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PLATEAU STATE: EVEN THIS DARKNESS SHALL PASS AWAY

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PLATEAU STATE: EVEN THIS DARKNESS SHALL PASS AWAY

PLATEAU STATE: EVEN THIS DARKNESS SHALL PASS AWAY

BY CHRIS GYANG

Nothing poignantly symbolizes the decrepit and gloomy face of governance in Plateau State such as the thick darkness that envelopes the Plateau State Government House at Little Rayfield every night.

Driving past that seat of government from the well-lit, ritzy and upscale Rayfield at sunset, you will never imagine that just a few metres to your left is the fence of what used to be one of the most magnificent government houses in the entire country. Close associates say that Governor Lalong harbours a deep aversion for the government house, built by his predecessor, because its sheer magnificence is a constant, niggling, reminder of his own disastrous outing as governor.

At daytime, the atmosphere of despondency is thicker, more palpable. The dilapidation and unkemptness that afflict both the fence and huge buildings within tell an even worse story; the sad tale of a governor who long ago let go of governance for fanciful frivolities that inflate his parched ego. Citizens here fittingly refer to him as ‘The Absentee Governor’.

The very structures within this expansive estate that were once the pride of Plateau people now desperately beg for a fresh coat of paint; yearn for their once lush lawns to be trimmed and watered; and pray for the overgrown grass and assorted weeds to be mown, perhaps for the first time in only God knows how many years.

Sadly, it is this sense of listlessness and abandonment that pervade both the people and atmosphere of Plateau State under His Excellency, Governor Simon Bako Lalong. And, yes, never fail to add to his string of aliases the fact that he also occupies the exalted position of the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and is likewise the Director-General of the All Progressives Party’s Presidential Campaign Council – which tickles him exceedingly, more than anything else these days.

It is this latest assignment, which he misconstrues as a reward for his exceptional leadership qualities, that he uses as yet another alibi to escape responsibility from the serious work of governance. His exaggerated sense of personal worth is now at its peak. But in his excitement, he failed to ask himself why the man who made him Director-General of his campaign team never thought him fit and worthy to be his running-mate, which, it must be admitted, Mr. Lalong straineously hankered after.

For a man who can settle for any position as far it gives him a semblance of public visibility, anything goes, warts and all. And knowing that his strength does not lie in taking and resolutely maintaining principled stands on fundamental issues, Tinubu and his kitchen cabinet fully understood that, at the least prompting, Governor Lalong would easily abandon his original quest and succumb to taking up the lesser, more temporary, position of Campaign DG.

At least, in his own reckoning, that would allow him share in the limelight that would shine on the APC’s high and mighty, as long as the campaigns last.

Other serious governors are making last minute efforts to consolidate on their achievements by commissioning projects and tidying up policies and programmes to strengthen and make them solid, robust and enduring. But Governor Lalong is squandering sleepless nights and precious resources hopping around the country on an exercise that is as self-serving as it is futile.

His efforts are akin to the gimmicks of a failed salesman struggling to market an essentially flawed product. Unfortunately, the best he can get for Tinubu in Plateau State cannot be more than what he was able to eke out for Buhari in the 2019 presidential ballot – a spectacularly humiliating result.

Moreover, the albatross of the Muslim-Muslim ticket that malignantly hangs on Mr. Lalong’s neck will be very difficult to cast off. This will, among other heavy moral baggage, make his job of selling the Tinubu/Shettima ticket very awkward to his immediate Christian constituency, both in Plateau State and elsewhere in the country. His task is further compounded by the fact that he is a Knight of the Catholic Faith.

What little time Mr. Lalong scrapes out to run the affairs of the state is devoted to empty state ceremonies still aimed at boosting his ego and picking up the pieces of the APC in the state which he single-handedly destroyed by turning it into a personal estate for his own pleasure. Today, many men and women who stood behind him in most of his inglorious seven years in office have been forced to either abandon him or join other political parties.

Even members in Jos North, who formed the fulcrum of the strength of the APC in the state, have rebelled against Mr. Lalong. His high-handedness and nepotism in handling both party and state affairs have been their chief motivations. Political analysts say that, as things stand, there is no way the APC can make any meaningful impact in the 2023 general elections.

Also, pundits further suggest that it is perhaps the highly fractious governorship primaries of the APC that finally nailed the coffin of the APC in Plateau State. The governor was seen to have deliberately skewed the process to favour his preferred aspirant which did not go down well with a majority of the contestants who took the matter to court.

Unfortunately, the outcome did not favour the aggrieved aspirants. But they have vowed to pursue the case up to the Supreme Court. However, many see this as a strategy to distract the APC from concentrating on the electioneering campaigns as more than 95 per cent of them are set to pitch their tents with the political party that has shown the greatest potential of defeating the APC in the forthcoming polls.

