. Council promised to partner with PIDCF to ensure that in times of attacks and other disasters, Presidents of Development Associations will reach out to the PIDCF.

d. Council observed the well-organised and coordinated program of PADP and appreciated the ready to roll out farm-input distribution program. However, Council caution the leadership of the PADP to put measures in place to prevent the politicising the distribution of fertilisers and other farming inputs.

e. Council applauded the language development program by CONAECDA and urged its members to queue into it as the program is billed to accommodate additional ethnic nationalities. Council also noted with keen interest the advocacy to communities to look into the possibility of incorporating the civilian JTF strategy to the local security system. Council promised to interface with Operation Rainbow on how to integrate such strategy into the current community-level security architecture of communities.

3. WELFARE OF CITIZENS
   As regards improvement in the welfare of the Plateau people, Council joined other members of the public in applauding His Excellency Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang on his achievements in office and improvement in the welfare services of the Plateau people in his first year in office. Council specifically noted the payment of the backlog of salaries of workers, the monthly fuel subsidy to workers, the improvement in road network infrastructure, the introduction of the metro-bus services, including the expansion of fleet of vehicles of the Plateau Express Services, the 300% increase in Scholarship to students in tertiary institutions and the 50% reduction in Tertiary Institutions school fees for indigenous students, and described them as laudable projects which have impacted positively on the lives and welfare of the people. Council salutes the commitment of the Mutfwang administration to the welfare of the people and prayed God to grant him the wisdom and resources to continue on this trajectory of the provision of quality services.
4. SECURITY
   Council noted with regrets the massive killing of its people in Wase and called on the government to deploy more resources to improve the security of the people in these communities in Wase LGA. Council however, appreciates the training of personnel and the reactivation of the Operation Rainbow. Council also appreciated the contribution of relevant security agencies including Operation Save Haven, the Governor’s Security Aids and the police, the combined efforts of which appeared to have reduced the incidence of kidnapping, especially the decline in the kidnapping of traditional rulers. Council urged the Security agencies to improve security around traditional rulers in particular and the public in general.
5. GOVERNANCE AND POLITICAL EQUITY:
   a. Council applauded the Governor on additional interventions in rail transport, Education and Health sectors. It specifically appreciated the training and equipping of 340 Youths on Agriculture and urged the Governor to do more in this regards.
   Council hugely appreciated Gov Mutfwang on the distribution of his appointments, which aligned with the “PIDAN Equity in Governance 2018” publication. Council further urged the Governor to keep to his promise to abide by the PIDAN request during his campaign to govern the State in line with the “PIDAN Equity in Governance Strategy 2018′ which prescribes a framework that the Plateau autocthonones believe, it has the potential to strengthen the political equity among the people in the State.

b. Council expressed total disappointment with the leadership structure and performance of the Plateau State House of Assembly. Council frowns at the piecemeal swearing in of members into the House in the absence of discernable reasons for such actions. Council observed that the leadership structure of the assembly flagrantly abused the “PIDAN Equity in Governance Strategy 2018”, and carries with it the potential to return the State to the political equity confusion witnessed in 2015 before the General Elections. Council seriously frowned at any attempt to make PIDAN Council members reminisce on the unfortunate 2015 incidence. Council noted the presence of available ranking legislators in the Southern Senatorial Zone and wondered why the speakership of the House was not allowed to be occupied by a legislator from that zone in keeping with the “PIDAN Equity in Governance Strategy 2018” prescription on zoning of such political offices. Council wishes to advice the leadership of the House to abide by the PIDAN Equity in Governance prescription in order to further strengthen the laid out arrangement designed to strengthen political equity and unity in the State. Council reminisced over it’s huge efforts deployed to handle the 2015 confusion which resulted in the victory for the Plateau people and the emergence of the PIDAN Equity in Governance 2018 publication, and wishes to remind the House of Assembly members and leadership not to drag the autocthonones once again into unnecessary confrontation on the political unity and equity of the State. Council equally wishes to appeal to Gov. Mutfwang, who appears to understand and appreciates the import of the PIDAN Equity in Governance Strategy 2018, as attested to, by the pattern of his appointments and pronouncements, to provide wise counsel to the leadership of the House of Assembly on this matter.

6. Council expressed utter dismay, that for almost a year, following the resignation of the former Minister, now Senator, Plateau State slot has not been filled. Council called on Gov Mutfwang to use the Plateau People’s Party platform and harmonise the Plateau interest and make a passionate plea to Mr President to appoint a Plateau autocthonone to represent the State in the President’s cabinet.
7. Council observed and appreciated the PIDAN leadership on the structured program for strengthening the forthcoming PIDAN Council and looks forward to the constitution of the expanded PIDAN Council by the last quarter of the year 2024.

Signed:
Prof JKA Madaki.
President
Comr Nanle Gujor
Secretary-General

Dated: 17 June 2024

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PIDAN’s Communique at the End of its Quarterly Council Meeting