SIR: Plateau State was created out of former Benue-Plateau on February 03, 1976 by late Gen. Murtala Mohammed. The three zones in the state are Plateau North (Jos North, Jos South, Jos East, Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Riyom), Plateau Central (Bokkos, Kanke, Mangu, Pankshin, Kanem) and Plateau South(Langtang North, Langtang South, Qua’an Pan, Shendam, Mikang, Wase),
The state has produced elected and appointed governors. However, my emphasis is on elected governors.
In the second republic, late Solomon Lar, a Tarok man from Langtang North (Plateau South) governed from October, 1979 to September, 1983 and October, 1983 to December, 1983.
The third republic had Fidelis Tapgun, an Ankwei man from Shendam (Plateau South) who led from January, 1992 to November, 1993.
Presently in the fourth republic, it was Joshua Dariye, a Musherre man from Bokkos (Plateau Central). He was in charge from May, 1999 to May, 2003 and May, 2003 to May, 2007. Dariye was out of office for six months in his second term as a result of a state of emergency declared by the then president, Olusegun Obasanjo. Jonah Jang, a Berom man from Jos South (Plateau North) took over leadership from May, 2007 to May, 2011 and May, 2011 to May, 2015 while Simon Lalong, a Tarok man from Shendam (Plateau South) took over from May, 2015 to May, 2019 and then May, 2019 till date.
There are over 50 tribes in Plateau State. The first seven in order of numerical strength are; Berom, Mangavul, Tarok, Angas, Jarawa, Bassa and Tiv. Tiv makes up 10 percent of the state’s population and have indigenous presence in Langtang South, Shendam, Qua’an Pan and Wase area councils.
When will the governorship position shift to a Tiv person? This is because in terms of population, Tiv people are next to Tarok who have already produced two democratically elected governors in the persons’ of late Solomon Lar and Simon Lalong while the Tiv people are yet to produce a Governor.
•Donald Gaadi,
Abuja.