Ifeanyi IbePlateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, says his administration has inherited a total debt burden of ₦307 billion from the immediate past governor, Simon Lalong.
This was disclosed on Monday when the reports of the Committee on a Four-year Strategic Development Blueprint for Plateau State and that of the Plateau State Transition Committee headed by Prof Ganyir Lombin were presented to governor Caleb Mutfwang at the New Government House, Little Rayfield, Jos, Plateau State.
Receiving the reports, the governor said: “I want to assure you all that these reports will not gather dust on the shelves. We are going to make prudent use of them and study them appropriately. These reports will give rise to further investigation. They will give rise to further studies that we need to embark upon and we will not waste time in doing so by the grace of God.
“You highlighted the debt burden. I knew that throughout the campaign, we were under the mistaken belief that our debt burden was around ₦200 billion and to hear that it is ₦307 billion is quite intimidating and worrisome.”
However, he said: “By the grace of God, the challenges we are confronted with are not insurmountable. Of particular concern is the issue of security which unfortunately has become to us, a major distraction. We are confident that by the grace of God, with some of the new security personnel on the ground, and with the Special Adviser on Security assuming responsibility, we will be able to see a difference, not too long from now.”
Caleb expressed his determination to fulfil his constitutional mandate of protecting the lives and property of the people of Plateau State and said no stone would be left unturned in ensuring that the Plateau legacy as a Home of Peace and Tourism is restored within a short time.
Making the presentation, Pof Lombin expressed gratitude that they were allowed to serve the state in that capacity but said that the committee was faced with some very formidable operational challenges that did not allow them to make a joint presentation.
He lamented that the out-gone administration of Lalong did not avail the committee the opportunity of making inputs into the handover documents submitted to the joint committee before May 29, 2023.
He said the handover notes presented to the governor by the out-gone administration on 29 May 2023 were scanty and lacked necessary details as they did not follow the agreed template developed by the Joint Committee.
According to him, “The handover notes stated that the revenue which accrued to the Plateau State Government from May 2015 to May 2023 stood at ₦872 billion. The total expenditure was only given from May 2015 to December 2022 and not up to May 2023 at ₦810 billion.
“Does this suggest that there was no expenditure from January 2023 to May 2023? Or was it deliberate misinformation? The government needs to look at this critically and where necessary, take appropriate action.
“There is no clear figure for the state’s monthly wage bill. However, this administration has inherited a backlog of four months of unpaid salaries to public servants amounting to over ₦11 billion. Outstanding gratuity and Pension arrears of ₦24 billion was also inherited.
“The Legacy Projects are marred in controversies and unresolved legal cases which have stalled their implementation. Currently, the sum of ₦12 billion for this project is still in the custody of the trustees of the funds.
“There are 3,692 items of Government Assets and Properties including cars, houses that were sold and auctioned at a ridiculous price both within and outside the state. This needs to be further investigated and where necessary, appropriate action be taken.”
Lombin added that Mutfwang inherited a near-bankrupt state with weak institutions, low public morale, and a high level of insecurity, but with high expectations from the citizenry.
He described the task ahead of governor Mutfwang as enormous but not insurmountable and expressed joy in the manner in which the governor is determined to succeed in the pursuit of the collective interest of the Plateau people.
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