Correspondent YUSUFU IDEGU examines the challenges before the new All Progressives Congress (APC) government in Plateau State and how Governor Simon Lalong intends to tackle them.
For almost a decade, Plateau State has not known peace. Thus, elections in the state have always been rough. When the All Progressive Congress (APC) was introduced to states across the country, it was laughable to predict that the relatively unknown political party will form the government in a state like Plateau. Even soothsayers were not ready to stake a fortune on this. As a matter of fact, no one gave the ruling party a chance; it was unthinkable that the new party will form the government in the state two years after it was formed.
“The APC came to Plateau like a notorious armed robber to snatch the state out of the grips of the PDP,” said a political analyst, Mr. Cletus Matawal. “Plateau State has been in the firm grips of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since 1999. Until April 11, 2015, the PDP had made it difficult for any party to make inroads into Plateau political terrain.” When the APC was introduced into Plateau during the build- up to the general elections, many were reluctant to join the party. One of the founding fathers of the party, Ambassador Yahaya Kwande, said: “A lot of our people never gave the party a chance when we started. During the state congresses of the party for the election of its state officials, I was begging people to come and contest.” However, the rejected party has become the ruling party at the federal and the state level, to the consternation of many PDP chieftains.
Also, the emergence of Simon Lalong as the governor was a surprise. However, the emergence of Lalong as the governor on the platform of the APC signified three major political realities in Plateau State: The emergence of two main political blocs led by Senator Joshua Dariye and Senator Jonah Jonah. When Dariye was governor, Jang was the leader of the opposition that made Dariye uncomfortable in Government House for eight years, with his style of opposition.
When Jang emerged as the governor in 2007, he pushed Dariye out of the PDP. Jang also made futile attempts to probe Dariye. During the rivalry, Dariye defected to the Labour Party (LP) and became a senator in 2011. In the build- up to the 2015 governorship election, Dariye led the crusade for the defeat of the Jang- anointed governorship candidate, Senator Gyang Pwajok of the PDP. Efforts by Dariye and other opposition politicians paved the way for the emergence of Lalong as the governor. The emergence of the APC-led government also means that Jang has been pushed back into the opposition again as he was in 1999.
Lalong was the Speaker of the Plateau State House of assembly when Dariye was the governor between 1999-2007 and they never fell apart since then. The government of Lalong is therefore seen as the return of Dariye government. So, political developments in the state have been a rotation of power between the Dariye camp and the Jang political camp.
Jang had the opportunity of becoming the political godfather. He, however, abused the opportunity by refusing to implement the zoning agreement. He insisted on handing over power to his Berom kinsman, Senator Pwajok. With that single attempt, Jang lost grip of the state and paved the way for the APC to take over power. With this political development, Plateau is today without a formidable political leader as it was when its first civilian governor, late Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, was alive. Lar was the political icon who was a rallying point. But, since his demise, the vacuum created created by his absence has not been filled. It was widely expected that Jang will step into the shoes of the late Lar. But, it’s now obvious that the shoes are too big for him. So, the state now revolves between two political figures; Dariye and Jang.
Dariye has an overwhelming influence on the government of Lalong. This has prompted the return of all former commissioners and special advisers who served in Dariye administration; they are now surrounding the new governor as political jobbers.
Gov Lalong has many challenges to tackle. One of the challenges is restoring unity. The state with its multi-lingual and multi-ethnic disposition need to do more to unite the people. The diversity of the people obviously played out during the build-up to the 2015 general elections. The three geo-political zones of the state made claims to the number one seat in the state. The original zoning arrangement ended with the tenure of Jonah Jang. It started in 1979 with the late Chief Solomon Lar and Sir Fidelis Tapgun from Plateau South. After that, Plateau Central had their turn during Dariye’s tenure. The final slot was that of Jonah Jang, which represented the turn of Plateau North.
