A pressure group christened “Concerned Plateau APC Consolidation Vanguard (PACV) has described as unsubstantiated and fictitious the claim that the Governor Caleb Muftwang administration inherited N307 billion naira as against what was submitted in the handover notes, which put it at N201.2 billion naira.
Recall that the Professor Ganyir Lombin-led Committee on a Four-Year Strategic Development Blueprint for Plateau and that of the Transition Committee disclosed on Monday that they unraveled a debt of N307 billion as bequeathed by the former Governor Lalong-led administration.
In a statement signed by its Convener, Comrade Jok Samuel Camillus, and two others, the pressure group pointed out that the report submitted by the Professor Lombin-led Committee was inaccurate and contrary to the sum of N201 billion in the handover note submitted to the present administration.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the APC-led Rescue Administration handed over a total debt stock of 201,225,349,626.41 nairas only as of April 30, 2023, which is verified by the Plateau State Debt Management Agency and the Federal Government Debt Management Office and was so submitted in the handover notes.
“This figure comprises both the domestic and foreign loans and facilities accessed by the Plateau State Government during the Lalong administration, including the figures it inherited from the Jang administration”.
It was mentioned that Governor Lalong 2015 inherited a total debt burden of 222 Billion naira from the Jonah Jang administration, which he never defaulted on servicing throughout his administration without making noise or trying to tarnish the image of his successor by misinformation and fabrication of fake and fictitious figures.
The group further stated that Lalong Rescue Administration, despite maintaining its commitment to servicing inherited debts, completed many abandoned projects and also applied judiciously the loans and facilities it took to carry out other new projects that it initiated, many of which were commissioned before the end of the tenure and are currently being enjoyed by the citizens.
It added that the APC Rescue Administration under Governor Lalong also inherited over 8 months of salary arrears, 12 months of pension, and no work, no pay withheld wages, among others, which it settled promptly and continued to pay until its last few months in office.
“One wonders what the PDP-led administration wants to achieve with these fake figures that are not in tandem with the figures authenticated by the DMO and Plateau Debt Management Agency, which have been published and can be verified any day, any time”.
It, therefore, challenged the Government or its committees, which came up with the bogus, to put out the details of the “alleged” debt profile for the public to see if they have any.
The group further implored the state governor to face the business of governance like his colleagues across the country, particularly as Plateau faces critical issues that need to be addressed.
