Probes: Plateau Govt. Will Give Jang Enough Reasons To Lose Sleep, Says Lalong

Jang-and-LalongGovernor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, yesterday advised his predecessor, Senator Jonah Jang, to brace himself for more probes as more committees will be set up and he (Jang) will be summoned to give account of his eight years in office.

Lalong was reacting to a statement issued by the former governor on Monday in which he condemned the move to probe his administration.

The Plateau Government last week inaugurated a committee to investigate the purchase and distribution of vehicles on loan to members of the public by the Jang administration under the Tackling Poverty Together programme.

Jang, who is currently the senator representing Plateau North on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, responded to the inauguration of the panel by accusing his successor of using probes to “loot” the state and distract the people from the issues of grazing reserves and his “non-performance”, one year after assuming office as governor.

But the governor said he was only following in his predecessor’s footstep, who upon assumption of office, had set up a committee to probe the Joshua Dariye administration.

In a statement signed by his Director of Press and Public Affair, Samuel Emmanuel Nanle, the governor yesterday expressed surprise how a simple task of reviewing a revolving loan empowerment programme guided by terms of reference, could elicit the kind of reaction it did from the former governor.

“As the days roll by and the EFCC settle to address the issues of the State SURE-P funds, the state primary education funds, the CBN N2bn SME funds meant for youth empowerment, the deductions for five km road projects in 17 local governments areas, the ASTC Project, the several bank charges and payment of commissions beyond regulatory limits, amongst the many politically motivated contract beneficiaries with the loop financial benefits to government officials; we shall see how he (Jang) retreats shamelessly into his cocoon. Let Senator Jang not lose sleep yet, for the days ahead will give him enough reasons to”, the statement said.