Penultimate week, Jos the Plateau State capital and its surrounding villages were agog following the swearing-in ceremony of the new Plateau State governor, Barr Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang and his deputy, Mrs Josephine Piyo at the Rwang Pam township stadium in the Tin City.
By 8 0’clock in the morning, the stadium was full to capacity as thousands of party supporters, families, friends, and well-wishers who were mobilised from the 17 LGAs of the state thronged the stadium to witness the inauguration of the 6th elected governor of the state.
The people were dressed in white attires with men wearing green caps and women putting on gele to match. This new mode of dressing marked a new era and a sign that Plateau land remains ever green and rich in Agriculture.
The chief judge of the state, Justice David Gwong Mann administered the oath of office on the governor and his deputy at about 1.45pm which received thunderous ovation from the crowd gathered at the stadium.
The out-gone deputy governor, Prof Sonni Tyoden handed over the instrument of power to the new governor, Barr Caleb Mutfwang on behalf of Governor Simon Lalong who was conspicuously absent at the event.
Meanwhile, two former governors of the state, David Jonah Jang and Chief Joshua Dariye as well as PDP national assembly and house of assembly members and several dignitaries graced the occasion.
Nandom Audu from Langtang South and Ajang Musa from Jos East LGAs who spoke with LEADERSHIP Weekend at the stadium said they had experienced eight years of pain and hardship with nobody speaking for Plateau people.
According to the duo, a political messiah has come in the person of Barr Mutfwang who has come to salvage the state from political doldrum.
They expressed confidence that Mutfwang’s inauguration as the 6th elected governor of the state will usher in a new era where Plateau State will be counted among the comity of states that are doing very well in terms of good governance in the country.
Speaking shortly after receiving the instrument of office, Governor Mutfwang lamented that he inherited a state with a debt burden of N200 billion naira.
He said, “The state is presently under a huge debt burden of over N200 billion. But the huge debt the state is currently plagued with will not deter us from serving you effectively. We are committed to breaking the state’s over-dependence on one source of revenue which is based in Abuja and managed sometimes with uncertainty. We commit to work on multiple and sustainable income sources so that we can serve you better.
He reassured the people of the state that his administration would be committed to working for peaceful coexistence among the diverse ethnic groups on the Plateau and also work assiduously to secure the boundaries of the state.
“I will be firm but fair and just to all regardless of political, ethnic or religious inclination. Fairness, equity and justice shall be our watchwords. Criminal elements/invaders hell-bent on destruction will be decisively dealt with,” he stressed.
Mutfwang warned crises-merchants on the Plateau that they will not go unpunished if caught adding that his administration would be strong on the rule of law to ensure that criminality under whatever guise is curtailed.
According to him, campaigns are over and the gear has shifted to governance. “Let us join hands despite our political differences to build the Plateau of our dreams. Again, I extend a hand of friendship to the governorship candidates of other political parties in the last general elections, alongside their supporters to join me in the quest for a new Plateau,” he said.
The governor explained that his team will bequeath rich legacies that would live long in the hearts of the people and will be committed to peace and security. According to him, security of lives and property will be a great importance to his administration as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Mutfwang said he will soon constitute a standing committee that would shoulder the responsibility for the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and deepen the operations of Plateau Peace Building Agency (PPBA) and strengthen community relations using mechanisms that promote mediation and dialogue to prevent or resolve conflicts and explore all means possible within constitutional provisions to secure the people.
On the economy, he said they envisage Plateau State to be the economic and commercial hub of Northern Nigeria, leveraging on its natural endowments by creating a friendly environment and ease of doing business for all business persons.
“As a signatory to the open-government partnership, this administration will improve the efficiency of the public service in line with global best practices. We will deliberately explore public private partnership (PPP) as a philosophy for the development of all critical sectors,” he stated.
The governor further said the land is green, blessed, fertile and supportive of agriculture, coupled with the serene and clementine weather condition favourable for special agricultural products stressing that he will adopt a pragmatic approach to ensure food sufficiency, food security, expanded employment generation and higher income levels.
He also said special attention would be given to agricultural products in which the state has comparative advantage to address the scourge of poverty. He disclosed that underperforming and moribund agricultural institutions such as Agricultural Service Training Company (ASTC), Plateau Agricultural Development Programme (PADP), and the re-acquired Brewery Agro Research Company (BARC) farm among others shall be reinvigorated.
Earlier, there was a state banquet and thanksgiving service held in honour of the governor during which he made it clear that though he was not interested in witch-hunting anybody in the immediate past administration in the state, he would invite whoever is accused to come and answer questions on whatever Plateau commonwealth that should not be taken away for self-benefits.
Also speaking with LEADERSHIP Weekend on what the new administration should do to achieve lasting peace in the state, the executive director, Youth Initiative Against Violence and Human Rights Abuse (YIAVHA), a Jos-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), Comrade Pwakim Jacob Choji said there is the need to expand the operations of the “Operation Rainbow” to accommodate quasi security outfits for effective policing.
He also argued that the Plateau Peace Building Agency should be programmed to work with civil society organisations through the Plateau Peace Practitioners Network. According to him, this would enhance sustained collaboration that has proven to be effective in other climes.
He added that there is also the need to organise a second version of the “Plateau resolve” culminating in a series of dialogue where all critical actors within the conflict space are convened and listened to, to identify grievances and arrive at an actionable resolution. “Resolution at the conference will be strategically implemented under the coordination of the PPBA and PPPN, he stated.”
He added that this will lead people to restorative justice and the safe return of people to their ancestral lands while the Plateau State Inter-Religious Council should be re-structured so that it is not just a ceremonial platform with many people but a congregation of people across the different religious lines and influential sects and denominations.
Choji stressed that they should be able to influence policies and become the face of inter-religious policies. He further said that the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) should be empowered to be ready to effectively support emergency situations while the governor should publish monthly reports about the state of peace in the state.
“This will be used as an advocacy tool to mobilise both human and financial support to promote peace,” he concluded.
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