By: Valentine Adese (JP) and Paul Naomi,
The crisis that is rocking the Plateau State House of Assembly has in few hours ago, robbed off on some of the elders and stakeholders in the state.
The first victims are the former governor of the state, Sen. Jonah David Jang and the incumbent Governor, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong.
Their aides have also become part of the ongoing face-off, as they have taken to the media to ventilate their anger and throw tantrums at each other with their principals watching and the people reading.
You would recall that, REALITY had reported that, Plateau State Government through, Hon. Dan Manjang, the State Commissioner of Information and Communication, had in a press statement, dated 4th November, 2021, signed personally by him, stated that, the person that should be actually held responsible for the disturbances in the House of Assembly is Sen. Jonah Jang, who is the unveiled Masquerade or “hand of Esau”
According to the text, Hon. Manjang stated that, “The person we should actually hold responsible for the disturbances in the House of Assembly is the unveiled masquerade or “hand of Esau” that has finally revealed himself after working behind the scenes to divide the House. If not, when did we have a situation where minority PDP opposition members turn out to be the only ones behind an APC Speaker? This is an aberration that Governor Jang should explain to the people of Plateau State and all lovers of democracy. Could he have ever tolerated such during his regime? But Governor Lalong doesn’t care to meddle like former Governor Jang because the legislature is an independent arm that determines its leadership and runs its affairs”.
Responding to Plateau State Government’s allegations on his principal, Clinton Garuba, the Media Consultant to Senator (Dr) Jonah David Jang said in a rejoinder that, he has read with dismay and utmost pity, the statement of the Plateau State Government, signed by the Commissioner of Information and Communication, Hon. Dan Manjang in which he tried to reduce the pedigree of Senator (Dr) Jonah David Jang, just to enable his paymaster come close to be compared to the former governor.
“He struggled hard as they have always tried to do, but failed once again to make any substantial sense. As a friend, let me start off with a friendly advice to the Commissioner. Former Governor Jonah David Jang cannot be compared with your principal!”
Adding that, “There is no basis for comparison! Jang had a fulfilling military career, survived a civil war, and rose to the rank of a General, two-time military governor, won two elections on the Plateau and was elected to the Senate and instead of resting he is forced to speak because of the lackluster performance of the current administration, which is destroying what he built”.
READ THE FULL REJOINDER BELOW:-
RE: RESPONSE BY PLATEAU STATE GOVERNMENT TO STATEMENT BY FORMER GOVERNOR JANG
I have read with dismay and utmost pity, the statement of the Plateau State Government, signed by the Commissioner of Information and Communication, Hon. Dan Manjang in which he tried reduce the pedigree of Senator (Dr) Jonah David Jang just so his paymaster could come close to a being compared to the former Governor.
He struggled hard as they have always tried to do but failed once again to make any substantial sense. As a friend, let me start off with a friendly advice to the Commissioner, former Governor Jonah David Jang cannot be compared with your principal. There is no basis for comparison! Jang had a fulfilling military career, survived a civil war, and rose to the rank of a General, two-time military governor, won two elections on the plateau and was elected to the Senate and instead of resting he is forced to speak because of the lacklustre performance of the current administration, which is destroying what he built.
It is not surprising that he struggled hard, knowing well that Senator Jang has had a distinguished career not just as a military officer, Administrator but also an outstanding outing as the Governor of Plateau State, an office his principal is struggling and wangling through, little or nothing tangible to show for holding the office except the being the lapdog of some perceived owners of power in Nigeria. The footprints of Senator Jonah Jang as one of the best Governors that Plateau State has ever produced are there for everyone to see and no amount of lies or distortion of the achievements of his administration will fly.
For a man who failed in his responsibility as a Special Adviser (Media) in the Jang administration, it is only a non performing government that will find him suitable for Commissionership and, of Information and Communication for that matter. All attempts to rubbish the person of Senator Jang in order to please your employer or those in whose good books you wish to be recorded, will end as an exercise in futility.
