Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has reflected on the problems facing the state and the steps he wants to take to tackle the challenges. Correspondent KOLADE ADEYEMI reports
Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, the sixth democratically elected governor of Plateau State, did not smile after taking his oath of office. He probably had foreknowledge of the state’s finances, which going by the report of the Transition Committee, is full of liabilities.
His first official duty was to meet workers in the state’s civil service who had been on strike, as a result of non-payment of their salaries and allowances. He also took over the state where lives and properties are not secured, especially in rural areas. He took over a state where over 20,000 residents are displaced as a result of attacks that preceded his inauguration. He took over a state where all the economic sectors are in comatose. Worst of all, he took over a state with a debt burden of N200 billion.
The governor himself gave credence to this state of affairs in Plateau when he said: “I understand clearly the enormity of the task before me and I have no illusions that it is going to be an easy ride. The state is presently under a huge debt burden of over N200 billion, the healthcare sector needs urgent attention, our school system requires a comprehensive overhaul, our infrastructure is decayed and inadequate, and practically, every sector requires urgent redress.
“I must mention that there are no quick-fix solutions to these challenges, but one thing is certain, we are prepared to take the challenges head-on and hit the ground running immediately.”
The most precarious task before the PDP administration is the deteriorating security situation across the state. Days after Mutfwang was elected, gunmen invaded the rural communities in Mangu Local Government where the governor hails from. It was an organised attack that affected at least 20 villages within the governor’s local government. About 200 people have been buried in mass graves within the last month. Following a series of attacks in recent times, about 20,000 residents are currently living in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and need humanitarian assistance to survive. Even at that, there is no respite in other local governments such as Bokkos, Riyom and Barkin Ladi, where residents sleep with one eye open because of the fear that the invaders may surprise them at night.
It is against this background that the governor declared that peace and security are an immediate priority for his administration. In his inaugural speech, he said: “Security of lives and property is of great importance to us as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is our topmost priority because it is the foundation that gives birth to all forms of growth and development. The many years of human misery, despair, hopelessness and pains our people have and are still going through must end.
“I commiserate with the families who have lost their loved ones over these years and especially the families in Riyom, Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, Bassa and more recently Mangu where we lost over 100 innocent souls who were brutally murdered in their sleep by the most recent premeditated attacks.
“The genocidal attacks of the last couple of years suffered by many of our communities across the state have justifiably left deep wounds and trauma on several widows, orphans, relations and friends. This has in turn bred hate, mutual suspicion misplaced anger toward innocent passersby and so-called reprisal attacks. Unfortunately, this has opened the door for those who dislike our unity and prosperity to label us as hateful and unaccommodating when indeed our people are the victims.”
Mutfwang assured that under his watch indigenes would not be compelled by insecurity to live in camps, as has been the case up till now. He said: “Under this administration, we will fish such out and expose the perpetrators of criminal activities. For those who will lay down their lives to protect our people, we promise to stand with you and appreciate you sincerely. We shall also collaborate with critical stakeholders within and outside the state, through the constitutional provisions and institute a standing committee that will shoulder the responsibility for the resettlement of IDPs. We shall deepen the operations of Plateau Peace Building Agency (PPBA) and strengthen community relations using mechanisms that promote mediation and dialogue-centred approach to conflict prevention and resolution.”
Plateau used to be the food basket of the nation, like the neighbouring Benue State. It is a state where farming is the mainstay of the economy. But that economic base is already becoming a mirage, with gunmen roaming around the bushes. This has scared the people from going to the farm. The state is equally rich in solid minerals, but artisan miners are being haunted down on the field by unknown gunmen. A farmer, Sylvester Badung told The Nation: “These unknown gunmen must be known; the Federal Government must fish out these unknown gunmen. Our governor must ensure that this is done to ensure Plateau people do not run to other states to take refuge. This is because, as we speak, no local government is at peace in Plateau; the rural areas are the worst hit, as residents are already fleeing to neighbouring states.”
However, the governor has assured citizens that he will take on the security challenges head-on. His words: “We have the resolve and we are resolute in our desire for a new Plateau. Let me reaffirm that we will summon the political will every step of the way to initiate policies and programmes that will engender peace, progress and prosperity in our land. This is a solemn commitment, and you can hold me to my word.
