President Muhammadu Buhari will on Thursday March 9, 2018 unveil a strategic documents that will drive the road map to achieve sustainable peace in Plateau State during his visit, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Yakubu Dati has said.
According to Dati , the visit of Buhari to Plateau State will also provide an opportunity for the Governor – Simon Bako Lalong to showcase the blueprint for sustainable peace in the state as well as institutionalize milestones so far achieve in the peace process.
He said the decision to invite Buhari was borne of the desire by the governor to showcase what has been so far achieved in the state as a result of the successes achieved by the rescue administration as a reference point for peace and prosperity.
Dati said Buhari will be received in Plateau State by enthusiastic people who have been motivated by the peaceful and humble disposition of Governor Lalong, whom the people refers to as the Captain of rescue team.
He said Plateau State before Lalong assumed office was enveloped in crisis , with internecine conflict and abandoned projects and unpaid salaries to civil servants and teachers.
But, Lalong, Dati said has taken head long the challenges by embarking on massive infrastructure upgrade and other pro- people projects that has endeared him to the people of the state.
Dati said :”Today, the state is once again agog with the news of the coming of Mr. President and the proverbial red carpet has been rolled out by an excited citizenry to receive him days before his expected day of arrival.
“As the president arrives on a working visit, he will inspect and commission some road networks which includes the Mararaba Jama’a expressway, Low-cost Miango-Rafiki road network, and the fly-over at the Secretariat junction. President Buhari will also inspect the Unguwar Rogo – Alikazaure bridge under construction.
“The agricultural sector which is one of the new normal in the policy thrust of the government will witness a significant push as President Buhari launches 400 tractors purchased for distribution.
“The tractor ownership and Public Private Partnership (PPP) scheme between the Plateau State Government and the Plateau All Farmers multipurpose cooperative society.
“The president is also expected to visit the Gbong Gwon Jos as well as hold a town-hall meeting where the Peace building roadmap will be unveiled by Governor Simon Lalong at the Government House, Little Rayfield.”
Dati said , before Lalong took over Plateau State unfortunately had in the last decade found itself in the center of internecine violence with high casualty rate on issues that threatened the fabric of the state.
He said :” For more than 10 years the drums of war have been reverberating, scaring genuine investors, enthusiastic tourists and even Federal Government agencies domiciled in the state.
“To add insult to injury, unpaid salaries, allowances and gratuities of workers intensified the pains of the stressed citizenry. These stressors increased the angst for intolerance and other intemperate reactions.
“As soon as the current governor came on board, Governor Lalong knew he had to do something to douse the tension and made it a policy to not only clear the backlog of salary arrears but to sustain a culture of prompt payment of salaries and allowances to civil servants and teachers.
“This has succeeded to a great extent in fixing the economy of the state as small and medium scale business which had generally packed up resurfaced to contribute to the local economy.
“Communal outreaches were also set up which established contact with hitherto hostile communities and people who were not on speaking terms began to live and work together.”