IT WAS A RARE OPPORTUNITY...-DAYYABU GARGA THANKS GOVERNOR LALONG,OTHERS

For the journey of a thousand miles they say,begins with a step.I feel greater steps are taken when determination,sincerity and purposefulness are also attached to it,the end becomes positively remarkable.

These are some of my words to you as the journey brings us here.

Permit me to with all humility thank His Excellency Rt.Hon.Barr.(DR) Simon Bako Lalong,Leader of the Rescue Team and Executive Governor of Plateau State for the once in a lifetime opportunity given me to serve this state during the past six years of this administration.For me the past years helped in garnering more experience,building additional structures of life,service delivery to the people as well as having another family in the chapter of life.

Serving under your leadership as an Honorable Commissioner in two distinct ministries,The Ministry For Local Government And Chieftaincy Affairs and The Ministry For Physical Planning And Urban Development where moments of great teaching in the art of public governance which I believe was done to the best of my ability as testimonies will be there to speak.

Sir,it was also wonderful and fulfilling having you paired me with my fellow Commissioner Colleagues as well as other critical members of the team where we formed synergy in delivering those critical policies and Programmes of Government for the overall development of the state.

It was indeed worthy first working across and with the entire seventeen local governments of the state as a Commissioner,this has in no small way positioned me for what I have decided to by the grace of God venture into so as to serve my people the more at the grassroots as Executive Chairman of Kanam Local Government Council.

Seeing me still worthy was my reappointment as Commissioner in the Ministry For Physical Planning And Urban Development which further added to my knowledge in the areas of delivering critical infrastructure for our communities with the aim of bringing and building communities in to world view.

This I will in no way forget sir as I pray God to further bless you with the wisdom to continue to lead.

To my brothers and Sisters whom I have worked with as Commissioners,I thank you so much for the team work.

Also appreciation goes to Management and Staff of the two Ministries I worked with in this whole journey.

My last place of assignment was the Ministry For Physical Planning And Urban Development where I met a great team.Thank you for working well with me and making history.This will remain in me.

For anyone in the course of the journey that we may have had issues in the process of executing our mandates,I ask for forgiveness as I have offered same to whoever has done same to me.Life is a journey and we are bound to meet ahead.

As I journey back into another moment of service to my dear people of Kanam Local Government Area,may I seize this opportunity to thank you all for the tremendous support you gave me all the while in the civil service and till now that I am returning to serve you more directly.

I would like to inform you that this will be another moment for us to open up the vistas of unity and development through greater commitment and sacrifice for our people.

I am very ready to work with you all and continue in the process of redefining Kanam.

The next few days in this journey will see us continue in engaging more directly with the people and having more access into other challenges they have.

Together with you all shall be our dream for a robust development of our people.

We are willing and ready to serve through your Mandate.

We shall go door to door to assure the people of this.

My Gratitude Knows No Bounds.

THIS IS THE MANDATE.

THANK YOU ALL.

HON.ALH.(DR) DAYYABU YUSUF GARGA,WALIN GARGA.

IMMEDIATE PAST COMMISSIONER,MINISTRY FOR PHYSICAL PLANNING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.

APC CHAIRMANSHIP FLAG BEARER,KANAM LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL,PLATEAU STATE.

Prof. Dakas Felicitates with Plateau Youth Council

On behalf of myself and family, I wish to heartily congratulate the entire Executive Council of the Plateau Youth Council (PYC), on its inauguration which marked the beginning of the task vested on it by the entire vibrant and productive youths of Plateau state.

 Your emergence as well as your consequent oath taking is very well a commendable one which will stand the test of time in the history books of Plateau state.

As the fulcrum of the society, I enjoin you to live up to the standard required of you in the defence of the youths and the heritage of Plateau State.

I urge you all to work as a team and also in synergy with the state government as well as all stakeholders to ensure that progress is made in the state. 

I wish to also appreciate His Excellency, The Executive Governor of Plateau state, Rt. Hon. Dr. Simon Bako Lalong (KSGG) for his youth friendly disposition at all times. 

May the good Lord grant you the needed wisdom to pilot the affairs of your individual and collective offices to the glory of God and for the benefit of Plateau Youths and Nigeria as a whole.

