- who is telling us the truth and who is lieing in Plateau politics
About this time last year uneasy calm reigned across the length and breadth of Plateau state.
The reason for that uncertainty had more to do with the power -game rocking the state then and less to do with deteriorating power shift.
Ahead of the 2015 general elections ,Jang started battling for imposition of a candidate of his choice when he smartly move 11 aspirants of People Democratic Party camp against all oath and the alleged group have joined the All Progressives Congress to kick-started move that Jang and GNS Pwajok re-election bid would be truncated .
The people of Plateau state have vowed that the rotational system and Federal character should be strickly adhere to ,for governor to swap office is over their dead bodies .
According to the statement made available to our correspondent said that Governor Jonah Jang in a press conference by some delegates from some states in the northern part of the country in 1994 vehemently declared that there should be respect of the rotational system as it affects the positions of , The President ,The Governor and the Local Government Chairman signed …
This documents were signed by Professor Ibrahim James ,Air Commodore Jonah David Jang ,Hon. Celestine Danjuma and Dr Chris Shuaibu Abashiya .
Its was revealed that ,”we the undersigned, Delegates from some states in the Northern part of the country , have viewed with utter dismay and displeasure the constant attempt by some media houses ,especially the print media in Nigeria and the British Broadcasting Corporation ,to polarize the Nation in terms of the so-called North -south dichotomy in the reporting of some of the issues being discussed at the ongoing National constitutional conference taking place in Abuja”.
The statement explained that ,a case in point is that of the Rotational system whereby some print media have unfortunately ,given the impression that the so-called Northern Delegates are against the introduction of the noble Rotational system inthe art and practice of government in Nigeria. What these media houses should have reported is that some Delegates from the so-called North are against the rotational System.
We the undersigned ,as well as many other Delegates from the Northern part of the country have never been and will never be against the noble and worthwhile principle of Rotation in the governance of Nigeria .In fact,we are particularly delighted in that the system is to apply both at the state and Local Government levels.
We believe that the introduction of the Rotational system is the Major achievement of the National constitutional conference.
Opponents of the Rotational system have been quick to describe it as “undemocratic” ? The fact of the situation is that there are some “commonalities “to democracy and these include :JUSTICE’FAIRPLAY, EQUITY, THE RULE OF LAW ETC.
However, it is obvious that the route “that democratic ” countries ,the world over, have trod and are still treading to realize the above -mentioned commonalities has differed from country to country.
We would like to point out that if any Nigerian will describe the Rotational system as “underdemocratic “, then ,the Federal Character system which has been entrenched into the constitution as a permanent feature since 1979 should also be described as “underdemocratic” .The fact of the situation is that ,the Federal character (quota system) has been entrenched in to the constitution so as to ensure a sense of participation. And belongingness” .As experience has clearly shown without the application of the Federal character system many educationally disadvantaged areas of the country would never have been represented in the educational and bureaucratic endeavors of the country.
We firmly believe that the principle undergirding the practice of the Federal character system applies to the proposed Rotational system.
The rationale is simply this: The politically disadvantaged areas of the country should also be made transitional . By the same token ,if the Rotational system is not to entrenched in the constitution ,the Federal character system should be expunged from the constitution.
What we have found not only strange but also intriguing is the fact that some of the Delegates who are now vehemently opposing not only the principle of the Rotational system but also its permanent nature have deliberately refused to see the undermocratic nature of the federal character system which has been in the constitution since 1979 and from which they have benefited immensely over the years.
Some delegates have maintained that the decision taken by the conference was that the Rotational system is to be transitional . Nothing can be far from the truth. We would like to record the following facts:
The Rotational system was discussed during the consideration of the report of the committee on political. Structure and framework of the constitution .on the 5th October,1994 ,a CONSENSUS decision was taken to the effect that the presidency shall rotate between the North and the south and that the principle of rotation will also apply to the state and local government Areas . It was also decided that the principle of Rotation is varnished in Jang regime should be pointed out here that when the above mentioned decision was taken , there was no qualification whatsoever as to duration or time frame.
When the report of the committee on power sharing was considered on 17th and 18th October,1994 a motion was moved to the effect that the Rotational system which was adopted on 5th Oct,1994 without any qualification ,be made transitional under Jang .The Chairman of the conference then reminded delegates that already a decision on the issue have been made. But some delegates insisted that a vote must be taken in spite of the fact that the Chairman had made it abundantly clear that decision on the matter had been taken and there was no going back ,Jang used the opportunity to wholeheartedly support all the other decisions of the National constitutional conference which are geared towards the preservation of the unity of Plateau state and our great nation.
Our correspondent gathered which is crafted in the usual insightful and authoritative style that has now become synonymous with (this medium) chronicles ,the Plateau governor peculiar situation from the foregoing evident that some salient lessons could be learnt from the way the elders and candidates handled the PDP which show lack of maturity ,patriotism and selfishness on display from the beginning to the end .
Governor Jonah David Jang of Plateau state has finally let the cat out of the bag after prolonged procrastinations as to who would be elected as his “Heir apparent to the throne ,which he will vacate on 29th May 2015 after the April gubernatorial Elections have taken place across the thirty six states of the federation.
As it is often said in legal parlance ,delay defeats equity , this was the situation politically despite blinded loyalty to the people of Plateau state ,which spanned him for eight years from 2007 to present ,Jang teleguided and lopsided primary election in the state ,the PDP had presented the duo to the biased and partial-minded Delegates who expectedly tomb printed to defeat 11 other constestants by 460 for Pwajok, Longjan 160 and 106 to Victor Rampyal Lar Delegates in favour of the Governor nephew ,during the party’s primaries at the state stadium , Rwang-Pam , were confusion and complaint among them which was a battle of political wits that dragged in to the night gave advantage to government .
The alleged kangaroo delegates forms which couldn’t be sighted at the state chapter of the Party now produced a flag-bearer its was difficult to determine who the Plateau state delegates vote for between the 12 aspirants.
Perhaps , their own forms was issued ,due to their Lateness at the national secretariat in Abuja or poor connection in the presidency.
No matter how one view or assesses the eight-year old PDP government of Plateau ,one thing is imminent in the state : insecurity , the spate of killings, threats, intimidations ,political blackmails, alienation ,discriminations, persecutions ,etc .which were quite noticeable and traceable to the “despotic and machiavelli -style fascist government in Plateau state between 2007 and 2015 ,were enough negative antecedents that had rubbished whatever good the government had done to the people over the years.
The APC’s commendable effort to exert pressures on Jang to allow Zoning arrangement to come and rescue Plateau as the messiah in April 11th ,2015 ,was therefore seen and regarded by many residents as a “master stroke ” and a step in the right direction Plateau state who else would the people ask for to deliver them from the fangs and claws of political vampires ,leeches and vultures who have imperilled lives ,depleted the treasury and rendered most people hapless, rudderless and Completely disillusioned? The people enthusiasms and hope were further heightened by the fact that Hon Simon Lalong the former speaker had not stolen a kobo nor borrowed money to impoverished the state during his dynamic rule with Chief Joshua Dariye ,
They said Governor Jang despite his record of credibility on roads construction have derailed and adapted to the new system of non performance and alleged corrupt and unethical PDP politicians will do virtually nothing and will have no options than to do the bidding of the system in order to survive .
