Barrister Caleb Mutfwang is the Plateau State governor-elect on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In this interview with ISAAC SHOBAYO, he speaks on his agenda for the state and how he plans to address some critical sectors. Excerpts:
What is your assessment of the journey so far?
It has been hectic from the primary to the election. We give glory to God that our party, the Peoples Democratic Party, won the governorship election, and I received my certificate of return on Thursday. It has been a long journey, but it is worthwhile.
Based on the enormity of the work on the ground, the people of Plateau State expect you to hit the ground running, more so now that the state is presently overwhelmed with the debt burden. How prepared are you for the task ahead of you?
The issue of debt is neither voodoo nor rocket science. We have to generate money to pay the debt, so the only way out is to look at how to improve our internally generated revenue. The key to this is that, first and foremost, we must have the confidence of our taxpayers. There are a lot of loopholes in our tax-paying system; these must be blocked, and we must make the system more efficient as we go along to increase the IGR. This will also give our creditors the confidence that we mean business and that they can do business with us, as they will be able to give us a space to reschedule some of that debt and, as well, help us to revitalize the private sector so that we can also enhance our capacity to generate more IGR.
You are passionate about infrastructure development, how will you make this happen given the dwindling allocation from the centre coupled with the other competing demands?
The issue of infrastructure decay in Plateau State has reached a worrisome level, and one thing that I can promise the Plateau people is that we are going to look into how we are going to bring in the private sector to revive the infrastructure on the ground. We are going to engage in a lot of PPP approaches, and the private sector will be given a lead role, but of course, as we increase our IGR, we will directly fund some of the infrastructure. The Jos Master Plan, which has been developed, will be reviewed, and we will get citizens of the state to speak about it and see what adjustments we can make so that it can be owned by the people. Also, urban infrastructure such as roads, water supplies, and waste disposal will be looked into and addressed properly. These are some of the things we would be looking at.
You meticulously chose a woman as your running mate; what specific role do you have for women as you form a cabinet after the inauguration on May 29, 2023?
We have made a statement that women will not be sidelined in the scheme of things; they are integral parts of the government that cannot be wished away, so women’s inclusion in governance is part of our priority.
As you plan to hit the ground running, what are things you intend to do within your 100 days in office?
As you know, I am not bound by timelines. I can tell you that immediately we get into the office, we know what to do to sustain the confidence of those who elected us. The spontaneous outbreak of joy and happiness that we felt in our hands immediately after we were pronounced winners of the election was enough to tell us we must work hard and sustain the goodwill. How do we do that? We have to scale the presence of security on the plateau; we want to ensure that Plateau people feel secure; these are parts of the things we are going to be looking at. How do we engage security apparatus on the ground to ensure that we improve their efficiency? We want to look at how to stabilise the civil service by ensuring that salaries are paid when due and that pensions are paid when due. These are some of the quick interventions we want to carry out. One of the things that we are already discussing is how to fix some of the roads. If you look at the roads from Vom to Mannchok, around the Kanawuri axis, it has been a nightmare. We are looking at what to do concerning this road so that we can lessen the burden on our people. By the grace of God, we will soon release our policy framework to convince the people that we mean business.
One of the major challenges confronting Plateau State is insecurity. Presently, no fewer than 100 communities or villages have been sacked and are presently occupied by terrorists. What is your government going to do in this regard?
One of the things that we need to do quickly is to harmonise the figure in terms of communities that are affected because we have almost four or five figures, and this is not good for planning. So we need to harmonize those figures, but more importantly, we would need to immediately go about seeing how to do an assessment of those places and start the negotiation process of how to ensure that those lands are reclaimed for the people to whom they belong. It is not going to be an easy task, and it is not going to be something in the short run, but the negotiation process will start as soon as we come into government so that we can see how to use the carrot and stick approach. We know this will involve the federal government, but it is not something we can put a timeline on because we have to involve all the stakeholders to understand and appreciate the issue and to take an informed position.
The youth formed the bulk of those who voted for you; what significant roles do you have for them?
As we form the government and settle down, we are going to carry the youths along; they are going to be the cornerstones of the future, and therefore, we must mentor and develop them. So we are going to gradually bring them into governance, but beyond that, the youths who form the larger segment of society will not be neglected; we have to find ways of improving their skill capacity. We often talk about youth employment but hardly talk about youth employability. It is one thing to have a certificate; it is another thing to be employable. So we must increase their skill capacity. Therefore, we would look at ways of going into the informal sector. Also, we need to expose our youth to ICT; likewise, there is an opportunity in the entertainment industry that we need to invest in. By the time we bring technology into agriculture, I believe it will also attract our youth and enable them to find space within to operate.
Presently, tourism activities are at ebb. What is your administration going to do to rejuvenate the sector that is presently dormant and moribund?
The key to tourism is security. Once we begin to work on the security situation and give people confidence, the sector will come back to life again. I was discussing this with somebody recently who wanted to invest in the state but was so scared because of the bad narrative in the public domain, and this is one of the narratives that we need to change. Some of these are hidden from the media because of their selfish purposes. Besides this, we need to bring in the private sector to revamp the tourism sector. I believe we have a strong potential in this area if it is properly harnessed. We are going to start with places like Wildlife Park, where almost all the animals are dead. It is a park only in name, without animals.
In your speech after you received your certificate of return, you called on the people of Plateau, irrespective of political, tribal, and religious affiliations, to come together for a common front. What will be your role in this regard, considering the existing dichotomy?
The people are looking for a leader they can trust; once they see that kind of leader, they will fall into line and sustain the trust. But then how do we sustain trust? We should be able to lead by example; we must demonstrate our capacity for fairness and be guided by the principles of fairness, equity, and justice. And I believe that as we get along, we are going to see some of the artificial barriers that have been erected that have made us afraid of one another, and we are going to gradually tear them down. We will begin to imbibe the spirit of oneness, unity, and brotherhood that will be able to lead us forward.
Before the election campaign, calumny pervaded the air in the state. This further fueled mistrust and promoted those things that tend to divide the state along religious, tribal, and ethnic lines. Don’t you think this poses a potential danger to the unity of the state?
A lot of things that were hyped in the media for the campaign have been discovered to have no truth in them. For example, people kept talking about litigation against the PDP; even after we won, some groups of people said INEC would not give us a certificate of return, and I have been given one. These are some of the things that people do to create an advantage for themselves in politics, and now that politics is over and the reality has set in that power will change hands on May 29, 2023, people should put those things aside and begin to face reality. Let›s begin to look at the collective interest we have for the state and how we can work for the benefit of our people. There is no time for politics again; it is time to face governance.
This is the first time since the inception of this democratic dispensation that the party in government in Plateau State will be different from the one at the centre. In this context, how do you feel?
I don’t have any fear or apprehension, even when the APC has been in government for eight years and the APC is at the centre. We didn’t see any benefit in Plateau State. So, whatever government is at the centre, it will require our political dexterity to bring some benefits to Plateau. I don›t believe that the Federal Government will want to deprive the state of the benefits that are due to it. I, therefore, want to believe that if there is any goodwill at the federal level that we can harvest, nothing can stop us from working on that.
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