Lalong: Doing same things differently

Upon his swearing -in as the Governor of Plateau State Simon Lalong was steeping into the shoes of now Senator Jonah David Jang whose eight  years of leadership left the  State a  more fractured and divided society than he inherited in 2007.  Although Governor Jang embarked upon a wide range of infrastructural projects, yet the […]

Upon his swearing -in as the Governor of Plateau State Simon Lalong was steeping into the shoes of now Senator Jonah David Jang whose eight  years of leadership left the  State a  more fractured and divided society than he inherited in 2007. 
Although Governor Jang embarked upon a wide range of infrastructural projects, yet the value and impact of such projects on the Plateau citizenry can best be described as mixed results rather than positive, especially when viewed against the cost of these infrastructural projects and the resultant debt burden and contingent liabilities of nearly N200bn bequeathed on present and future generations of Plateau citizens.  Added to this is the fact many of the projects like the ostentatious Government House, (which despite gulping N16billion and still uncompleted!) have virtually no multiplier effect on the state economy now or in the future.
Furthermore, salaries of civil servants and legislators in addition to contractual payments were in arrears from December 2014, thus handing over an angry public service and fuming contractors to the incoming administration.
To make matters worse, Jang’s tenure is reputed to have recorded more ethno-religious and communal calamities especially between Fulani herdsmen and his Berom kinsmen leading to thousands of lives lost and property worth billions of naira destroyed.
It is within this context that Governor Lalong took over the mantle of leadership, with high expectations from the people not only for change, but for a “rescue mission”.
As a matter of fact, Lalong clearly stated that his inauguration marks a new beginning for Plateau State but warned that the problems and challenges facing the State were so enormous that the next four years will not be easy ones.
It is against this background we will look at the first 100 days of Governor Lalong, selecting only a few aspects from all the achievements and milestones listed by his administration.
A common criticism of the Lalong administration is the so-called absence of a policy direction. This criticism, which is also being labeled on President Mohammadu Buhari’s government, is rather pedestrian, because Governor Lalong, right from inception in his inaugural address stated “the policy thrust of our administration in the next four years will be anchored on the following: Peace, Security and Good governance; Human Capital Development and Social welfare; Agriculture and Rural Development; Entrepreneurship and Industrialization; and Physical Infrastructure and Environment”
May be what the Lalong government needs to do is make sure that the people are sensitized about this policy thrust and thereafter go on to shout this loudly on radio and television as was done by the previous administration which drowned our ears with  “Redemption ten-point Agenda, standing on three pillars”.
One of the first steps taken by the Lalong administration was to get the machinery of government back on stream; because as at May 29, 2015 the entire Plateau State government machinery was comatose, occasioned by the pro-longed strike embarked upon at both State and local government levels.
Although payment of salaries should not ordinarily be considered as an achievement, yet when such salaries are in arrears for nearly seven months and have reached colossal proportions with attendant socio-economic problems as was the case in Plateau State, then such payments done by Lalong even before bail-out, must be recognised as an achievement. It did not only revive the machinery of government but breathed life into the State economy as well. For those living in Plateau State, this means a lot.
In terms of infrastructural development, Governor Lalong chose to mend several potholes in Jos metropolis and also to repair the ever-busy Domkat Bali road which had become riddled with potholes, yet which carries a bulk of the traffic to the densely populated Rantya area and the Federal and State low cost housing estates.
Lalong equally embarked upon the complete reconstruction of road networks within the Federal Low cost Estate and the Rantya new Layout where a large chunk of the city’s middle class reside.  Similarly, work has  resumed on the Secretariat junction fly-over bridge and the ever-busy Yakubu Gowon express way, a project started by Governor Jang but which was abandoned in December 2014 due to non-payment.
To me, the selection of these roads is instructive because they carry significant volumes of traffic – people and goods; and by extension they lubricate the city’s economy. In addition, there is an equity consideration because they serve a cross section of the citizenry of the State, a point not lost on the accusations that most of Governor Jang’s roads do not carry significant volume of traffic and substantially serve only a section of the State.
By adopting this approach, Governor Lalong has brought significant value to infrastructural development; that it must not only to serve all the people but should create multiplier effects on the State economy.
To tackle the challenges of peace and security in the state, Governor Lalong has established an Inter-Religious Peace Building and Conflict Resolution Bureau and set up a Committee to work with key stakeholders to find lasting peace in the incessant Fulani herdsmen and Berom clashes.  He has also
The decision to clear the seven-month arrears of allowances of officers and men of the Special Task Force is considered a critical intervention because non-payment of allowances could become a security issue
Although these interventions will bear fruits in the medium to long term, I advise that more interventions are needed in the short term especially as regards persistent cases of cattle rustling and attacks on communities in Riyom, Barikin Ladi and Jos South LGAs, which if not properly tackled, could rubbish the already good steps being laid in governance.
So on the whole, the first 100 days of Governor Lalong can be described as very positive development in governance especially when juxtaposed against the backdrop of huge debts occasioned by some profligate expenditure by the outgone administration, a comatose public service and a drastically reduced revenue inflow.
For the future, I advise Governor Lalong to remain focused on the five themes of his policy thrust; especially those aspects that emphasize transparent governance and human capital development and to pursue more inclusiveness irrespective of religious and ethnic divides; and work hard  to enshrine lasting peace.
Ezekiel Gomos, a management consultant, and former secretary to Plateau State gove rnment, wrote from Jos.