PLATEAU GOVERNORS: TWO VISIONARY J.DS. FACT OR FARCE? Shabul Mazadu (080657121431) Journalists, as I always say, are evangelists of sanitizing the society of every perversity by virtue of the ethics of their profession and professional calling as history makers. The veteran and legendary Nigerian pioneer journalist, the great Zik of Africa, said: “If newspapers publish falsehood, they are actually sentencing the coming generations to misinformation, because they are feeding them on a diet of lies.” Furthermore, he warns on the consequences of unprofessional journalism, thus: “By twisting facts, by telling half-truths or untruths, the Nigerian press can mislead a great number of innocent people and thus distort our national image. By perverting facts to suit their purpose, journalists desecrate the traditions of our historic professions.” I observed for a long time the ceaseless campaigns on television by a media outlet about the governors whose first and surnames when abbreviated gives JD, saying, “Once upon a time, there are two J.Ds,” then the pictures of J. D. Gomwalk and J. D. Jang appear on the screen. I am not interested in engaging the media outlet in a war of words; neither do I wish to attack their opinion, but as a colleague in the profession of history making, I am pained by the impact of this campaign on the minds of the ignorant ones that will have false historical belief on the J.Ds that governed Plateau State. My conscience will continue to torment me if I keep mute over this. So far in the history of Plateau State, it is on record that there are three JDs that piloted the affairs of the state, though one is still on the throne. Based on consecutive arrangement on how they came on board to govern the state, the first J.D. was Police Commissioner Joseph Deshi Gomwalk, the Administrator of then Benue-Plateau State on 6th June, 1967. His administration lasted for nine (9) years when then head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, was ousted from power through coup d’etat by General Murtala Muhammed in July 1975. The second JD was Chief Joshua Dariye (Khawung Mushere), the third Executive Governor of Plateau State, whose administration started on May 29, 1999 and lasted till May 29, 2007 though with nine months’ interruption by the emergency rule imposed on the state on May 18, 2004 to November 18 of the same year; and the illegal impeachment slammed on him by democracy undertakers on 16th November, 2006 to April 31, 2007. The third JD is Dr. Jonah David Jang, the Redemption Apostle. He came to power on May 29, 2007 till date. With these, one wonders why the media outlet in question chose to promote the two JDs, leaving out the other. The claim that JD Gomwalk and JD Jang are the only men of vision, how true is that? Many people believe this vicious lie and digest it. Several times I heard them disgorge the stinking bunk that Dariye did nothing in plateau State, that had it been he constructed roads and overhead bridges like Jang, Plateau State would have gone further than this. This bunch of ignorant political analysts looked at one with boldness in the face and vehemently pouring out their ignorance thinking that some of us will swallow their falsehood. No, no, no! Foul! I think I am old and educated enough to know what it means to run a government on the basis of world standard of development, and to dispense justice to all. As a Christian, the Holy Scripture warns me against circulating false report: In Exodus 23:1-2, it says: “Thou shalt not raise a false report: Put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment.” This campaign of calumny against Joshua Dariye, that he is not a visionary J.D, as such he is seen as an under-achiever, tell me; can a visionless person establish a State University that took off on its permanent site? Would such a person expand the College of Education, Gindiri, which had been on its temporary site for over twenty years by relocating it to its permanent site? Would he establish the College of Agriculture, Garkawa and College of Arts and Remedial Studies (CARS), Kurgwi? Would he upgrade the Colleges of Health Technology, Zawan and Pankshin from local to national standard through accreditation? Tell me, would he have increased the Higher Diploma courses in the Plateau State Polytechnic from two to fourteen? Under whose administration were the twin lecture halls and other structures built in the Plateau Polytechnic? Would a visionless governor abide by the collective decision of the entire citizens of the state in the creation of local government development areas and more chiefdom? Time and space will not permit me to talk about the roads he constructed and other things. All these achievements of Dariye were geared towards human capital resource development which is the hinge and bedrock of all developments. Take and quote me anywhere. Ask yourself, why is the first J.D fondly remembered today? Is it because of road construction? No, he constructed more roads than any administration that ever existed on the Plateau. Check it, his burning passion for the emancipation of not only Benue-Plateau, but the entire Middle-Belt from the shackles of the core Northern Oligarchy, pushed him to embark on enduring human capital resource development, especially that have to do with enlightenment and mental slavery emancipation. He established; Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), University of Jos, the first coloured television in West Africa, formerly Benue-Plateau Television, now Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Jos, The Nigerian Standard News Paper, Plateau State Secretariat, Government Teachers Colleges, now Government Colleges Jos, Jingre, Amper, Dengi, and Garkawa, now College of Agric and a host of others. Tell me, who remembers Gomwalk because of road construction? And what would make Jang to be remembered for after thirty-nine years of leaving office like Gomwalk? Why not tell the man the truth. Why should a very lucky governor like Jang spend eight years in governance just to have roads as his major legacies, which we know as the population of a place increases the need for road expansion and change in master plan by successive governments will bring a major turn around from the latter. I say the truth; Dariye’s legacies will outlive Jang’s after thirty nine years, so it’s wrong to exclude him as a visionary JD. It was laughable that a young Berom man once said that, Plateau State will never produce a governor like Jang or beat his legacies in the next twenty years. You see education is power and the bedrock of the development of a place, and it is believed that any government that comes to power cannot repeal the laws that established the Plateau State University, College of Agric, College of Arts and Remedial Studies nor attempt to revert the present colleges of Health from the national status to their previous, nor take College of Education Gindiri back to its temporary site, but rather they will only improve upon them. But, any law that enacts road construction or over head bridges can be repealed when there is massive congestion and the need for a new master plan arises. Jang attempted suspending PLASU, did he succeed? But he succeeded in refurbishing the Heipang-Mararaban Kuru Junction by dualizing it, likewise that of the Plateau Specialist Hospital Round about to Farin Gada. One thing that Jang should have at the back of his mind is that Plateau State will not remain as it is now. In the next twenty years, the population will double in the state capital and this will require a different Jos Master plan, you know what it means. The overhead bridges and dualized roads will definitely be restructured, but the sitting governor will get the accolades and that’s where the name of Jang in that regard will not be remembered anymore, just like the previous Secretariat Junction and the Mama Tapgun. Du will not remain in it’s present status, it will develop more than the present one day, and the roads will require dualization, when that happens, Jang’s legacy in that regard will come to an end. It was Solomon Lar that constructed Mangu - Gindiri Road, Barkin Ladi - Bokkos Road, but since Dariye rehabilitated them, they are seen as Dariye’s legacies. So shall it be one day when another governor will come to rehabilitate them again. Mararaban Jama’a - Heipang Road was constructed by J.D.Gomwalk, but since Jang dualized it, it is seen as his handiwork. What about the Agricultural Service and Training Centers? We used to have NADP, which is no more today and we learnt that the government will privatize the ASTC, when this happen it will undergo several transformation until it is completely change from its present stage, at that point, a new history will come in. Is it the stadium? Somebody started the stadium, but now he is not mentioned. It is the person completing it that is now enjoying the accolades. When the need arises that the stadium needs to be expanded or refurbish to meet up with the contemporary needs of the society, the governor that will do that, takes the glory. Jos population will one day demand a bigger stadium than this, just like the Rwang Pam Stadium. Anyone who cares to know can go back and search for the pictures of Jos in the sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties and now, and compare to see whether it remained static or has undergone colossal transformation. So please the media outlet bending history and portraying that there are only two visionary J.Ds, should search the records and do justice. Visionary leaders are those that set up immortal projects that is those projects that have endless contemporary usage such as; schools, hospitals and any other that its usage is ceaseless. Outside Gomwalk’s and Dariye’s projects that I mentioned would stand the test of time, Solomon Lar’s are not left out. They include; Plateau Radio Television Corporation (PRTVC), College of Education Gindiri, Plateau State Polytechnic, Cottage Hospitals and a host of others, because their demand are immortal. Well, let me borrow a leaf from the postulation accredited to Commissioner of Information, Pastor Abraham Yiljap, that Plateau State has never produced a bad governor, that all the governors did well according to the resources made available to them and the vision they had, so I commend them too. Nevertheless as Tanko Alma-kura governor of Nasarawa State said, “Except a teabag is put in hot water, it does not produce aroma. And except gold is heated, it does mot shine,” no governor’s legacies can stand the test of time except their vitality are immortal and remain contemporary, despite the change in harsh weather of evolution and transformation.
Posted on: Tue, 10 Sep 2013 13:30:46 +0000