GOV. LALONG DELIVERS 11TH AREWA LECTURE, CANVASSES FOR REDUCTION IN COST OF GOVERNANCE TO FUND DEVELOPMENT

 Chairman of Northern Governors Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong says all tiers of Government in Nigeria must as a matter of urgency cut down on the high cost of Governance in order to fund critical areas of development that will address challenges of Nigerians. 

 Governor Lalong said this while delivering the 11th Annual Memorial Lecture in honour of late Sir Ahmadu Bello at the Arewa House, Kaduna. 

 Governor Lalong whose lecture was entitled "Reducing the Cost of Governance for Inclusive Growth and Youth Development in Post COVID-19 Northern Nigeria" said the high cost of governance has further increased the inability of the governments at all levels to meet the basic needs of the people. 

 He said factors such as corruption, insecurity, large number of Government appointees, high salaries, corruption, among others are among some of the factors that drive the high cost of governance in the country. He insisted that this must be addressed immediately to change the trajectory of growth in Nigeria and the North in particular. 

 Lalong said the high cost of governance has worsened the standard of living in the Northern part of the country which continues to battle with infrastructure deficit, poverty, illiteracy, culture of patronage laziness, diseases and insecurity. 

 He said the Northern Governors Forum has seriously examined the economic situation in the region and is working in unison to address the high cost of governance and other obstacles to development. 

 Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari who represented President Muhammadu Buhari said the Federal Government has continued to implement various cut-cutting measures to reduce the cost of governance and free resources for development. 

 He said so far, the results are positive and the Federal Government will work with State Governments including those of the Northern region in adopting measure that will reduce huge spending and wastages so that funds will be available for development. 

 Chairman of the occassion, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu said the discourse is timely as the nation needs to prioritise its spending and get more resources towards addressing the problems of the common man.

 The Lecture was attended by many dignitaries from across the country as well as Governors from the northern region. 

 Awards were bestowed on six former Governors of the Northern region who served meritoriouly and founded the Arewa House. Among them is former Governor of Benue Plateau State, late Joseph Gomwalk.

 Dr. Makut Simon Macham 

Director of Press & Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State. 

27th March 2021.

 

SENATOR HEZAKIAH DIMKA ON THRESHOLD OF PLATEAU MOUNTAINS

 By Orgak Walbe

Since his inauguration as the Senator Representing Plateau Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly the positive impact of Hezakiah Dimka is undeniable been felt not only in the central zone but the state atlarge.

Working with the conventional calendar, two years might be seeming as too long for the provision of dividend of democracy to be felt, to some it is a mark of failure therefore, changes must be made regardless of whatever the situations. All of these are right in their own ways, but as in all life situations what matters most is not the beginning but the ending.

True to type, to some Senator Hezekiah might be slow at the beginning, but that should not in any way be seen as a mark of flaw or letdown because in every life accomplishment most of the actions carried out hastily never stand the test of time, therefore, it is pertinent for any right thinking person to appropriately set exceptional strategies in motion through appropriate planning.

If you failed to plan, then you have failed already and the ending will always be catastrophic; just as a vehicle a changes gears at the start with slow motion and gradually picking up speed so does any good planning and strategies.

Two years at the Senate Chamber was a period of strategizing and planning, Hezekiah Dimka larger than life image as well as his legendry simple and unassuming personality had greatly endeared him to the heart of people that had come in close contact with him.

No sooner had Senator Hezekiah Ayuba Dimka was inaugurated on the 11th June, 2019 into the red chamber to represent the cherish people of the Plateau Central Senatorial District that he embarked on vigorous appraisal of situation on ground with the aim at providing purposeful representation guided with the philosophy of peace, unity and love anchor on the moral obligation that he will never let tribalism, religion nepotism, ethnic biasness or political witch-hunt get in the way of representation.

His scorecards at the senate as seen to the bill for the establishment of the Institute of Information and Communication Technology Kanam, Bill for the upgrade of NDLEA Training Institute, Jos, advocacy and sensitization on Narcotic Drugs and rehabilitation programme, empowerment programme for 150 Youths and Women across the constituency, rural electrification project and solar power project in the senatorial district, employment of youths into federal establishments, this is just to mention a few as over 600 beneficiaries of Federal Government Survival Fund courtesy distinguished Senator Dimka receives their N30,000 grant across the five LGAS of Plateau Central with the assurance that the beneficiaries of the other categories of the Survival Fund would be verified soon and payment effected on time.

The social media propaganda against Senator Hezakiah Dimka is an exercise in futility and has failed woefully because he has proven his mettle at the upper Chamber.

His uncommon spirit of undiluted patriotism for his fatherland, coupled with his abundant philanthropic endeavors’ particularly in his home state, whom he treasured profoundly and so zealously, are indeed potent demonstrations of Distinguished Senator Hezekiah Dimka great and enduring legacies and no political or media conspiracy will take that from him.

Diket Plang's Midas Touch as Member Plateau State House of Assembly