Plateau State Governor-elect, Barrister Simon Lalong yesterday took Governor Jonah Jang to task, accusing him of alleged looting of the state treasury

The governor-elect, in a statement signed by his media aide, Mr. Festus Fuanter, accused the outgoing administration led by Governor Jang of plans to hurriedly sell off government properties, particularly the Plateau Supply Company wareouse and Mini Housing Estate along Dogon Dutse Road; PIPC Duplexes in Gwarinpa, Abuja and other locations as well as the looting and carting away of government properties, including vehicles, household furniture and other item

He also alleged that the Jang-led administration was engaging in massive and lopsided employments, replacements, falsification of civil service placements and promotions in the civil service as well as engaging in huge and questionable withdrawals from government accounts, demands for loans as well as the illegal engagement of accounting and auditing firms to balance the books of accounts of agencies of government used for the funding of elections of government sponsored candidates, warning that any such transaction would not be respected by the incoming administration .

But Jang in a statement yesterday described the allegations as “spurious” and wondered why an incoming administration would begin to peddle unsubstantiated claims in order to further malign the person of the governor whom he said has done his best for the good of Plateau State.

The statement, which was signed by the Executive Assistant to Governor Jang, Mr. Garba Clinton, advised the incoming administration to concentrate on having a smooth transition process and going further to surpass the Jang administration because the bar of leadership has been raised instead of making unfounded allegations that are not true

It said: “The same Plateau people who gave the mandate to the incoming administration graciously gave the Jang administration the opportunity to serve and this they have done to best of our abilities as evident in the numerous projects that dot the Plateau landscape adding that now that Plateau people have decided that another person should be at the helm of affairs.

“Our advice to the incoming administration is that it should concentrate on having a smooth transition process and going further to surpassing the Jang administration because the bar of leadership has been raised. Plateau people now know what it means to taste meaningful development and will not accept anything less.

We on our part will remain a vibrant opposition anchored on x-raying th policies and programmes of the incoming government vis-a-vis what we have to offer. Ours is going to be an issue-based opposition which will criticise the programmes of government not an attack on personalities who we may have fallen out with.

We call on all peace loving people to therefore ignore rumours and fallacious statements being peddled either in the media or by word of mouth. The Jang administration is putting together a comprehensive hand over note with all its actions as contained in the Plateau State Strategic Development Plan; a document which is the guide for the development of the State

•Adapted from Sunday Mirror. Photo shows Lalong.

Update news