Accept once more, my warmest congratulations of the highest esteem.

Sign

Prof Dakas C.J.Dakas, SAN

LALONG TO INAUGURATE TASK FORCE ON LAND GRABBING; DECRIED THE EXPLOITATION OF THE YOUTHS BY SOME UNSCRUPULOUS POLITICIANS

Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong has asked the people of Plateau State to take advantage of

the Anti-Land Grabbing Law signed early this year and seek redress over any land forcefully or illegally taken from them.

This is even as the Governor says he will soon inaugurate an Anti-land Grabbing Task Force to also follow up on such complaints and ensure that justice prevails.

Governor Lalong was speaking at the inauguration of the new leadership of the Plateau Youth Council (PYC) at the Azi Nyako Youth Centre in Dadin Kowa Jos, where he charged the leadership of the youth body to work for greater peace and security of Plateau State.

Lalong decried the exploitation of the youths by some unscrupulous politicians who stop at nothing to spread lies against his administration using such false narratives relating to land and other matters.

He said “Contrary to this mischief, our Government is the first in the history of Plateau State and one of the few, if not the only one in Nigeria to sign anti-land grabbing law which we initiated as an Executive Bill. To date, no one has either approached the Courts to lodge any complaint of land grabbing or even sent a petition to me. Yet you hear this narrative being spread like wildfire. Similarly, our efforts to end conflicts between farmers and farmers are being ignored and twisted for politics. We established the Peace Building Agency, which has conducted series of dialogue sessions across the State. In Bassa alone, there have been more than 34 sessions. We succeeded in bringing Berom and Fulani together in Barkin Ladi and they reached an agreement on how to live in peace”.

The Governor, therefore, charged the youths to shun being used by unpatriotic elements who take joy in creating disharmony, and rancour in the State just to have political relevance.

“I appeal to you to ignore and reject such character assassination ploys by those who want to use you to achieve their selfish agenda. Beware of politicians who do not have anything to offer to you except to cook up lies and pull down others under the guise of standing with the people. Let them tell you what they are bringing or have brought to the table when they were in office” he said.

He congratulated the new leadership of the youths for their election and urged them to continue to support the Government as it works towards improving the lot of the youths and creating job opportunities.

New Chairman of the Plateau Youth Council, Comrade Lot Sunday Adas said the youths in Plateau must rise up and show their readiness and commitment to pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival, progress and success as all citizens of the State irrespective of their backgrounds.

He also promised to work with the Government in ensuring that the youths get empowerment and job creation opportunities.

 

Commissioner for Youths and Sports Victor Lapang, immediate PYC Chairman, Dr. Fabong Jemchang thanked the Governor for his youth-friendly disposition and asked him to continuously open doors of opportunities to the youths.

Dr. Makut Simon Macham

Director of Press & Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State.

9th September 2021

FALLOUT OF THE CTC RECOMMENDATIONS:

EIGHT ELECTED WARD CHAIRMEN FROM SIX LGA'S FILED COURT CASES AGAINST PLATEAU STATE CTC AND THE NATIONAL WORKING COMMITTEE

Leadership crisis bedevilling the People Democratic Party, PDP might seem not to be over with the recommendations of the Care-taker Committee, CTC that nullified nineteen (19) Wards Chairmen election.

In a bid to resolve the lingering crisis, which emanated during its congresses which led to the setting up of the Caretaker Committee by the National Working Committee of PDP, the CTC had invited the Ward Chairmen including those that contested to a meeting and thereafter nullified the election of eight out of nineteenth elected ward chairmen. 

Dissatisfied with the decision of the CTC, the affected Wards Chairmen mobilize their supporters and went to the party office to demand the reasons for the nullification of the election in their respective Wards and the decision to conduct a fresh election even when they are yet to be served with any petitions against them. At the state party secretariat they, however, met the chairman of the CTC sub-committee, Hon Mike Dapianglong, and the Organizing Secretary who addresses them, informing them that the meeting will not hold again because of a directive from the NWC of the party, these did not go down well with the ward chairmen who had travelled from far. 

Consequently, the alleged PDP ward chairmen who were dissatisfied with the arrangement decided to file a petition in the state High Court to seek redress.

