Sequel to media reports that Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State is embarking on Jamboree international trips, he has said his recent trip to China was to woo investors in agriculture, tourism, mineral resources and housing, and not for jamboree as widely held.
Lalong said, “If I had not gone to China, I think we would have missed a lot as a State, because the whole world is now focused on China, even the United States of America is running to China, looking for investors.
“So Plateau was in China, because Mr. President has opened an opportunity, by signing a bilateral agreement with the Chinese.
The Governor who made the disclosure at a breakfast meeting on Thursday, where he was hosted by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ, Plateau Council, in Jos, to mark his 53rd birthday, said, “Believe me, when we got there, everybody was after Plateau. If the governor was not there, most of the meetings, they won’t hold it with your representatives; every investor, first of all will want to have a direct link with the leader; they want assurance from the President or Governor.
“That is why you see Governors travelling, its not a jamboree trip, I don’t need a jamboree trip now, I need a trip that would be fruitful to the people of Plateau State.
Lalong further explained that, during his visit to China, he met with investors who were interested in, “Agriculture, Mineral Resources, Tourism and Housing; in fact we were even selective, because we had opportunity to select.
“But when you sit down here as some people will say that it’s something you can do online; go and apply online and see whether somebody will come to Plateau.
“In China, we were able to tell the Plateau story the way it should be; that the state is peaceful as against the perception that it is crisis ridden,” he maintained.
He added that, even President Muhammadu Buhari’s trips abroad are aimed at opening up investment opportunities for the country, but are viewed otherwise in some quotas.
On the Solid minerals deposits in the state, Lalong said, “My presentation at the National Executive Council is that if Mr. President is talking about solid minerals, where was the home of solid minerals? Its home is Plateau; the history of solid minerals started on the Plateau.
“If solid minerals are very important, then the focus of the federal government should be in Plateau. If we get solid minerals in Plateau, that will now be our resource control.”
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