By: Valentine Adese (JP),
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Plateau State chapter has reiterated that, with less than a year to go of the administration of Governor Simon Lalong the corruption profile of the state is on the rise.
The party in a press release, dated 20th June, 2022, signed by John T Akans, (ksm Fcia JP), the State Publicity Secretary, also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Governor, of not being ashamed of the development.
“Even with less than a year to go, the administration of Governor Simon Lalong is shamelessly unperturbed about his rising corrupt profile because of the disdain the government has for Plateau people.
“Thick and conscienceless corruption and leadership failure has undoubtedly been the bane of Plateau State for the past 7 years with the people giving up on anything good coming in the next few months.
This is no longer news for the state”. The PDP release stated in part.
READ THE PDP PRESS RELEASE IN FULL BELOW:-
PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP) PLATEAU STATE CHAPTER 20 / 22 YAKUBU GOWON WAY OPP NTA JOS*
20TH DAY OF JUNE 2022
PRESS STATEMENT
OF GOVERNOR LALONG’S RISING CORRUPTION PROFILE AND INSENSITIVITY
Even with less than a year to go, the administration of Governor Simon Lalong is shamelessly unperturbed about his rising corrupt profile because of the disdain the government has for Plateau people.
Thick and conscienceless corruption and leadership failure has undoubtedly been the bane of Plateau State for the past 7 years with the people giving up on anything good coming in the next few months.
This is no longer news for the state.
But as a responsible political party, we cannot keep quite but must continue to update the people on the recklessness of the outgoing administration which we have been exposing.
The PDP has been on a tracker series to track the status of the countless corruption and scandalous acts that Plateau people have witnessed under the Lalong’s led maladministration. Scandals which have occasioned huge financial losses to the State and robbed Plateau people of the development they deserve as promised them since 2015.
PDP is deeply worried about the fact that resources that should have gone into developmental projects in order to uplift the poor, are sadly going into private pockets of several selfish and greedy families, friends and officials of the government through graft and sleaze.
We want Plateau people to know how corrupt Governor Lalong and his APC are in the state for the past 7 years hence this revelation.
This is an update of the total and holistic recall of the numerous corruption scandals on the Plateau, contrary to the rescue mission slogan.
First of all we have had cause to inform Plateau people of the fertilizer scandals of 2015 which the wooping sum of *#11, 476,000,00* was spent just to supply *1250* bags of fertilizer, this was scandalously carried out by POPULAR FOODS LIMITED AND MBS MERCHANTS LIMITED on the 5th August 2015 farming season only, this transaction was under a dubious circumstances with no single bag supplied to date.
Again a whooping sum of #4.5 Billion Naira was spent on luxury cars for the Governor and some few officials, this was done at the time pensioners and civil servants are being denied of their pay package.
#1.4 Billion Naira spent to purchase and install GPRS tracking device on 100 cars.
#500 Million Naira used for patching of 4 kilometer road through a direct Labour handle by a family member.
In Lalong’s first year in office #97 Billion Naira (Ninety seven billion naira was just wasted without being accounted for.
In spite of these facts, Governor Lalong has been mounting a robust defense for mismanaging Plateau State funds through his Accountant General Mr Cyril Tsenyil who has also failed to give exact account of the expenditure and the present debt incurred by the Governor for the past 7 years in office. The AG cannot just debunk the #151 billion Domestic debt and $350 Dollars external without giving us the exact figure, let him come out clean if truly the state is free from this debt.
It is regrettable that Governor Lalong’s handling of corruption scandals smack of grand collusion and cover up of epic proportions. The fact that till date no one has explained to Plateau People why his so called legacy project which was awarded to BLENESON GROUP at the cost of #59 Billion Naira which was revoked by Governor Lalong under dubious, circumstances. He has up to this moment failed to tell Plateau people of these pungent corruption scandals, which has caused the state huge financial losses, bears Lalong out as the biggest enable and promoter of corruption.
Ironically this is a man and a party that rode on the back of an anti corruption campaign into office, promising not to tolerate or countenance same under his administration. However, after being elected into office, he has so much normalized corruption and made it very attractive to his party and government. Lalong has so much defended and cleared his corrupt friends, family and appointees even when caught within and outside this country.
Today, there is no development going on across the seventeen local governments as a result of massive deductions from the local government account which has left the local government with backlog of four (4) to five (5) months unpaid salaries and gratuities.
On the 9th of July 2015 was another scandal of vehicles for the Governor and the Deputy Governor by Kefiano Global concept Ltd at the cost of *#1,210,199,700,00* (one billion two hundred and ten million, one hundred and Ninety one thousand, even hundred naira).
From June 2015 to date Governor Simon Bako Lalong has scandalously squandered over #14.3 Billion on chartered flights also incurs debts of #151 Billion Domestic and $350 million dollars external without anything to show for this huge debt.
We will not also forget the Jos main market scandal which over #4billion wasted without sign of rebuilding the market with libelous style of contract of some roads in the state.
It is on this reason that our dear Governor has earned the accolade, of “The Chief Corrupt Clearing Agent” like similar other stinking corruption scandals Plateau people have witnessed under this government. The corruption clearing Agents, Governor Lalong has been under the delusion that by coming out to give flowering speeches about his fake performance even by re-awarding his so called legacy project at the cost of #29 billion as we speak now no one has been mobilized to same legacy site since the day he made the untruthful announcement of re -awarding the legacy project. Lalong has only succeeded in whitewashing his administration from the corruption tag that inextricably hangs on his neck like a medal, but that has failed and Plateau people now know him for who he really is.
Fellow Plateau patriots, it is worthy of note , that under PDP visionary Leadership the State was so efficiently managed such that for the first time in the history of Plateau, 5 kilometre roads were constructed across the 17 local governments within 100 days in office , and the State was able to woo major international companies on an open credit system, a situation that has helped to drive our economy through agricultural advancement.
The PDP government improved the financial status of the State through prudent management. It is sad to note that today as a result of the thievery and plundering of the state resources in the last seven years , the once profitable and buoyant state and it’s assets under PDP which was attractive to several reputable companies, has been completely run down by the Lalong administration such that today the State has no strategic stock of its own and is virtually borrowing to pay workers salaries.
Even more bizarre and painful is the fact that, after running down state owned companies, properties and our revenue generating board through corruption and thievery, a Governor who preached against imposition of elected candidates has now increased and normalized margin in corruption, impunity and nepotism.
Governor Lalong’s actions for the past years at a time when the state is grappling with insecurity leading to kidnapping and lost of innocent lives, smack of insensitivity of the highest order. Lalong’s decision to punish the already impoverished Plateau citizens with more taxes for his corrupt acts and that of his errant appointees that brought Plateau to its knees is most insensitive and completely unacceptable.
There is no gainsaying the fact that Governor Lalong has flattered to deceive on his promise to fight corruption and protect the public purse. The endemic level of corruption in his government has caused the state huge financial losses for which he must be held accountable.
To this end the PDP is deeply worried, that state resources that have been diverted which could have gone into the provision of schools, roads ,health and other social amenities to ameliorate the plight of suffering Plateau people have been pocketed by a few greedy and corrupt officials and family of the Lalong’s government.
Little wonder this government has been likened as an Organized Crime Syndicate.
But the day of accountability for the most corrupt Governor in Nigeria is not far.
Signed
John T Akans, ksm Fcia JP,
State Publicity Secretary,PDP Plateau State.
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