Plateau State governor, Chief Jonah Jang, on Monday threw his weight behind the yet-to-be declared 2015 re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan, saying the President would be re-elected next year.
Jang, who is a factional chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NFG) made the declaration when he paid a courtesy call on the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu.
The governor said he would lead Plateau State to deliver over one million votes for President Jonathan.
“Plateau has never failed. We are here to assure you that we have total confidence in the leadership of Mr. President and we have total confidence in your leadership.
“I want to assure you that we will do even better than 2011 when we gave the President over one million votes, the best state that delivered in the north. We are going to do more,” the governor stated.
Jang also declared that the Plateau State chapter of PDP had already laid the foundation for a resounding victory for the party in the 2015 elections with the outcome of the recent local government election in the state.
Mu’azu responded by appealing to the governor and other stakeholders in the state to allow defectors from the ruling party to return to the fold.
Tag: Jonah Jang
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Jang backs Jonathan for 2015
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Fulani’s exit from peace talks worries Plateau stakeholders
Plateau State government and stakeholders have expressed deep concern on the resolve of the Fulani communities to pull out of ongoing peace dialogue in the state.
Governor Jonah Jang and civil society organisations expressed their concern when the Senior Special Assistant on Fulani Community, Salim Muhammed, boycotted a peace dialogue meeting, which was held at the Cabinet Office, Jos yesterday.
The peace meeting organised by Search for Common Ground was the second meeting boycotted by the Fulani Community this week.
Special Adviser to the governor on peace building Timothy Parlong, who announced Salim’s absence, said: “It is indeed a major source of concern and worry to the government, stakeholders and citizens.
“Today’s meeting is the fifth in the series of peace building dialogue launched last year for the sake of peaceful coexistence of all citizens of the state.
“But my colleague representing the Fulani community in this present administration informed me he has pulled out of the dialogue process in protest over continuous rustling of cows belonging to Fulani herdsmen.
“Though the development could be a set back to the peace process, we will not suspend the dialogue, the meeting must go on while government and relevant agencies will act quickly to address the worries of the Fulani because government consider them as critical stakeholders.
“I want to assure the Fulani that government is aware of their concerns and will do its best to address the issue with dispatch” said Parlong.
The Berom community has described the claim of cow rustling by the Fulani headsmen as a claim that has no basis.
Acting national president of the Berom Youth Movement Rwang Dantong called on security agencies to investigate the claims and ascertain its genuineness.
“We have established local security arrangements in every Berom community and if such rustling were reported, a search would have been conducted to recover them as we have done several times.”
Dantong alleged that the claim by the Fulani is only known in the media and may not be true.
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Why we made Jang NGF ‘Chairman’, by Suswam
Why was Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang made the factional Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF)? Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam has provided the answer.
“Quality leadership, experience, wisdom and fear of God were the qualities we saw in Gov Jang that we made him the chairman Nigeria Governor’s forum,” he said.
Suswam spoke during the reception that climaxed the week-long activities marking Jang’s 70th birthday held at Du, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
According to Suswam, who chaired the reception, “Jang possesses unequalled leadership quality and strong desires for socio-economic development. Jang has exhibited and proven these qualities at any given opportunity to do so.
“Most of the social infrastructures we enjoy today in Benue State are the handwork of Jang when he served as military administrator.
“Jang has also proven these qualities in his home state where he is still a governor today. Massive road construction, agricultural revolution, youth empowerment, to mention a few.
“Plateau State has, indeed, been transformed under Jang despite the security challenges the state went through in the last seven years.
“These are some of the qualities we saw in him, that given the leadership problems confronting us at the Forum then, we said we need his kind of leadership qualities to lift up the forum.
“That was the simple reason we made him our chairman at the forum, and trust him he has not disappointed us so far.”
Suswam called on residents to support the governor so as to complete all the ongoing projects before his tenure ends next year.
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Jang swears in two commissioners
Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang yesterday swore in Abubakar Dashe and Lorenzo Gwatau as commissioners. They are to replace two former commissioners, who were dropped recently.
Jang called on the commissioners to add value to governance, saying “one thing I can assure the people is that we would remain committed and responsible in prudent deployment of funds towards delivery of projects before the end of our tenure.
“I urge you to make sacrifice and patriotism your motivation when discharging your duties while distancing yourselves from corruption and uncharitable sentiments.”
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Jang drops two commissioners
Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang has sacked two commissioners and reconstituted the State Executive Council.
