Plateau Gov Vows to End Bloodletting

Chinedu Eze

The Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, has vowed to end the killings in the state occasioned by ethnic clashes and land disputes through interpersonal engagement and fairness in the distribution of amenities to the people of the state.

This was disclosed by the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Yakubu Dati, who stated that Lalong’s devotion to ending “cycle of bloodletting on the Plateau” has made it a reference point for peace in the Middle Belt.

Dati who spoke to THISDAY at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, yesterday, said the governor’s strategic deployment of amenities to different parts of the state has given every ethnic group a sense of belonging.

The commissioner, who spoke on the historical significance of the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Plateau State tomorrow, said it would give the state the opportunity to unveil the accomplishments of Lalong in the area of development and strengthen the relationship between the people of the state and the federal government.

According to him, “As the president arrives in the state on a working visit, he will inspect and inaugurate some roads which include the Mararaba Jama’a expressway; low-cost Miango-Rafiki road network and the fly-over at the Secretariat junction. President Buhari will also inspect the Unguwar Rogo – Alikazaure bridge under construction.

“The agriculture sector which is one of the new normal in the policy thrust of the government will witness a significant push as the president launches 400 tractors purchased for distribution. The tractor ownership and Public Private Partnership (PPP) scheme between the state government and the Plateau All Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative Society.”

Dati said the president was also expected to visit the Gbong Gwon Jos and hold a town-hall meeting where the peace building roadmap would be unveiled by the governor at the Government House.
He state that “each of these physical infrastructural project is of utmost significance to the people because it impacts directly to their daily sojourns. “The Maraban Jama’a expressway for instance, is the gateway to the capital city by air and by road. It also connects the three senatorial districts of Northern, Central and Southern Plateau.

“The low cost/Rukuba road network connects different parts of Jos with one another and takes the pressure off the main routes leading into the town while the secretariat Junction fly-over also eases vehicular movement at that busy commercial spot by creating routes for cars to pass seamlessly.”

The commissioner noted that though these projects endear the people to the Lalong-led administration, the disposition of the administration to complete abandoned projects further showed that the “hard-working governor is a compassionate leader not given to self-adulation.”