In the midst of all these, the people of Plateau State continue to suffer. As we write, civil servants are set to commence a five-day Sit-At-Home warning strike from midnight of Sunday, December 11, to Friday, December 16, 2022. They want to push home their demands for the payment of their five months’ salaries.

In fact, they had planned to start this industrial action before the flag-off of the APC presidential campaign in Jos on November 15. But, in order to stave off the embarrassment that would have caused Governor Lalong, being the arrowhead of the Tinubu campaign organisation, the workers were hoodwinked into calling it off when some workers started receiving salary alerts. But that was discontinued immediately after that political fiesta.

It later emerged that only a handful of workers had actually been paid a month or two’s outstanding salaries. Barely one month after, the workers have not heard any more from the state government regarding that matter.

With the governor perpetually absent and the levers of governance abandoned, it is only natural to expect these kinds of upheavals in the system arising from citizens’ frustrations with their wretched conditions. Abject conditions underscored by poverty for which Plateau State is now officially recognised as occupying the fifth position in the entire country.

Statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in November, revealed that 133 million Nigerians (63 per cent of the population) are multi-dimensionally poor due to lack of access to health care, education, proper living standards, employment and security.

PUNCH newspaper (November 18, 2022) reported: “The NBS further showed [that] Sokoto, Bayelsa, Gombe, Jigawa and Plateau are the top poorest states in 2022.

“Sokoto leads the poorest with 90.5 per cent of the people in the state poor. It is followed by Bayelsa with 88.5 per cent people, Gombe with 86.2 per cent, Jigawa with 84.3 per cent and Plateau with 84 per cent.”

Certainly, the Lalong administration should not be surprised at this bleak chunk of reality. To expect anything to the contrary would be to engage in the highest form of self-delusion. This is only the natural outcome of the government’s total lack of any concrete and practical economic blueprint aimed at harnessing and channelling the huge natural and human potentials of the state.

Like all else about the Lalong administration, its economic policies have been largely driven by a haphazard, trial-by-error, approach which is at best pedestrian and completely reliant on the old way receiving monthly handouts from the Federation Account. Most of which is deployed towards oiling huge and extensive political wheels and buying personal favours and loyalties of cheap political strumpets.

This is but a slice of the tragedy in which Plateau State is currently wallowing, emblematic of the darkness hanging over the Little Rayfield Government House. But come May, 29, 2023, its flamboyance, verve and splendour shall be restored, along with the natural vibrancy and pride of citizens. Citizens who are confident that, through their concerted and selfless efforts, they shall restore honour to their despoiled destiny so that even this darkness shall pass away.

(GYANG is the Chairman of the N.G.O, Journalists Coalition for Citizens’ Rights Initiative – JCCRI. Emails: info@jccri-online.org; chrisgyang01@gmail.com)

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Don’t Stereotype an Ethnic Group as Cause of Fallout with Citizens of Foreign Country, Dabiri-Erewa Warns

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August 3, 2025

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Don’t Stereotype an Ethnic Group as Cause of Fallout with Citizens of Foreign Country, Dabiri-Erewa Warns

By: Michael Mike

Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has warned against stereotyping a particular ethnic group activities as the reason for recent fallout with citizens of a particular country.

She noted that crime has no federal character, insisting that Nigerians should not stereotype anyone based on their ethnic group.

Answering questions on Arise Newsday on Sunday morning, she said just as NIDCOM appeals to countries not to judge Nigerians based on the activities of a few people who may commit one crime or the other , Nigerians should also not judge any ethnic group based on the activities of a few bad elements

She said any one who commits a crime should be held accountable and punished for that crime , adding that “ the few bad ones should not spoil the numerous good.”

She also stressed that Nigeria will continue to ensure that no Nigerian is punished for an offence they did not commit, while appealing to Nigerians to obey the laws of other countries

She also stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has instructed that the Nigerians stranded in CAR who were rescued and are now in the safe hands of the Embassy be brought back home safely

On the issue of Libya , she appealed to Nigerians to stop falling victims of agents and trafickers.and called on the media to project positive stories about Nigeria and Nigerians , adding that “bad news travels fast . Nobody will celebrate us but ourselves.”

Don’t Stereotype an Ethnic Group as Cause of Fallout with Citizens of Foreign Country, Dabiri-Erewa Warns

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Nigeria, Algeria Deepen Diplomatic Ties as New Embassy Chancery Project Commences in Algiers

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1 day ago

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August 3, 2025

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Nigeria, Algeria Deepen Diplomatic Ties as New Embassy Chancery Project Commences in Algiers

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria and Algeria have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations following a high-level diplomatic engagement between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of both countries, Yusuf Tuggar (Nigeria), and Ahmed Attaf (Algeria).

According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alkasim AbdulKadir, during the meeting, both Ministers exchanged views on shared strategic interests and pledged to deepen cooperation across political, economic, and multilateral platforms.