Those sacked were Abdulhameed Gamzaki (Transport) and Lohfa Bako (Youth Development).
A statement by Director of Press and Public Affairs, James Mannok, said nominees for the vacant ministries would be made known soon.
Three commissioners were swapped while 16 retained their portfolios.
Commissioner for Information and Communication Yiljap Abraham, who was moved to the Ministry of Tourism, is expected to hand over to Mrs. Olivia Dazyem, who is moving from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
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Gunmen kill 45 in Plateau
Including family of seven
•STF: figure was 37
•Victims buried
Multiple attacks on four communities in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State have left 45 people dead.
The four villages are Tatu, Rawuru, Bok, and Dorang, all from Fan district.
The attack came just two days after Governor Jonah Jang raised the alarm on a plot to attack the state.
The attack was said to have been carried out simultaneously early yesterday, according to the village head of Tatu, Da Pam Gyang.
The victims have been buried by relatives in mass graves.
It was gathered that over 10 persons escaped death during the attack. It was a gory sight when our correspondent visited the area.
Some victims were burnt beyond recognition inside their houses.
Many survivors were seen relocating to the council headquarters; some went to Jos with their families.
A member of Rawuru , who gave his name as Dalyop Shom, said: “We have to run away now. We thought we lived with the Special Task Force and are protected. But these attacks prove contrary.
“I have no hope in security agencies, I have to go and take refuge wherever my safety and that of my children is guaranteed.”
Another villager, Jok Chollom, said: “The gunmen stormed my relative’s house at 12:30am and killed the father, the mother and their seven children.”
Chollom vowed not to sleep in the village again. “I don’t feel safe in this village anymore, the security agencies did not come to the aid of the community.
“At 1am yesterday, I started hearing gunshots; I rushed out and saw bodies of members of my community. They were killed in their sleep.
“Our village was under siege for more than one hour, with no help from any security agencies in the area.”
Pam Yakubu, who lost six relatives, said: “The gunmen started shooting sporadically. I managed to escape. When I returned from my hideout, there was blood and bodies everywhere. They killed my neighbours – Davou, Yop, Sarah, Felix, Timothy and Dung.
“The strategies adopted by the attackers show that they must be professionals. They spoke good English.”
He appealed to security operatives to strengthen security around the council to prevent a recurrence.
Speaking to reporters at one of the graveyards, President of Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN) Soja Bewarang, described the attacks as an attempt to wipe out the people.
Rev Bewarang said: “Although security operatives around, the gunmen still entered the communities and embarked on this brutal and inhuman affair.
He called on the government and the Special Task Force to restore order to the state.
The Interim Sole Administrator of Barkin Ladi, Habila Dung, described the killings as barbaric.
He said: “The high number of deaths in these attacks gave the suspicion of ethnic cleansing; the gunmen intended to wipe out these people.’’
Dung said:” I got a call at about 1 am yesterday that hundreds of gunmen had stormed the villages.I notified security operatives.”
A statement by the Special Task Force (STF) on Jos crises reads: “This is to inform the public that on November 26 at 2am, unknown gunmen carried out coordinated attacks in Katu Kapang, Daron, Tul and Rawuru villages of Barkin Ladi and Mangu Local Government Areas.”
The statement, which was signed by its media officer, Capt Salisu Mustapha, said: “The attackers killed about 13 persons in Katu Kapang, eight in Daron, nine in Tul and seven others in Rawuru. Five people were reportedly injured.
“On receiving the report, STF personnel moved to the scene to bring the situation under control but the gunmen fled on sighting the troops. The situation was, however, brought under control by men of the STF.
“The Commander of the Task Force, Maj-Gen David Enetie, has visited the villages to assess the situation.
The Plateau State government said the attack was an attempt to prevent the Jonah Jang administration from consolidating on the peace in the state, particularly in Barkin Ladi .
Jang, last Sunday, at the COCIN headquarters raised the alarm that forces were on their way to wreck havoc on the state.
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Amaechi is chairman of opposition Governors’ Forum, says Jang
The Jonah Jang faction of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has said Rivers State Governor Rotimi Ameachi is the chairman of the opposition Governors’ Forum.
In a statement yesterday in Abuja, the faction said the Presidency recognised the Plateau State governor’s faction because it was the one that upholds the objectives of the NGF.
The statement by the Media Officer, Kassim Yakubu, said the NGF was formed for peer review and to work in consonance with other tiers of government to provide needed social and economic elevation of Nigerians.
