The secretary to the government of Plateau State, Prof. Danladi Abok Atu, has said Governor Simon Lalong would continue to listen to the yearnings and aspirations of the people on project execution in the state.
Atu spoke in an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP Sunday while giving insight into why the government insisted on signing an MoU with Jaiz Bank to reconstruct of the Jos Main Market.
He said Lalong as a true democrat, when the issue came on board instructed members of the House of Assembly to go back to their constituencies to sensitise and talk to them so that at the end of the exercise he would have their resolutions.
Atu said; “If we find out that out of the 24 constituencies majority or two/thirds said we do not want the state government to sign the MoU with Jaiz Bank of course the governor is a democrat.” He added that on the other hand if two/thirds agreed it was a viable project, of course he would go ahead with the project.
“The governor is a democrat, he listens to the voice of the people, that is why he said in the first place members of the House of Assembly should go and consult with the people and let him have their resolutions,” he added.
The secretary to the government further said three categories of people were opposing the project, those doing it innocently because they were not well informed, others negatively because they do not want government to succeed and lastly those who feel that they were not given the opportunity to get what they wanted.
He added; “Jaiz Bank is an ethical bank that will not conform to the fact that you must bribe somebody before you get your way out. That is the problem we are facing because some people feel that they were not seen by the bank, that category of people are there. They are saying that their interests must be factored into it but the bank is saying no, they are purely an ethical bank. Nobody is benefiting anything other than the people.”
