The immediate past Governor of Plateau State and Senator representing Plateau North, Jonah Jang, has described the report of the Transition Committee, in which he was alleged to have left a debt N222.3 billion as untrue, insisting that he left debt and liabilities of N103.9 billion.
This was contained in a press statement signed by Barrister Olivia Dazyam and made available to journalists in Jos, Friday, observing that the new debt figure paraded by the transition committee was mischievously manufactured.
The statement maintained that a comprehensive breakdown of the debt is well documented in the handover notes and leaves no one in doubt, urging the committee to go back and study the handover notes properly.
It reads: “The Committee’s report is a clear distortion and manipulation of facts, aimed at personal vendetta, witch-hunt and smearing the good name and achievements of the out-gone PDP government led by Dr. Jonah David Jang.
“A quick look at the composition of the committee reveals that they were deliberately selected and made up of persons that have grudges with the immediate past administration.
Dazyam, who was the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state during the Jang administration, gave a long list of the projects executed by the Jang administration across the three senatorial zones, which included roads, hospitals, schools, among others.
The statement described as baseless, allegations by the committee of lopsidedness and selective distribution of facilities and services, claiming that 80% of such projects were located in a particular section of one senatorial district.
It advised the APC government to focus on development and stop picking holes with the giant strides of the Jang’s administration.
“The bar of governance in the state has been raised high by Senator Jang, and the Plateau people now use it as a yardstick to measure succeeding governors, and Lalong must live up to this expectation from the people of the state.
“The committee itself clearly reveals its inadequacies, in view of its recommendations for the set up of a more specialized technical or audit committees to conduct further investigation.
“This, therefore, means that the report is at its best, a draft that lacks the relevant technical and professional inputs. How can such a draft report be implemented?
The statement further said the contemplated review of appointments and promotions made by the Jang administration suggests that the APC government simply intends to substitute those appointees with their wards, relatives and cronies, as it has illegally succeeded in doing with the local government transition/management committee after ousting the duly elected PDP Chairmen.
“While we are not opposed to inspection of the previous administration’s activities, any such exercise should be done within the ambit of the law, due process and fair hearing.
“Despite the misinformation, mischief and provocation by the APC government in the state, we call on our supporters to remain calm, resolute and focused in their support of the PDP. It’s just a matter of time”.
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