They are, however calling on those concerns most especially the CTC to intervene in order not to allow the party to go back to the dark days of numerous litigation 

LG polls: Victory for democracy in Kaduna State- El-Rufai

Remarks by Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, on the Local Government Elections of 4th September 2021, delivered on Tuesday, 7th September 2021

 

1. With utmost humility, I wish to express profound gratitude to the people of Kaduna State for the largely peaceful and orderly conduct of the local government elections of 4th September 2021. On behalf of the Kaduna State Government, I pay tribute to the residents of our state for their maturity and sophistication in exercising their democratic right to freely choose their leaders at the local level.

 

2. As Governor of Kaduna State, I have always taken the view that we all win when democracy triumphs. We congratulate all the winners in the local government elections and challenge them to use their period in office to serve the people, uphold democratic tenets and promote peace in our state. These local government elections have demonstrated that the APC government of Kaduna State stands resolutely for free and fair elections. We have placed the credibility and integrity of the electoral process above the discredited practice of previous governments that sought to win every contested seat by all means

 

3. I commend the people of Kaduna State for showing, for the second time, that there is no obstacle to the successful adoption of electronic voting technology in Nigeria. In 2021, the people of Kaduna State have repeated the conclusive argument first made in 2018 for our country as a whole to fully automate the voting process. 

 

4. Voters in Kaduna State first made history on 12th May 2018 when they cast their ballots on electronic voting machines to elect chairmen and councillors for the 23 local government councils in our state. It is the participation of our people that has placed Kaduna State as the first in Nigeria to use electronic voting, the first subnational in Africa to do so and has also positioned Nigeria as only the second country in Africa after Namibia to use the technology.

 

5. The local government elections of 4th September 2021 further validate the Kaduna State Government’s decision to invest in Electronic Voting Machines to promote electoral integrity and transparency. Kaduna State is proudly upholding a new chapter in elections in Nigeria, using electronic voting technology, championed by a government that is determined to respect the outcome, win or lose.

 

6. As an elected governor, I welcome the successful impact on deepening democracy of the policy decision we took to adopt electronic voting. It is our hope that elected leaders at the local level will use their democratic mandates to advance the reforms we have introduced in local government administration in the interest of our people.

 

7. As leader of the APC in Kaduna State, I wish to express fulsome gratitude to the people of Kaduna State for the support they gave our candidates during the local government elections. Our people again demonstrated with their votes that they recognise our efforts to empower them, to educate their children properly, to secure better healthcare for them and to return their priorities to the heart of government.

 

8. I am particularly pleased that our governance attainments and determined efforts to promote democracy are helping to further unity in our state. We welcome the results in the Kaduna South Senatorial District as a significant step in advancing political consensus in our state and overcoming division. We are most grateful to the people of the Kaduna South Senatorial District whose votes have helped expand the APC’s footprint in the area. The voters have given the APC victory in four of the seven local government where elections were conducted in southern Kaduna.

 

9. In addition to retaining Sanga and Kagarko which we won in 2018, the APC has won in Jema’a and Kauru local government councils. The unprecedented victory in Jema’a augurs well for advancing unity and commitment to common endeavours in the interest of unity, peace and progress in our state. It is an embrace that we do not take for granted. We accept it as a moment for opening new vistas, extending bridges and saying farewell to needless divisions.

 

10. This emphatic statement at the ballot box has shattered the unhelpful myth that any part of our state is an impregnable stronghold of any party. It has removed the baseless stereotyping of certain parties as ethnic bastions and religious vehicles. I call on all leaders and citizens in our state to cherish this moment and make it the beginning of an enduring rapprochement. I say to every part of Kaduna State that we can achieve much together if we put our minds and our hearts to it.

 

11. Once again, I thank all the people of Kaduna State. It is humbling and reassuring that after six years in office, our people find our record of service compelling enough to vote for us. Our opponents portrayed the local government elections as a referendum on the performance of our government. The people have repudiated the vain hopes of an entitled segment of the political elite that our people would punish us at the polls for taking consequential decisions in favour of ordinary people.  The people have spoken again, and their views resoundingly denounce the selfish claims of political merchants. They have rejected populist timidity as credible political behaviour in a state that seeks rapid and enduring progress.