“Our plans are audacious and our programmes will be transformative but the smooth execution of these plans and programmes is predicated on peace. This is because development can only exist where peaceful coexistence thrives. It is an undeniable fact that much blood has been shed on the Plateau for close to two decades now and this has retarded the pace of our development.”
Mutfwang has called on all residents who love Plateau to embrace peace and look out for the well-being of one another. He said: “I enjoin us to let go of the hate and distrust of the past and embrace the brotherliness that our dear state is known for. We must learn from Rwanda; despite the crises and internal wars that engulfed the country in the past, it has turned itself around to become peaceful, prosperous and a choice destination in Africa. However, we know that there are persons who do not seek the welfare of Plateau. They preach and fan the embers of hatred. They stood by unconcerned when our people were murdered in cold blood.
“They even callously labelled such genocide as ‘farmers/herders clash’ to the chagrin of the whole world. In the spirit of the new Plateau, we shall give them an opportunity to repent and redeem themselves. If they fail, God will give us the wisdom to isolate and make them unworthy of recognition in the new Plateau we have embarked on building! I must also sound a note of warning to others who converted these waves of attacks as excuses for committing crimes by stealing or sometimes putting innocent persons in jeopardy in the name of revenge to know that this would no longer be tolerated.”
Another challenge before the new government is the issue of the health and well-being of residents. The state is not looking good, especially the state capital, Jos. The capital city is dirty. The environment is not looking clean and attractive. There is virtually no street in Jos that is clean, especially those around markets like Bukuru, Taminus, Dadinkowa, Abbatior, Gadabiu and Faringada. Other filthy streets include those in towns like Langtang, Kufang, Angwa-Rukuba, Rikkos, Zaramaganda, etc. For a state, which has tourism potential, this says a lot.
The new government has resolved to take action to curb the environmental menace. In his inaugural speech, Mutfwang said: “We desire to make Plateau an environmentally safe state starting with Jos, the state capital. This can only happen when we individually and collectively strive to portray our homes, surroundings and workplaces as safe and healthy. We will review the Greater Jos Master Plan with citizen input in this quest. To demonstrate our seriousness in this regard, I hereby declare a state of emergency on environmental sanitation in Jos North and Jos South Local Government Areas.
“All government agencies must take immediate steps to clear the stinking and ugly heaps of waste littered across the state. Homes and offices must take responsibility for their refuse disposal in line with extant government guidelines. Henceforth we shall ensure that every polluter pays for his pollution. We shall ensure that the indiscriminate trading on roads thereby obstructing traffic as well as posing security concerns is arrested. We shall take steps to curtail the upsurge of illegal motor parks and the indiscriminate parking of trucks along major corridors. We call on the private to take advantage of this opportunity to partner with the government for the restoration of the beauty of the city centre.”
The huge backlog of salaries and allowances being owed to civil servants in the state is another source of concern for the new administration. The governor inherited huge liability of pending workers’ welfare, which largely hinged on delayed promotions, 30,0000 minimum wages for local government staff, unpaid gratuity, salary arrears etc.
To address the workers’ welfare quagmire, Mutfwang said: “We are aware of the pains our workers are currently facing which have resulted in industrial disharmony. Your welfare is a right, for every labourer is worthy of his wages. We will not regard payment of salary as an achievement but a duty; therefore, it will be one of our top priorities. We, therefore, request civil servants in the state to end the ongoing strike in the interest of Plateau. This will provide the window for intense and sincere interaction towards resolving the issues.
“We will strengthen and enhance the capacity of civil servants to carry out their daily responsibility of implementing government policies diligently. We will look into areas of training, retraining, quality staffing and a meritorious reward system so that state workers will help deliver public services, support the government’s policies and provide advice on policy formulation, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and documentation.
“In this regard, public, private partnership (PPP) will be adopted as an official and strategic corner policy of our development initiatives. We will work to lower the cost of governance without jeopardising the future of our workforce. The state internal revenue service will be repositioned to play a leading and unambiguous role in radically improving state finance. Our ultimate target is to pay workers’ salaries from our IGR.”
But, after all said and done, implementation of the above intentions is the key. It is one for a new government to see the decay in the system it has inherited from its predecessor and another thing to be able to muster the political will to do the right thing. Whether the Mutfwang-led government will make a difference is another matter.
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