SOLOMON DALUNG FOUNDATION REACTS: CALLS ZULFA AND CO-TRAVELLERS TO ORDER
14th March, 2020

The attention of the Solomon Dalung Foundation has been drawn to the slanderous reaction of the Commissioner of Housing, Barrister Rimven Zulfa while trying to defend the injustice of Governor Simon Lalong to the people of Langtang South.

It is regrettable that in response to the recommissioning of the Six Class Room Blocks built by the Former Minister Barrister Solomon Dalung in Sabongida Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau State, the commissioner is laying claim to a philanthropist’s effort.

The organization which has been saddled with the promotion of peace and social justice both in Nigeria and across the globe wishes to address the Commissioner for Housing as follows:

It is a welcome development that Plateau State Government had acknowledged efforts of the former Minister in initiating, completing and handing over Two Blocks of Six Class Rooms in Sabongida. The contentions of the Human Rights Activist, Barrister Dalung is why recommissioning his project that has been commissioned on the 2nd March, 2019? If the state government was not trying to reap where it didn’t cultivate, what was the Chairman of SUBEB doing on the site with a crowd, white colour tape and scissors as depicted in the pictures? Zulfa as a young person has an option of turning the other side but he chose the part of dishonour while trying to defend the undefendable at the expense of the masses.

To compound his ineptitude, the Commissioner referred to non-existing projects claiming to have been executed in Langtang South. According to him, Lalong renovated Schools in Gamakai and Miles 4. Our findings disclosed that those projects mentioned are not traceable. It is disgusting that an up coming personality like Zulfa have chosen a career in fabricating falsehood merely for crumbs on his paymaster’s table. If the mentioned projects exist, definitely Governor Lalong would have personally go round and commission them to enhance his political ambitions.

Mr. Commissioner, it is needless to engage you further on the non performance of your boss, it is on record that sometimes in 2018, the Federal Government approved African Development bank loan facility of N3.38 Billion to Governor Lalong for Irish Potatoes Chain Plant project in Six Local Governments in both Northern and Central Senatorial zones unfortunately as at to date, there is no sign of such project anywhere in the state. Meanwhile repayment of the loan facility is for a period of 25 years meaning the future of generations yet unborn has been squandered today yet you are comfortable with it because of your parochial interests?

The whereabout of these funds remained unknown to the people of Plateau State, they are unaware of it because they were never consulted, so for whose benefits was the loan obtained? Can your boss account for the whereabouts of the ADB loan? Better still can Governor Lalong account for statutory allocations so far received from Federation account by aligning it with project implementations in the state? Where is the #23 billion bailout funds or projects executed with it?

The last time we checked, Governor Lalong, has never initiated, completed and commissioned any project within his first and now second tenure except recommissioning of other people’s efforts. In the interest of the future, we admonished the Commissioner to exploit his orientation as a lawyer to guide his paymaster to settle down to work instead of window dressing performance that jeopardise the image and integrity of the state.

Ignorantly, Zulfa exposed the underbelly of his boss when he stated that the former Minister used to travel to his village with helicopter and so couldn’t see Lalong’s projects. Where are the projects mentioned, because those trekking could not see them? Were the projects executed in the airspace or on paper? Who are the benefiting communities? Can the Commissioner provide evidence of initiation, implementation and commissioning of such projects in any community? He might be referring to non existing projects which are not traceable to any definite location but on paper while funds meant for such projects might have developed wings as usual.

Igbarman Otarok is a household name to his people, highly respected by many. His love for his people is demonstrably in frequent visits to his village especially during festivities, celebrations and moments of grief. Dalung’s unrivalled passion for cultural revival has global recognition. Unlike your boss Lalong, who on assumption of office as Governor, only celebrate Christmas and festive seasons in Dubai or London. He prefers going for Brazilian carnival instead of Goemai Annual Festival, no wonder, himself and his officials were promoting Brazilian samba traditions at the incongruous Plateau Carnival. Unfortunately the Ajikamai born Politicaian has abandoned his roots and became a black Arabian celebrity.

As concerned Citizens, it is factual that Lalong is itinerant Governor that hardly spent the night in the state, there’s a stationed chartered Aircraft at Yakubu Gowon Airport Heipang which traffic him into Abuja weekly. Instead of democratic dividends, the taxpayers money is wasted on unproductive trips. Barrister Zulfa’s official function as a commissioner is to report daily and accompanying his boss to the airport therefore he can afford to embarked on reckless utterances as an attack dog that is idle.

Young Barrister, kindly enquire from those Tarok people who had served under Lalong whether as Commissioners, Chairmen of Councils, Special Advisers or Assistance etc, their experiences will assist you to discipline your mouth. As a Foundation, there are documented contributions of the Minister in sponsorship of Orphans not only JAMB registration but also securing admissions for those who passed the JAMB Examination including members of his Igbarman Band. We have also record of thousands of Plateau Youth empowered through Skills acquisition with startup grants. Not to mention the 556 beneficiaries sponsored and supported currently in the N-Power Social Investment Programme. For employment opportunities, the former Minister stood tall as our last check indicated that over 50 indigenes of Plateau State benefited from his efforts. This is a piece of the iceberg.

Mr. Commissioner, you exhibited ignorance in an attempt to cover up ineptitude and incompetence of your life line when you mentioned that members of Izem Igbarman as Band Boys. These are responsible young people some of them have families, none of them is an illiterate, they are either NCE, OND, HND or undergraduates trained by the former Minister, some are pursuing their PhD programs, Dalung is not like your boss Lalong.

Barrister Zulfa should refrain from hallucinating about Lalong’s dislike of Tarok especially and Plateau people general. It is public knowledge that Senator Jeremiah Timbut Useni sponsored a bill for establishment of Federal Polytechnic Langtang, the bill scale through the Senate in 2018 but currently Governor Lalong in conjunction with others people are working hard to diverted the Polytechnic to Shendam. Is Langtang not part of Plateau State? How fair is Governor to Plateau people? This style of Lalong’s governance is worrisome which requires immediate check and balance otherwise the state is drifting fast into the abyss.

We therefore advise the commissioner to rethink and focus on service delivery to his ministry instead of fighting worthlessness battles that will likely consume him.

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SOLOMON DALUNG FOUNDATION REACTS: CALLS ZULFA AND CO-TRAVELLERS TO ORDER