The Transition Committee set up to prepare the
hand over note between the former Governor of
plateau state and the current Governor of the
state Bar. Simon Lalong has on Tuesday
submitted its Findings to the State Government.
In attendance during the presentation of the
report include, the Speaker Plateau State house
of Assembly, Peter Azi, former Deputy Governor,
Dame Pauline Tallen, Ambassador Yahaya
Kwande, Air Marshal Jonah Wuyep(rtd), General
John Timlong(rtd), Prof. Gabriel Lombin, the
Chairman Traditional Council of Chiefs, HRH
Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Gyang Buba and other
prominent Sons and Daughters of the state and
Party stalwarts.
Presenting the report, the Chairman of the
Committee, and Deputy Governor of Plateau
state, Prof. Sony Tyoden stated that the
Committee headed by him has indicted the
former Governor Jonah David Jang who left
total of N222.3 billion debt by May, 2015 when
left office.
The report stated that; “The committee which
was made up of 12 Central Committee Members
and 188 other members was broken into 27 sub-
committees, each handling a particular aspect
of government operation. All the sub-
committees completed their assignments and
the report was today submitted on behalf of the
members for government’s attention and
necessary action.”
“Because of the importance of some of the
recommendations for the emplacement of good
governance; the urgent need to address the
issue of key appointments needed to steer the
process of governance; and also the need to
correct evident lapses in some actions and
policies of government resulting in inequities
and gross injustices, we urge that His
Excellency should study our report carefully with
a view to implementing the recommendations
made herein,” the report stated.
According to Prof. Tyoden in his report said that
from the findings of the transition committee,
plateau State has been rendered prostate, as he
added thus; “As a result, the task ahead is not
going to be easy, thus the need for the
government and the people of Plateau State to
brace up for the challenges ahead. As
government prepares to take the hard decisions
that will be required to correct the mistakes of
the past and reposition government for the
arduous task of rebuilding Plateau, the actions
of government should be put in proper context.”
According to the report of the committee it
stated thus; “The government is not out on a
vendetta to witch-hunt anybody, but it has a
duty to correct whatever mistakes that might
have been made, so that we can have a more
prosperous and united future on a platform of
equity, fairness and justice for all. Your
Excellency, distinguished ladies and gentlemen,
from our findings, we wish to observe that while
governance between 2007 and 2011 can be said
to have been conducted along familiar lines,
with some semblance of respect for known
rules of procedure and civilized democratic
governance, after 2011, there was a sharp
decline and the descent of governance to the
level of bestiality, where impunity, nepotism,
sectionalism became the order of the day, with
dire consequences for good governance, the
unity of state and the collective welfare of the
vast majority of the people of Plateau State.”
“For a poor state like Plateau, the management
of government funds and finances left much to
be desired. The committee encountered many
instances of wanton irregular and doubtful
expenditure, misapplication of funds and
disregard for laid down known financial rules
and regulations. Day-to-day administration
witnessed the grotesque monopolization of
power by a clique and the personalization of
authority and the instruments of government.
For instance, there was an individual who was a
jack of all trades, who appropriated three titles
to himself, each conveying separate and
identifiable functions. He was a “Statistician-
General”, a “Salary Administrator” and a
“General Manager” all at the same time,” the
report stated.
“With such arrogance of power Your Excellency,
you can imagine the damage that was visited on
the process of governance. Moreso, when laid
down rules and regulations and known
governmental procedures were deliberately
jettisoned and desecrated with impunity,
resulting in a situation where government
processes were reduced to the whims of
individual government officials, with dire
consequences for service delivery and good
governance. This is as infrastructural
development and road construction in particular,
where some appreciable impact could be said to
have been achieved, one cannot but be struck
by the lopsidedness and selective distribution of
such facilities and services, as 80% of such
projects were located in a particular section of
one senatorial district.”
The Report further stated that; “Another cause
for concern here also, is the penchant for the
then government to bite more than it could
chew, thus so many projects were embarked
upon at the same time without a clear picture
of the source to finance them, resulting in the
large number of uncompleted projects that
currently litter the city of Jos and its environs
and a corresponding accumulation of unpaid
certificates and bills on the table of the
Accountant General.”
The report stated thus; “While specific and
general recommendations have been made in
our report, I want to crave your indulgence to
draw your attention and highlight a few areas of
interest; First, is the issue of the need to settle
the discrepancy between what the State got as
income and what was left at the exit of the out
gone government. From the records, between
May 2007 and May 2015, the sum of N525.35
billion was the total income accruing to the