He disclosed that emphasis was placed on revitalizing the Nigeria-Algeria Binational Commission, enhancing regional coordination, and promoting African priorities on the global stage.

He said in a related development, Tuggar also performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new Chancery building for the Embassy of Nigeria in Algiers.

He said the event, which held at Dely Ibrahim—the diplomatic enclave in the Algerian capital—was attended by senior officials, Embassy staff, and members of the Nigerian community.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister noted that the project marks a significant step in modernizing Nigeria’s diplomatic infrastructure. The new Chancery is designed with eco-friendly architecture, enhanced security features, and upgraded facilities to improve consular service delivery and working conditions for Foreign Service personnel.

He said the construction is scheduled to begin immediately and is expected to be completed within 18 months, in line with the Ministry’s broader reform agenda aimed at projecting Nigeria’s image abroad and fostering international cooperation

.Nigeria, Algeria Deepen Diplomatic Ties as New Embassy Chancery Project Commences in Algiers

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Nigeria, Benin Fine-Tune Framework for Economic Cooperation

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August 3, 2025

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Nigeria, Benin Fine-Tune Framework for Economic Cooperation

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria and the Republic of Benin have commenced the process of operationalizing the economic cooperation agreement they signed during the recently held West Africa Economic Summit (WAES).

Both countries had at the maiden regional economic summit in June 2025, in Abuja, signed the memorandum of understanding.

At a two-day meeting of officials of both countries to work out the framework for the implementation of the economic cooperation agreement held August 1-2, in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the move was in line with the objectives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The Minister praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his foresight in conceptualizing the summit as catalyst for the economic growth of the region.

She described the bilateral engagement as timely emphasizing that the two countries were bound not only by geography, but by centuries of shared history, familial ties, culture, commerce and vibrant commercial activity.

The Minister on behalf of the Government and people of Nigeria, also congratulated the Republic of Benin on her 65th Independence anniversary noting that it was fitting the important dialogue took place at a moment of national pride and reflection for the country.

She stated that over the years, the bilateral relations between the two West African neighbours had grown from informal interactions to a structured, strategic partnership, but not without challenges—ranging from trafficking and smuggling to wider trans-border crimes.

She noted that both countries had always found solutions whenever they came together with sincerity and determination.

“Our shared successes affirm a truth we must never lose sight of: that cooperation, not conflict; dialogue, not suspicion, remain our best tools for overcoming obstacles,” the Minister said.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu declared that the visit of the Nigerian delegation was not merely a technical conversation but a symbolic and political commitment.

According to the Minister, it was a commitment to Nigerian people and to the ideals of economic development, peace, and stability.

Therefore, both countries must be driven by a shared vision and mutual trust as they seek to build a resilient and sustainable trade corridor between their nations.

She added that: “The frequency and depth of our engagements at the highest political levels underscore the strategic nature of our relationship. The recent efforts of Presidents Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Patrice Talon to recalibrate our bilateral cooperation, particularly in the areas of trade and border management, demonstrate a shared political will to resolve longstanding issues and usher in a new era of mutual prosperity. Both Presidents have shown remarkable leadership in guiding this partnership forward. Their engagements, particularly at the West Africa Economic Summit have reaffirmed the mutual desire to build a future anchored in trade, security, and economic transformation. You would recall the words of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who at the Summit said, “Nigeria and Benin are more than twins. We are the same people. Let us show the region that integration is possible.” I can boldly affirm that the discussions we’ve had from the 31st of July are an extension of that statement and vision.

“The bilateral meetings held in the course of this visit and the ones we will continue to have, offer yet another opportunity for us to deepen our dialogue and build on the gains made through various mechanisms; be it the Trade Facilitation Committee, the Joint Customs Working Groups, or the recent strides made in cross-border trade harmonization. We must seize this momentum to find practical and forward-looking solutions to the challenges that continue to constrain our trade and economic cooperation.

“It is important that we work together to ensure that policies and procedures on both sides of the border promote legitimate trade, encourage investment, and empower our business communities. Let us continue to align our customs and transit frameworks, streamline bottlenecks, and reinforce our joint commitment to regional integration under ECOWAS and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

On her part, Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, who presented the resolutions at the meeting noted that the economic cooperation would cover four thematic areas including trading services and private sector engagements, market access, customs procedures and trade facilitation, transport infrastructure and storage. Technical working groups are expected to deliberate of these areas and submit reports in Abuja in the coming weeks.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Benin, Mr. Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, said his country was committed to sustaining excellent mutually beneficial relations with Nigeria.

The Minister of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Benin, Mrs. Shadiya Alimatou Assouman, the Director General of Customs, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Amb. Nura Abba Rimi, the Director, Africa Affairs Department in Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Regina Ocheni, Director, Office of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Innocent Iwejuo and members of the technical committee as well as members of both delegations, participated in the meetings.

Nigeria, Benin Fine-Tune Framework for Economic Cooperation

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