 

12. Our party has won a great victory across the state. We salute those who voted for us. We did not win every local government, although we campaigned hard to do well everywhere. And having worked hard to make our case to the people, we respect the views of those who chose differently!

 

13. We have restored democracy at the local level. We have reformed the local government system, enabling them to deliver services at the grassroots and for the bankrupt ones to move to solvency. And we hope that the newly elected officials will run these councils in an inspiring, new way. The elected chairmen and councillors, of any party, assume a sacred obligation to deliver for the people, to move closer to realising the goal for which they were established. We are convinced that democratic governance at the local level must have a substantive, real impact in the lives of people.

 

14. I wish to put on record our gratitude for the efforts of Dr. Saratu Dikko- Audu and her team at SIECOM for successfully repeating a revolution in election management in Nigeria. I thank the security agencies for providing a safe canopy for our people to joyfully exercise their democratic preferences.

 

15. However, we have sadly noted that those political forces that do not want free and fair elections tried to sabotage the process. We will investigate and prosecute those indicted.

 

16. As a government, we are grateful for this resounding endorsement. We do not have much time to savour the victory. We get back to work, to continue to do our best until the next elections.‬‬

 

God bless Kaduna State!

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!

HON KOMSOL FLAGS OFF THE CONSTRUCTION OF 15 KILOMETERS ROAD

 Set to distribute 300 motorcycles, and disburse N500, 000 to over fifty beneficiaries.

It was a moment of joy and celebrations as traditional rulers and people of Gidan Adamu, Kwapka, Nbet, and Piapun defy the rainy seasons and roll out their drums to applaud the member representing Shendam, Mikang, and Quan-Pan Federal Constituency Hon. Alphonsus Longgap Komsol as he led a team of engineers and some management staff of the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority to flag of the construction of the age-long multimillion naira abandoned road project.

Performing the handing over  ceremony of the site to contractor Hon Komsol reiterated that the road project is very dear to his heart because it will not only link more than five farming communities but it will boost their agricultural production and livelihood.

Komsol further noted that he has mandated the contractor to engage the services of the people of the communities most especially the youths in the provision of unskilled or manual labor.

He also announced that plans have been concluded to distributes three hundred (300) motorcycles, and disburse Five Hundred Thousand (N500 000) empowerment to over fifty beneficiaries in his constituency, he further announces that approval was given for the construction of Secondary school in Kwapka.

Hon. Komsol use the occasion to call on the people of his constituency to embrace peaceful coexistence as he eulogized the Governor of Plateau State Rt. Hon Simon Bako Lalong for his developmental strides and untiring efforts in peace building and initiatives.    

The representative of the company handling the road projects, Valentino Construction Company Limited, Engr. Tadas Okonkwo, said, the total sum for the First Phase of the fifteen kilometres (15km) road project is two hundred and thirty-two million naira, (N232 Million) and the road projects will be carried out based on the Federal Roads Projects specifications and standards, which will be under the supervision of Lower Benue Basin development Agency. 

Amongst those who spoke at the flagging off were the Long Piapun, APC Deputy Chairman Shendam LGA, Chairman APC Panshur ward and the Director-General Hon Komsol Campaigned Organizations. Both of them praised the member for his doggedness and passion for the welfare of his people, they prayed for him to succeed in all that he does and they promised to support him to do more.    

THE RUNDOWN OF HON KOMSOL ALPHONSUS LONGAP SCORECARD IN HIS CONSTITUENCY

Constructions of 22 three classroom blocks spread across the constituency

Construction and equipping of two ICT centers,

Construction of Yashi-Delrit and Gun road,

Drilling of 30 hand boreholes,

Drilling of 20 motorized boreholes,

Distribution of six trailers load of fertilizers to farmers,

Sponsoring of 3000 students to write JAMB examinations,

Installation of 500 solar streets light,

Empowerment of 50 women with N5000 each,

Rehabilitation of Sabon Gida, Bakin Kogi Bridge which was on the verge of collapse,

Reintroducing the bill for the establishment of Federal Polytechnic Shendam has been approved,

Distribution of relief materials to victims of the flood,

Distribution of personal protective equipment as well as palliatives to constituents during COVID 19 pandemic and

Distribution and Christmas and Sallah packages during festive seasons among others free will gifts and donations.

