TRUTH BE TOLD BUT STOP MESSING WITH THE INTEGRITY OF PLATEAU PEOPLE
Re-Dalung: The Face of Serial Liar
By: Nanmak Peter
23rd March, 2018

The acts of shame continually manifesting in the Governor Lalong Administration continued a free fall down the abyss of infamy as one of his media assistants, Mark Longyen woke up on the wrong side of the bed on Tuesday and egregiously attacked the personality of the Honourable Minister, Barrister Solomon Dalung. Longyen, instead of bringing out facts to counter the fundamental issues raised by the Minister outrageously further damaged the stake of Governor Lalong’s incompetent leadership by grossly misinforming Plateau people with painted lies.

This lame resort to name calling against Dalung, a fearless and patriotic son of Plateau State, for revealing the true state of affairs in the State is nothing but a mockery of the integrity of State and insult to the intelligence of Plateau masses.

The Lalong led Administration has incurred a huge debt profile above 400%, which has put the State into 25 years of slavery due to over borrowing from Commercial banks and the African Development Bank.(Publish details of the loan if we are lying).

Oh, you said Dalung has lied, but Plateau people are interested to know the rationale behind the collection of such a loan to the tune of 3.38 billion Naira, as you claimed.

You said Dalung lied, did Lalong tell Plateau people that he wanted to collect such a loan that will enslave the State for 25 years? Did the Governor call stakeholders or present such a request before the Plateau State House of Assembly for approval of such a loan as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution?

If not because of Dalung who revealed the truth to Plateau people about the loan, who could have informed Plateau masses? Wasn’t that money being kept for campaign against 2019 election?

What happened to the bailout funds of N5.35 billion received as first tranche from the Federal Government as investigated by ICPC as at 22nd April, 2016?
What happened to the second tranche of bailout funds of N5.7 billion received as at July, 2016?
What happened to the Paris Club Refund of N11.28 billion Plateau State received as at June, 2017?

The bailout funds and Paris Club Refund sum up to N23.0 billion, what happened that up till date Local Government workers and pensioners are still being owed 3 months salaries/ arrears and gratuities respectively? While Governor Lalong told Mr. President that he has cleared salaries and gratuities owed in the state during the town hall meeting, who is now lying when only 5% was given to pensioners? What happened to the remaining 95%? Is Governor Lalong still complaining of lack of funds to clear such debt? Reliably, pensioners are still owed N15 billion by the State government (Check Plateau Pension Board for details and publish for clarity).

Truth be told, since the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari led Administration, there has been regular payment of monthly allocations to all 36 States of the Federation starting from May , 2015 to February, 2018 and Plateau State was not left behind. Can Governor Lalong tell Plateau people how much he has spent in payment of salaries and gratuities since inception of his administration and how much he has received from the Federation allocations? For the purpose of transparency, and accountability can the Lalong led Administration publish the comprehensive income and expenditure profile of Plateau State under his tenure?
How much does Lalong Administration generate as revenue in the state? How is that money expended?

Lalong said, Dalung lied that the debt profile of Plateau State increased to N1 trillion, can he tell Plateau people how much debt he inherited from Jang administration and how much he has borrowed so far? To the best of our knowledge, Lalong reported to Plateau people that Jang left a debt profile of N222.3 billion. How come he now claims that the debt profile is N120 billion? Is Governor Lalong telling Plateau people that he has paid off N102 billion of the debt or some has been written off?

Then, what happened to the loans borrowed including the recent loan of N2 billion to complete Zaria Road Stadium and yet nothing has happened there? What about N4.5 billion loan borrowed to purchased toxic cars? What about N1.8 billion loan to complete government house which Baba Jang had ealier completed before handing over in 2015?

Even with the huge loan of N2 billion to Complete Zaria Road Stadium Plateau United players were relocated to Kano due to poor Stadium facilities, where they were knocked out of the African Championship. What Plateau masses are asking is what happened to that loan and will the Stadium still be completed. We are watching.

You said Dalung lied about renaming of Yakubu Gawon Way to Muhammadu Buhari Way but despite the hasty and deceptive demarcation of roads in the city it is an incontrovertible fact that that stretch of road has been retained as Yakubu Gowon Way by successive Administrators in the State. Why wasn’t the demarcation clearly stated at the point of Commissioning instead of rushing to the press with the contrived demarcation after hues and cries followed Gov Lalong’s desperate attempt to drag the integrity of President Buhari into a dubious charade in the name of honouring him, in order to secure his (Lalong’s) 2019 ticket?

How many projects projects did Lalong invite Mr. President to come and commission? To the best of our knowledge only three projects were commissioned: one, the completion of Mararaba Jama’a to Secretariat Junction (Not Taen Oil Round About) two, the State Lowcost/ Dong road and three, 40 tractors instead of 400 tractors as Mr President was dubiously informed.

Almost 3 weeks since they were commissioned what Plateau people are asking is WHERE ARE THE 400 TRACTORS Governor Lalong claimed to have purchased? The childish explanation that because of space constraint in Government House only 40 tractors were brought there for commissioning is another insult on the collective intelligence of the people of Plateau State. Since the commissioning, isn’t time for us to see the remaining tractors or is the Lalong Government saying there is no space anywhere in the whole of Plateau State to accommodate 400 tractors? Even if they are being kept in batches at different locations is it too much to request the State Government, which is quick to label critics “mad”, “idiots” or “liars” , to take photo journalist round the location of these mysterious tractors at least to douse speculations? He claimed that the remaining tractors were kept at Old Airport, then Plateau people demand to see these invisible tractors. If Governor Lalong is truly in possession of 400 tractors isn’t overdue for the governor to call those 400 farmers who paid N1.5 million each as part payment to collect their tractors? Why should a seating governor mislead Mr. President and the Plateau masses? Can Lalong tell Plateau people, how much he has spent to execute these projects and yet he is demanding for the refund of N20 billion from the Federal Government?

These are the questions Plateau people are demanding answers to and no amount of name callling will change the facts.

The Truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it. (Flannery O’Connor).

Let the truth be told!
God bless Plateau State and restore peace.
God bless Nigeria.

count | 244

TRUTH BE TOLD BUT STOP MESSING WITH THE INTEGRITY OF PLATEAU PEOPLE – Peter Timkat