So, if the zoning arrangement was to commence again, the slot rightly belonged to Plateau South. But, the three zones were fighting over the governorship. This was why the All Progressives Congress (APC) gave the governorship ticket to Lalong from that zone. On the contrary, the PDP picked their own governorship candidate from Plateau North.
Hence a lot of differences were created among the people during the build-up to the election, especially among the political class. So, Gov. Lalong has a duty to bring the people back as one so to ensure political stability within the next four years of his administration.
How Gov. Lalong hopes to go about this will be seen in his policies and programmes. but, at the moment, no one expects him to take off soon even though he has taken over the reins of power. The delay in the take-off of the new administration can be seen in the kind of state handed over to the administration. First, there is the issue of empty treasury. Gov. Lalong has announced to citizens of the state that he inherited empty treasury from his predecessor. The governor said: “I inherited empty treasury and a debt of N104b.” Gov Lalong while addressing judiciary workers led by the chief Judge of the state Justice Pius Damulak at the Presidential Lodge, old Government House, Rayfield, Jos, said: “I found no kobo in the state treasury; I only received a total debt of 104billion, including the non-payment seven month workers salaries, as well as unpaid pension arrears. This debt profile is contained in the handing over note I received.
“I want the judiciary to know that the past administration left 104billion naira documented in the handing over note to me and there is also no kobo left in the treasury of the state and we will have to battle again with the seven months unpaid salaries of workers, including pensioners in the state.”
The implication can only be imagined, said Mr. Santos Ayuba Larab of the History Department a University of Jos. He said: “For such a new government you can’t expect it will take off smoothly. As a matter of fact, the debt profile of the state could be far more that quoted in the handing over note, with a careful investigation, more hidden debt will be discovered. So, whoever expect too much from Gov. Lalong so soon may be ignorant of the rotten state of our dear state at the moment”
With or without fund, the APC-led government cannot overlook some immediate challenges which requires immediate attention. One of such is the poor condition of the state workforce. No doubt, Gov. Lalong inherited a demoralised civil service. As at May 29, 2015 when he took over mantle of leadership, the state civil servants were on strike; they were owed salaries for upward of five months. It took a written agreement between Gov Lalong administration and the labor union for the workers to suspend the strike. Gov Lalong promised to seek credit facilities from bank to settle his workers so as to ginger them up.
Another issue that requires immediate attention is the prolonged insecurity in some parts of the state, especially in Plateau North and Plateau South. The insecurity predates the Jonah Jang administration, but it was not effectively managed. It has been handed over to the new government and everyone expect a different approach by Gov. Lalong to bring the violence to an end.
One of the immediate challenges before the new government is the issue of uncompleted projects. One could count up to 50 of them. But, the most challenging among them all is the intra-city road project in Jos, the Plateau state capital. At the moment, the situation of Jos city is pathetic. The uncompleted state of the road is causing pains to residents. The new government is battling tooth and nail to get the contractors back to site to ensure the roads are completed. The governor is at the moment appealing to residents of the city to bear the situation with promises to get the contractors back soon.
Besides, some close associates of Gov. Lalong believed that the new administration has a lot to do to unbundle it from groups of political jobbers that are already suffocating the new governor. One of Gov. Lalong’s close aides who will prefer to remain anonymous said: “The governor is already overburdened with pressure from people seeking political appointments; some are looking for appointments as commissioners, while other are seeking to become Special Advisers etc. I have noticed that the pressure on the governor was becoming unbearable.”
Governor Lalong is being by pressure from those who served in Dariye’s administration eight years ago. They see the emergence of Lalong as a golden opportunity to return to powerand they are doing everything possible to lobby their way in.
Above all, Gov. Lalong has an immediate task to dispense the litigation over his election at the tribunal. The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) is challenging the election of Gov. Lalong and until the case is successfully dispensed with, the governor will remain distracted.
Against tgis background, it remains to be seen how Gov. Lalong will tackle the immediate challenges facing the state. Are the people ready to exercise patience and for how long? The APC is new in the state and needs to make impact fast, if it must retain power in the state beyond a single term.