It is not only pitiable but laughable to think that Senator Jang will condescend so low to the point of being insinuated that he is behind the avoidable drama happening in the Plateau State House of Assembly. If the Commissioner learned anything from or about Jang when he had the opportunity to serve under him, he should have known better than to engage in that kind of infantile imagination. It is however not surprising, the remain relevant and find acceptance, the puppet must keep dancing to the tune of the puppeteer.
Senator Jang does not require the endorsement of Governor Lalong’s administration, his towering credentials which the Commissioner chose to call anti-democratic are the very reason why name Jang remains a nightmare to them. For a government which rode to power on the goodwill of the people, it is unfortunate that all of that has not only fizzled out but was squandered on the pursuit of personal political gains over the collective welfare and wellbeing of the Plateau people.
Both the Commissioner and his principal knows that Jang has done in Plateau State what the government of the day could not. In fact, even if they wanted to, time has been wasted chasing frivolities at the detriment of governance and plateau people can’t wait for 2023 to correct the mistake of voting the APC into power.
The commissioner saying that Jang calling for action to save democracy is calling kettle black simply speaks more about the kind of person he is. When the ‘Honourable’ Commissioner of information and Communication speaks and write like a motor park tout, there is nothing to be expected from what he says.
Yes! There were changes in the leadership of the House of Assembly during the administration of former Governor Jonah Jang but all of these changes were done following due process and the governor accepted the changes and never attempted to interfere. That. Indeed, shows that democracy was allowed to evolve and take root, unlike the brazen show of power drunkenness exhibited by the Lalong administration. At no time during the changes in the House leadership in the past had it elicited the kind of response the forceful removal of the speaker by Lalong administration is getting.
Senator Jang is not bothered a bit, whoever the speaker is, that is the problem with this government, they can also see through their myopic self-centered lenses, all we are saying is follow due process, six 6 persons cannot impeach a speaker.
It is a pity that the Commissioner will display his ignorance of happenings in Nigeria in, it is not strange, because his worldview is that shaped by desire those who pay him. He would do anything to sustain himself in the corridors of power, in spite of poor performance, a laxity which Senator was not willing to accommodate and had to sack him. He hold personal grudges against Jang for sacking him, whatever opportunity he gets, he will surely utilise, to take his pound of flesh, where none really exists.
The Honourable Members of the Plateau State House of Assembly have the right irrespective of party affiliation to support whoever they want to support, that the PDP members in the Assembly have joined their Honurable brothers in the APC who don’t subscribe to the arm twisting of Governor Lalong should tell the Commissioner that they are digging deeper into infamy. If an unpopular decision is taken, you do not expect that a majority should go with it, common sense should say so, but it evades those whose dealings are shrouded in self-denial and delusions of grandeaur over non-existent, self-acclaimed political credentials.
Governor Lalong may wish to hold many positions as he chooses unfortunately, none of the so called ‘national’ position has any political, economic or social value for Plateau State. Instead, governance has taken flight while he traverses the country, nay, shuttles to villa and Kaduna only to be an errand boy of the traducers of the people who voted him.
As for the EFCC case, Commissioner Dan Manjang should attend court session and see how their witnesses are fumbling in courts and how the EFCC has been calling for adjournments because they don’t have a case. That the Lalong administration thought that it will rubbish the name of former Governor Jang who did well for and stood in defence of his people by using the EFCC to institute a case is only a way of takin attention off the main issues in the State. Dan Manjang may wish to note that the case is dead on arrival and it is only a matter of time before it will be thrown out.
I hope that the Commissioner is seeing the comments from Plateau people trailing his release on his social media handles. I would have considered the release an idiotic post but for the respect I have for him as a friend and brother.
I also hope that the Commissioner not only claims but believes that “Plateau State belongs to all and nobody should destroy it for his selfish ambition.”
The Commissioner may wish to note that insults from a misguided son like him is the least price the Senator can pay for the sake of Plateau, thus, even before asking, he has been forgiven. Senator Jang is that magnanimous.
Clinton Garuba
Media Consultant to Senator (Dr) Jonah David Jang
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