Furore over Lalong’s car largesse for legislators

The luxury cars largesse of Plateau state Governor Simon Lalong to members of the National Assembly from the state, recently, is generating furore as well as angst. MUHAMMAD TANKO SHITTU writes

Three Senators and eight members of the National Assembly,  representing various senatorial districts as well as federal constituencies that made up Plateau State political  demography, were recently, showered with gift of expensive new Prado jeeps and Toyota Camry cars,  by the state governor, Simon Bako Lalong.
However, the governor’s politically motivated gesture generated series of responses and comments from political opponents, political commentators as well as the media.

Inside sources within the offices of the federal legislators authoritatively disclosed that Governor Simon Lalong, willingly promised the 11, legislators the “gift of cars,” after their meeting sometime in March, held in Abuja, adding that the cars have since been given to the legislators. The gift was described as Lalong’s appreciation of the cordial political relationship, between his administration and the members of the National Assembly. Although they work at the national level and earn all their remunerations, including vehicles from the coffers of the National Assembly.

It is a fact that beyond the reasons canvassed by those opposed to the governor’s car gifts to the NASS’ members who refer to a situation where some senior officials of state government have no officials vehicles attached to them and to that effect public commentators are of the views that such monies should have been used to provide them with official cars. A good example, is  Secretary to the Government of the State (SGS), Hon. Rufus Bature, who once told the state House of Assembly  Committee on Appropriation that some of the senior staff of the state government had no official cars, and therefore needed the approval of N3 billion, to purchase the cars, saying, a Toyota Camry car, cost about N27 million, each due to the rise in dollar exchange rates.

To Governor Lalong, the gift will not rub negatively on the people of the state, as expressed by his Special Adviser on media, Hon. Daniel Manjang, that, “What does the giving of cars to the members of the National Assembly has to do with the people of Plateau State?” and he said so perhaps because the legislators are also representing the state.
But to the State chairman of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Mr. Nanya Daman Andrew, it was “misplaced priority.”
Whereas Hon. Danmanjang, was of the view that talking about the gift of cars,  is not in the best interest of the state and that it is not worthy of news making, Mr. Yuhana Joseph, a political commentator argues that the, people of the state must know what was been done with their monies, and that they can only get to know when such issues or happenings are projected by the media.

Similarly, a Jos based journalist, Mr. Yakubu Busari, was of the views that such a comment from the media aide of Lalong, was uncalled for, stressing that Governor Lalong, should have considered why his election was, “collectively a Plateau project,” adding that Hon. Manjang’s statement was a “political graveyard to the APC government led by Governor, Simon Lalong,” whom he (Busari), alleged of abandoning those that supported his political aspirations; “including the media.”

Also, Hon. Manjang, who spoke on a telephone chat, said he preferred that the governor’s achievement in the areas of peace, payment of workers’ salaries and some others ought to have been the only areas of news worthy to him,  saying; “What about the salaries that we have been paying, what about the peace that we have been enjoying,” but then the questions are besides all the issues that Hon. Manjang, has advanced, can’t the people enjoy good health facilities, good schools, good portable water, and all other social amenities, should the monies used in the purchased of those expensive cars doled out by Lalong, to the Federal legislators, channeled into those areas?

While the State ADP chairman, Mr. Nanya Daman, was of the opinion that for the governor to spend huge amount of money to purchase cars for the National Assembly members, “the money should have been used to renovate, equip and stock up drugs in hospitals in the state,” Mr. Busari, was of the opinion that “the Lalong-APC led government should see reason to do the needful and build confidence in the local communities who laid their lives to bring this change to power,” rather than making unnecessary spending to “gain political sympathy from few political elites that are benefiting and enjoying their remunerations from the federal government, while some of them were even ex-governors and have been enjoying their pension.”

Relatively, too, it is instructive to refresh that in 2015, Governor Lalong’s, administrstion had accused Senator Jang, of jolting with the official cars of the state government, having left Government House as former governor, and the questions now is where are those cars or have the present administration, forfeited the cars and also  adding another one to him?
It is confirmed by a close source to one of the legislators that already Representatives, Hon. Idris Maje (APC), Hon. Suleiman Yahaya Kwande (APC), Hon. Timothy Gulu (PDP), Hon. Istifanus Gyang  (PDP), Hon. Johnbull Shekarau (PDP), Hon. Edward Pwajok (PDP), Hon. Beni Lar (PDP), as well as Hon. Marin (PDP), have all received their cars, and in fact, Hon. Timothy Gulu and Hon. Suleiman Yahaya Kwande were seen plying the roads with their new Toyota Camry cars.

It is similarly expected that all the three Senators, Jonah David Jang (PDP-Plateau North), Joshua Dariye (APC  Plateau Central) and Jeremiah Timbut Useni (PDP-Plateau South)  have also  gotten the governor’s gift of Prado jeeps. Although a close source to a senator, revealed that his boss was yet to receive the promised Jeep,  could not speak for others whether they have been giving theirs or not.
On fulfilment of campaign promises by Governor Lalong, the expectations of the people, which according to Busari, should be prudent utilisation of public funds are part of such promises, while a public commentator Mr. Yuhana Joseph, posited that in both the 2016 and 2017 Appropriation “there was no such proposal by the executive to purchase and dole out cars to the federal legislators and to the best of my knowledge, there was no time when the Plateau House of Assembly, made any approval for the purchase of the cars doled out by Governor Lalong.” This assertion was further confirmed by a state legislator, who affirmed that no proposal was sent to the House seeking for approval to purchase the cars.

Going by Bature who put the cost of a Toyota Camry, at N27 million, “then, the total cost of the eight cars given to House of Reps members, would be N216 million,  while some car sellers put the cost of a Prado jeep at N45 million, and by implication the governor had unjustifiably spent more than N351 million,  which if judiciously utilised would impact positively on the lives of the masses, in this economic recession”, said Bashir Liman, stressing that such money would have been injected into provision of potable water, financing  road constructions in the state and fulfilment of Lalong’s, laudable campaign promises.

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