The factional publicity secretary of the PDP Plateau State, John T. Akans, released a press release alleging “looting, and conversion of public assets under the directives of the Governor,” and the government of Plateau State is compelled to respond to the outrageous, baseless, inciting, and malicious allegations contained therein.
It is important to set the record straight to prevent right-thinking citizens and members of the public from being brainwashed by the fictional apparatus, even though we do not intend to elevate the invented fiction of lies and propaganda intended to intimidate civil servants/appointees and castigate the government in order to pit it against the citizens.
First of all, the press release’s harsh tone does not surprise us because it reflects the PDP’s well-known traits of desperation, conceit, propaganda, and impoliteness, which peaked during the most recent elections.
It is regrettable that a party is already making threats and singling out certain government officials for intimidation, harassment, and retaliation. What will they do if they ultimately succeed in ascending the formidable mountain before the Tribunal and the Supreme Court and seize control?
Let it be known that the Simon Bako Lalong-led Rescue Administration has nothing to fear or hide and has never engaged in any of the claimed looting, conversion of public property, or criminal activity in contract awards.
The APC Rescue Government has, if anything, conducted the affairs of governance over the past eight years with the utmost caution, accountability, openness, and diligence. While in office, Governor Lalong established the To make sure that the business of governance is carried out in accordance with established rules, various organizations, including the Efficiency Unit (EU), Treasury Single Account (TSA), Liquidity Management Committee (LMC), and the Project Monitoring and Result Delivery Office (PMRDO), have been established.
The Lalong Rescue Administration applied to and was accepted into the Open Government Partnership (OGP), where it received the global Award for Transparency and Accountability in 2021 in Seoul, South Korea. The PDP may want to take note of this. In the 2nd Corruption Survey Report published by the National Bureau of Statistics while the same administration remained in power, Plateau State was ranked as the second least corrupt State in Nigeria (NBS).
So, it is absurd for the PDP to accuse the government and particular officers of corruption while offering no supporting data. We demand that they either immediately retract their false claims or stop deceiving the public.
We also urge them to take it easy and wait for the Election Petition Tribunal’s decision before continuing with their game of vengeance, blackmail, and intimidation if they ultimately succeed. They can enjoy the pleasure of their momentary success while doing so. They are free to investigate the activities of the APC Government, which has nothing to hide, if and when they are elected to office.
The PDP cannot say that our party, the APC, which was the first in the history of Plateau State to depose an incumbent, did not act with such haughtiness, pride, and brazen abuse of power up until this point, despite having more than a million justifications and pieces of proof.
As only the Governor and his deputy have immunity at this time, we advise them to promptly disclose all alleged “criminality” to the appropriate law enforcement agencies rather than waiting until they take office. Even now, no other civil workers or appointees are shielded from an investigation or legal action.
If they are unable to do so, they should remain calm and let the Rescue Administration complete its term on May 29, 2023, after which it will turn the reins over to whoever the courts determine to be the legitimate victor of the governorship elections.
The temporary win they have obtained, which is already being contested before the Tribunal, should not be used as an excuse to intimidate civil workers and appointees out of performing their legal obligations.
We also take this occasion to strongly exhort civil officials and appointees to carry on performing their regular jobs in the same fearless and uninhibited manner that they have for years.
It is important for civil officials and appointees to be aware that anyone who disobeys a valid order from the government—whether out of cowardice, fear, or treachery—will be considered a saboteur and subject to the service’s current disciplinary procedures with immediate effect. Any unwholesome behavior, including the leak of government information, will be harshly penalized, as will indolence and disloyalty.
Also, those conducting business with the government—contractors, banks, and other organizations—are urged to disregard the PDP’s threats, which reportedly include verbal and written cautions to stop doing so.
Our Government will not be held responsible for any outcomes of obeying such illegal commands, which lack legal standing and effectively violate the standards of conduct that govern business agreements.
Last but not least, we urge all government partners, clients, and supporters in the public and private sectors to disregard any harassment from the PDP or its proxies since there is currently only one government in Plateau State, led by Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong.
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