State, statutory allocations inclusive, but the
state was left with a debt of N222.3 billion by
May, 2015. In other words, the sum of N747.65
billion could be said to have been expended on
Plateau State citizens, in the last eight years.
Looking at the State in its current condition, we
are at a lost where all this money went to.”
“Secondly, the Central Bank of Nigeria remitted
the sum of N2billion to the coffers of Plateau
State Government for the benefit of small and
medium scale industries in the state. However,
about 90% of this amount which was remitted to
the state on the 17th of March, 2015 was drawn
in two days (between 24th and 26th March
2015), for unexplained expenditure, without a
single small and medium scale enterprise in the
state benefitting from the money, yet the hand-
over notes dated 29th May 2015, stated that the
government was yet to access the fund. Third,
and in addition, various sums totalling N6.1
billion were transferred from the accounts of
SUBEB, SURE-P and Ministry of Local
Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, to State
Government accounts, without justifiable
explanations on how the funds were used
“Fourthly, on the 27th of May 2015, four
political appointees of a certain government
agency who were not entitled to severance
allowances as specified by the Revenue
Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission, illegally
paid themselves the sum of N30million,
severance allowance. Five, the hand-over notes
received from the proceeding government
claimed the level of indebtedness of the
government was N103.9 billion as of May, 2015.
Our findings put the figure at N222.3 billion.
Furthermore, what was left as credit in all the
government accounts put together, was
N93million.”
“Sixthly, while the out gone government claimed
to have spent N8.6 billion on the new
government house at little Rayfield, our findings
put the figure at N16.4 billion and work is still
on-going. Seven, the sum of N28.2 billion was
raised from the capital market on the eve of the
departure of the former government ostensibly
to refinance existing state loans in three
commercial banks. Government will need to
have a second look at the status of the projects
covered by the bond. Eight, the sum of N420
million was said to have been released to Kaiser
Trading House Ltd for the supply of fertilizers
and the establishment of the fertilizer project in
Foron. A visit to the site shows no development
on ground, thus the need for further
investigation on this transaction and project to
know where the money went. Nine, in the same
vein, the sum of N2.28 billion was said to have
been invested in the Kuru Cassava project.
While work has started at the site, there is need
for further investigation to determine whether or
not the amount of money said to have been
expended, is commensurate with what is on the
ground. In addition, the whereabouts of two
containers with tools and imported equipment
for the project which could not be traced by the
committee need to be established.”
“Ten, many appointments and promotions were
made during the tenure of the preceding
government and particularly before its departure
that did not follow due process. To rejuvenate
the Civil Service and boost morale among our
workers, such appointments and placements will
need to be reviewed, giving due cognizance to
seniority, merit and State character. Eleven,
given the lean resources at the disposal of
government, it is the view of the committee that
the structure of government might need to be
reconsidered and trimmed down, while
government needs to rethink the continuation of
some practices and patronages that add no
evident value to the welfare of the people of
Plateau State. Twelve, some institutions of
government demonstrated institutional
weakness giving rise to the series of abuses of
procedure and office witnessed during the
tenure of the last regime.
“The membership of such government
institutions and agencies will need to be
reassessed to place square pegs in square holes
and to create a basis for functional efficiency in
government. Thirteen, it is a cause for concern
that despite the hype on the use of biometric
technology to unravel the exact number of civil
servants in the employment of the Plateau
State government, two years later and after the
heavy investment on the exercise, we still do
not know how many workers we have and the
exercise seems unending. Government should
take a closer look at the whole biometric
exercise and determine whether the investment
has been worth it and take necessary action.
Your Excellency, as can be seen from the
nature of some of the issues highlighted above,
there may be need to set up more specialized
technical or audit committees and the
engagement of security agencies to conduct
further investigation. This we suggest should be
done as soon as possible. Furthermore, sir, we
need to buttress the point that though
governance is a continuous process, government
must be guided by what is in the best interest
of the State. Plateau has suffered enough, we
need to look forward and move as a family,
united by brotherhood and commitment, to
enthrone fairness, equity and justice which are
the hallmarks of good governance.”

Source: Www.universalreporters.com

More for SNAIL-BABA to probe!

If this is true, then the Ex-Gov should be tried and straight to jail he goes to meet his 'stealing is no corruption crew!'

Ahan, werin happen? was he governing the 35 other states while in office, hw come d dept is dis huge?

?!

That is a lot of debt

Damm!!!

This is not possible. We really need to stop lying in Nigeria

op na debt and not dept oh