By Peter Akpah

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Governor Lalong swore in new appointees, Prof Danladi Abok Atu as Secretary to the Government of the State and Hon Noel Kuryil Donjur as Chief of Staff, this are the first key appointments made by the Governor Simon Bako Lalong , after the appointment of the Director of press and Public affairs , it could be recall that after the election and swearing in of His excellency Rt Hon Simon Bako Lalong for his second term in office, dissolve all the members of his cabinet, and instructed them to hand over the affair of all ministries and Government house to the permanent secretaries respectively, since then is been four months no SGS and chief of staff Government house, and commissioners, this the Governor said it is to the interest of the state, as he said he has already finished listing his cabinet the commissioners and other government appointments, in the state.

The Governor also emphasis that any person lobbing for commissioners is wasting his or her time because he has already finished his list of commissioners, and he is responsible for all the appointment and no body but him and any body that has complain should deal directly with him, so any person lobbing should save his or her strength and time because he has finished his appointment waiting for the house of Assembly to pass it, before announcing their names, and also Lalong emphasis that nobody is to tell him who is who and who worked and those who didn’t work and also those with bad records and performance, as he has promised the good people of plateau state on consolidating on the good work he has started, this the Governor said in strong terms, worning to those lobbing with money.

The in the occasion was the present former Deputy Governor of plateau state Den Pauline Talen, Hon Idris Maje deputy speaker federal house of representatives, Hon Latep Daban, and members of National working committee of All Progressive Congress (APC) Da Jacob Gyang Buba the chairman traditional council and head of chief, and other Royal Fathers are present to grace the occasion.

The Governor in his speech said Let me begin my remarks by expressing unquantifiable gratitude to God Almighty for the privilege to serve Plateau State at this time of our history. I don’t take for granted the opportunity God has bestowed on me to have been elected Governor of our dear State twice in 2015 and 2019.

I cannot thank enough, the good people of this State for the confidence they have reposed on us particularly in the last elections where they again demonstrated their trust in our Rescue Stewardship by massively voting myself and His Excellency, the Deputy Governor Prof. Sonni Tyoden for another term. We remain grateful and take the mandate very seriously.

I dare say that the electorate has discharged part of their obligation by bringing us back to office to carry on with the final phase of our Rescue Mission and to deliver the dividends of democracy to them. The task before us is huge and a burden we must discharge with sincerity, integrity, vision and dignity.

That is exactly why we are here today to swear in two key officials, the Secretary to the Government of Plateau State Prof. Danladi Abok Atu and Chief of Staff Hon. Noel Kuryil Dongjur who are very critical to the actualization of our mandate.

Let me first congratulate the appointees for being chosen out of the millions of our citizens to serve our State. It is a rare opportunity for you to justify your calling by doing everything possible to add value to governance in such a way that the impact will resonate in even the remotest corner of our State.

These two sons of Plateau State, Prof. Danladi Abok Atu – a distinguished Scholar and Public Servant, one time Chairman of Jos North Local Government Council and until now the Director, Institute for Peace and Social Rehabilitation – University of Abuja and Hon. Noel Kuryil Dongjur, a seasoned Quantity Surveyor and one time Commissioner of Works, and current member of the Plateau State Economic Team, were carefully selected for their love for our State and track record of diligent, honest and committed service.

You will recall that during my address to the citizens of Plateau State on democracy day June 12th 2019, I unveiled the new Vision of our Rescue Administration tagged: “PLATEAU STATE IN THE NEXT LEVEL: POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES OF THE RESCUE TEAM, PHASE 2” where we promised to leave behind lasting legacies for this generation and generation to come.

In particular, we conceptualized our vision for the next four years under a three-point policy thrust anchored on: PEACE, SECURITY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE; PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT; And SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC RE-BIRTH.

Ladies and gentlemen, the elections are over and work has started in earnest. Our people are thirsty for good governance that we promised and we have no excuses to roll off our sleeves and get down to work and deliver such promises.

For the new Secretary to the Government of the State and Chief of State, this expectation makes your task very challenging and exciting as you settle in to begin driving the bureaucracy of government to work in line with the thinking and philosophy of the Rescue Administration.

Like I have said in various fora since our re-election into office, we are in our last lap and are resolved that the next four years will be devoted to consolidating on the gains we made and expanding on critical areas of development for the benefit of our people.

This can only be possible when the machinery of government works smoothly, harmoniously and systematically to ensure that all policies of this administration are religiously implemented and in record time.

I am confident that you will bring to bear your wealth of experience, vast knowledge and spirit of patriotism and selfless service as you coordinate the running of government activities and programmes.

As the next cabinet is being constituted, you will be required to give proper direction, guidance and motivation to the all ministries and agencies of government for effective performance without undue rancour and distractions. You must lead by example and ensure that discipline is maintained and observed throughout the service.

Remember that your appointment is not a license to self-aggrandizement nor self-enrichment or any personal gain for that matter. It is about service to our people and ensuring that this administration delivers on its mandate and leaving lasting legacies for our beloved State.

Don’t forget that we shall all give account of our stewardship to the people and most importantly to God. We must therefore be determined to take every task seriously and see every challenge and constructive criticism as a guide to keep us on track.

As it always said, no one (including myself) is indispensable. Therefore, we will not tolerate anyone who undermines Government’s efforts or flagrantly disregards directives. Poor performance, dereliction of duty, non-chalance or outright sabotage are not acceptable and will not be appreciated nor tolerated.

As I conclude, I wish to reaffirm my commitment to delivering good governance to the people of Plateau State in line with our campaign promises. With the support and understanding of everyone, this task though difficult, is surmountable. All we need do is to always “THINK PLATEAU, AND ACT PLATEAU”.

Once again I congratulate you on your appointments and wish you successful service to our people. It is my sincere prayer that God will grant you the enabling wisdom and strength to take our people to the next level