“Instead, Governor Amaechi has turned his team into an opposition group. They are now obsessed with the Presidency and the Federal Government.
“Even the recent retreat they had turned out to be like an anger management conference to vent their spleen on the Presidency and the Federal Government.
“Nigerians want peaceful and sensible co-existence among the various tiers of government and the recognition that governors are elected primarily to run their states.
“They know that the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, under the chairmanship of Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, is clearly in line with the national mood,” the statement added.
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Jang cleared of crime against humanity
The International Court of Justice has exonerated Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang, in the allegation of crime against humanity.
The ICJ gave the governor a clean bill while delivering judgment on a case pending before it since 2009.
It would be recalled that the Hausa Muslim community in Jos dragged the Plateau government before the ICJ in 2009, accusing the governor of masterminding killing of Hausas and Muslims in the city during the 2008 political crises.
The appellants accused Jang of genocide, ethnic cleansing and mass killing when the governor allegedly issued a shoot- at-sight order to the police in November 2008.
They also alleged that the state police command, acting on the governor’s orders, killed about 750 Muslims during the 2008 crises.
However, the ICJ after lengthy investigations declared that the appellants have failed to proof their allegations.
Responding to questions from journalists on Wednesday, the Plateau State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Adward Pwajok, said, “The ICJ has vindicated Plateau State government and the governor of all allegations.”
He said, “The state government was dragged before the court for genocide, ethnic cleansing and mass killing. The case was instituted by aggrieved parties in 2009.
“When the case was instituted, the state government did not wait to be invited. We went there to respond to the case almost immediately. We then left the court to conduct its own investigations.
“Apart from the court, there are several civil society organizations across the globe that also conducted independent investigations into the allegations. But at the end of the day, none of them, including the court has any fact that could link the governor to the crime.”
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NGF crisis: Court strikes out suit against Jang
A Federal Capital Territory High Court on Thursday struck out a suit filed by Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State challenging the election of Gov. Jonah Jang of Plateau as Chairman of Nigeria Governors` Forum.
Also named as defendants are the Registered Trustees of the NGF, Secretary General of the forum, the Sole Administrator, Mr Osaro Omaiwu and the Director- General, Mr Asishana Okauru.
Justice Peter Affen, in his ruling, said that he struck out the case because the statement of defence was not heard.
He said: “This case is an off-shoot of the lingering crisis in the Nigeria Governors Forum, since April between Gov. Ameachi and Gov. Jang.”
Affen said that he struck out the suit after Fashola’s counsel, Prof. Yemi Osibajo, on July 17, filed a notice of withdrawal
with eight paragraphs.
“The situation we are confronted with is different from the citation of the defence,” he said.
Affen said the power to dismiss or strike out a suit lay with the court and in discharging it, a judge must exercise its
discretion judiciously.
“I find it necessary not to dismiss the suit but to order for it to be struck out. The plaintiff may file his case whenever he
so wishes,” he said.
At the last hearing of the suit, counsel to first defendant, Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), told the court that he had filed a counter
affidavit praying the court to dismiss the suit.
Oyetibo said that the plaintiff realised that he had no sufficient materials to defend his claims.
He said the issue for determination was that whether all materials in defence were placed before the court or not.
He said the court should note that the question of which order was appropriate to make, when plaintiff sought for leave, should be to discontinue or not. (NAN).
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Jang dissolves LG caretaker committees
Gov. Jonah Jang of Plateau state on Wednesday dissolved the caretaker committees of the 17 Local Governments Areas and appointed interim administrators to manage them.
The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Abraham Yiljap, announced the dissolution when he briefing newsmen in Jos.
Yiljap said the action was part of the build-up for the local government elections slated for Dec. 7.
“Gov. Jonah Jang has approved the dissolution of management committees of the 17 Local Governments of the state.
“We have seen it as a government to take further step to concretise our plans and commitment to the people of Plateau and to conduct free, fair and credible local government elections.
“This step taken will give a level playing ground to all actors seeking offices at the local governments.
“You may be aware that some of the local government caretaker committee chairmen are also interested in seeking elections into the local governments.
The commissioner said that the Deputy Governor, Ignaitius Longjan, met with the outgoing caretaker committee chairmen on behalf of the governor on Wednesday to bid them farewell.
“On the other hand, Jang has approved the appointment of interim administrators for the 17 local governments,’’ he said.
He said the administrators were career civil servants, comprising eight permanent secretaries and nine directors.