Security-Nigeria - Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang, has blamed his administration's inability to implement the white papers of previous reports of investigations on recurring Jos crisis largely on the removal of culprits from Jos to Abuja from where the suspects are released. Jang at his last consultative Forum with Plateau stakeholders before the April general elections said that "the biggest challenge we have had to contend with is that of peace and security with attendant loss of lives and property," saying, "indeed this is my most painful moment in government.

"Once these suspects are taken to Abuja, nothing is hard about them again."

He lamented that the recurring crisis in Plateau has affected relationships and drain on the state resources, wondering why in the last 10 years "we have not been able to attain the desired unity as a people which gave us the pride of place in Nigeria as a strong voice.

"For instance, we on our own called for a state of emergency during the previous administration; today it is Jang; it is the same us that are conspiring with others outside the state to call for another state of emergency."

Jang commended President Goodluck Jonathan for not giving listening ears for such calls.

Jonathan, he said, is a president that believes in the rule of law and respect for the constitution.

According to him, "My worry here is that we appear not to be able to draw a line between the Plateau project and our various political interests resulting in our unity and security being threatened."

He reminded Plateau politicians that they all have a common bond irrespective of their political or socio-economic affiliations which is Plateau project, saying the last three and half years have been" one full of blessings and yet with daunting challenges that his administration had been able to overcome while some others are still being tackled.

He decried the ongoing Labour strike in his state which he suspected to have political coloration, lamenting that over the last few months, negotiations with Labour in his state had been held at different levels between government officials and the state Joint Negotiation Council and other labour unions without any head way.

Jang lamented that the current Labour demands of 70 per cent concession will cost the state N1.5 billion monthly in the face of the state's average monthly income (statutory allocation and IGR) of N1.6 billion.

He said unless the workers call-off their current strike, the civil service alone with the population of about 20,000 members will gulp over 90 per cent of the total revenue intended for over 3.3 million citizens of Plateau State and therefore his government would be forced to stop all developmental projects and provision of social services in the state and has to borrowing over N250 million monthly to accommodate workers salaries and related expenses.

Onoja Audu

Daily Independent/17/03/2011