Jang personalized governance that is why he ran into trouble – DG Lalong Campaign Organization

Arc. Pam Dung Gyang is the Director General, Lalong/Tyoden Campaign Organization Plateau State. In this interview with Kingsley Chukwuka, the DG speaks on recent development in the polity and opines that the ruling APC government provides the best option for the electorate in the forth-coming election. Excerpt:

There has been this controversy about the removal of the CJN. What is your take on this matter?

It is difficult to comment on what I do not know. As the president, I believe he is privy to information that I will not know. We should be careful not to make unfounded statements. The courts are there to interpret the matter. Do you think that the APC government has done enough for its citizenry and deserves another chance? Both in the state and at the federal level, it has done enough. They have really tried their best in many aspects especially in the area of food security.
At least we are self sufficient in the area of rice production. Power is more stable too. Here in the state, the governor’s effort in restoring peace is quite commendable; this has been a recurrent issue in the state. I participated in the peace process with the Fulanis, organized by the governor at the inception of his tenure. 100% peace is not achievable but relative peace has been experienced in these crisis areas. The governor has established a Mobile Police Barracks in Gashish in Barkin Ladi and Shendam. For the first time, a sitting governor has made an effort to return IDPs to their ancestral homes. For the first time, a governor will complete projects abandoned by the previous regime. He has completed most of the projects of his predecessor. The man ‘Lalong’ is humble. We all have our own weaknesses.

You were once a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). What made you into defect to All Progressives Congress (APC)?

It is a long story. It happened during Obasanjo’s time. He did a lot of awkward things which forced some of us to leave the party. So, I left and joined Action Congress (AC), which later metamorphosed into Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). The way Obasanjo handled things was as if we were in a military era. I was one of the founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

What is your rating of INEC’s preparedness for the rescheduled general elections slated for February 26 and 9thMarch 2019?

I cannot just commend again on this matter. INEC officials have spoken extensively. There have been speculations about INEC appearing to take sides or favour certain groups, of which I cannot confirm. The man at the helm of affairs in INEC looks credible and I believe he would like to maintain this reputation.

The big task assigned to you as the Director General of the Lalong/Tyoden campaign is enormous. How prepare are you to deliver this assignment?

We are prepared to win the election. You can see from the series of campaigns we had. We have toured the entire I7 Local Governments Areas of the state, and during the campaigns, we received a lot of decampees from PDP and other political parties. If the election is conducted today, we are going to be victorious.

Are you happy with the statement credited to the former governor of the state, Senator Jonah David Jang that he built a Government House and someone else is occupying it and that they are coming back to take over the Government House. What is your take?

As a democrat, I cannot be happy. Jang said he built a Government House but that doesn’t make it his personal house. Jang personalized governance and that is why he ran into trouble. I did this, I did that, and I am this! If I were him, I would ask Plateau people for forgiveness, for all the atrocities he had committed and learn to be more humble. He built Government House and so what? Did he build it with his personal money? Even if he built it with his personal money and donated it to government, it has become government property. You cannot claim that you have the key to Government House. That is a wrong approach to governance.

There have been complaints about the delay of workers’ salaries recently. Will this not affect the governor’s chances in the forth-coming governorship election?

Governor Alert? He has been paying workers’ salary regularly, and that is why he was nicknamed governor alert. Lalong has not owed workers salaries for more than a month at anytime.

What is your message to Nigerians especially APC supporters during the general elections?

I would advise them to be calm and confident that Buhari will win the forth-coming elections and Lalong will win the governorship. Let them go to their voting points and vote according to their conscience. Our supporters should cast their votes for APC and at the end of the day, there will be victory.