THE SLEEP OF A RAINBOW MAN: LATE DR. JOHN KUT-DANG JINUNG

By Ayuba Yilgak'ha 

I had just woken up from sleep when i saw a post on the demise of Nde Dr. John Kut-dang Jinung. That was on August 28, 2021. To be sure it was a reality, I sent Short Message Service (SMS) to a bossom friend with whom I had had, at least, two very important meetings with and the deceased.  My friend confirmed the sad news as I took a very deep breath and then  told myself 'such is life'! 

Death is a responsibility which cannot be delegated. Therefore, the deceased has come to terms with this reality and have shouldered his gallantly while leaving us with the pain of abruptly missing his motivations.

I got wind of the  loaded name Dr. John Kut-dang Jinung in his Plateau AIDS Control Agency (PLACA) days but I only met him in person recently. And since we met, our close interface has continued until his death.

Perhaps the best way to describe the departed Dr. is to see him as a networking rainbow man. Call him a repository of dynamic and rainbow of network and ideas!

He was highly resourceful and innovative. Strategic. Proactive. Visionary. He was so dogged and more importantly a dedicated servant of God. By his disposition, Late Dr. John Jinung was a mentor per excellence.

It was the deceased's mentorship that attracted some of us to keep a date with him all through. His passion for genuine socio-economic and political transformation which we all want to see in our society was unparalleled and I have learned quite alot from his contagious mentorship.

The resourcefulness and innovativeness of Late Nde John Jinung is represented by his physical legacies. He facilitated the establishment and management of PLACA which contributed emensely in halting HIV/AIDS which, at a point, was a scourge in Plateau State and Nigeria. You cannot mention the establishment of platforms like HELP international, Arput Development Network, Plateau Indegenous Development Association Network (PIDAN), Leadership and Development Academy (LADAN), etc without referring to Dr. Jinung of blessed memory.

The deceased was dogged and could easily adapt to change as expressly shown in his survival capabilities both in public and private sector life. After his voluntary retirement from the Nigerian police; he went to make indelible makes in marks in the service of Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) through his expertise in resources mobilisation towards the church's development projects and evangelism. Late  Dr. Jinung also went from his meritorious service in the church to be a superstar in the civil society sphere both locally and internationally.

Indeed, at the family level Late Dr. Jinung was a pillar and a rallying point; at the church's level, he was a resource mobiliser and passionate preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ; while at the community level, he was a springboard of practical and progressive ideas. At 67 the deceased died a fulfilled man after generously emptying his bowl of ideas and energies in the service of the community and generation he was born to impact. 

The gamtion, dynamism, doggedness and above all the kingdom mindedness of Late Nde John Jinung were unanymously attested to by sympathisers throughout the activities leading to his burial. At home and abroad,  these attributes were rare human endowment mix which translated into useful effects in the lives of the high and mighty; the low and the weak across all levels of human society.

The story of Late Nde Dr. John Jinung is a classical narrative of a man who leapfrogged from a very humble background to be a big and reliable shed where succour could be drawn with ease. It was lessons and legacies in balanced success this special breed of a man cultivated and left for us to practically emulate for better life. The statement his life made was loud and clear and we who are left behind are encouraged to bear the touch of his glorious sense of vision and mission for humanity even as we bit him farewell.

The Ngas nation has again lose one of its finest and brightest elder statesmen, one who believed strongly about the prospects of Ngas Nation, Plateau and Nigeria. This sad development is coming at a critical time when the services of this man of many colourful parts were needed most. Anyway, it is the verdict of "The Uncaused Cause and The Unmoved Mover" and nobody can question it!

I wish the dead could hear us from this side so I can ask the departed Late Dr. John Kut-dang Jinung, Sir, where do we go from here? This is because the deceased gave me two assignments which were duly concluded and reported back to him with the expectation that the next assignment will come then, kachaow, death struck. As it turns out, the expectation I had was only mine; the deceased had exhausted all the assignments that were needed to be assigned. 

Sleep tight rainbow man of ideas. May God reward his investments in humanity and console the immediate family, Ngas Nation, the Civil Society universal, Plateau state and Nigeria.

*(Modest thoughts with Ayuba Yilgak'ha, d 8, 2021; SMS: 08116181263; Email: loisayuba420@gmail.com)*