The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has revealed how the administration
of Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State allegedly wasted N121.055bn on
controversial projects within two years.
The PDP, while lambasting the governor over his failure to
celebrate the 50th anniversary of the State’s creation, also described those
defecting to the All Progressives Congress, especially in the National
Assembly, as ‘vipers that had bitten the fingers that had fed them in the
past.’
The Chairman, Plateau State chapter of the PDP and a former
Minister of Sports, Damishi Sango, made these claims on Tuesday during a press
conference held at the party’s secretariat in Jos.
Sango said Plateau State indigenes could no longer boast of
any of the beautiful democratic developments of the past.
He alleged that since May 29, 2015, when the Lalong’s
administration came on board, it had “engaged seven different financial
consultants with the same responsibility and yet without any impact on the
internal revenue profile of the state till date.”
Sango said, “Two years of the Rescue Government has nothing
comparatively close to the achievements of the PDP government. So bad it is
that they cannot even celebrate 50 years of the existence of Plateau State.
Instead, commercial prayer sessions were organised.
“In addition, funds are being wasted on celebrating carnival
in a state where basic functions of state cannot be provided.
“Like the agama lizard, the government claps for itself and
sees the carnival as an achievement! We have followed developments in other
states where the golden jubilee celebrations are used to inaugurate special
projects.
“The Plateau State Government, on the contrary, has nothing
to inaugurate. Last year, we drew attention to the waste and plunder that has
characterised the Rescue Administration, but we did not receive a word, in
either denial or confirmation.”
The PDP insisted that the government of Lalong should
provide explanation on some issues.
Sango added, “Where is the over N97bn received by the
government in its first one year? Where is the N18bn taken from commercial
banks in the first three months of the Rescue Administration? Where is the
N4.5bn spent in the first one year on exotic cars?
“What is the explanation for spending N1.4bn on placing
tracking devices on government cars, which on the average, per car is in excess
of the cost of a new car? Why did government spend over N155m on insuring cars
when the financial regulations do not allow for the issuance of government
vehicles?”
He also alleged that N216,300, 881.79 was spent on
remodelling “an already well-furnished Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.
“About N1.280bn was also spent by this government through
direct labour just to re-carpet the Rwang Pam Stadium; N2bn was spent on
fertiliser, yet none has been given to the farmers. N1.8bn was budgeted by this
government to renovate the brand new Government House built by the PDP
government,” he said.
Reacting, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity, Dan Manjang, said Plateau State did not even recognise the PDP as an
existing party in the state.
He said, “As far as the Plateau State Government is
concerned, the allegation is frivolous and lacks basis because it is just
politics. Let me say this strongly, as far as government is concerned, there is
no PDP in Plateau State. What you have is a remnant of a group of people that
are dissidents to their party.
“This is a remnant of a group of dissidents who lack the
locus standi to speak on behalf of a political party like the PDP because the
Sango group has refused to come to terms with the verdict of the Court of
Appeal.
“So, the government does not even recognise them as a
political party. When you stop to throw stones at every dog that barks, you
will not move forward.
“We are not cut out for that; if they feel they have real
issues, they should proceed to court, but not to go to the press and shout over
mundane issues. Let them provide documentary evidence.”
By Ameh Comrade Godwin
