29th June, 2022.
RE: THE PARADOX OF IMPUNITY AND EDUCATIONAL COLLAPSE UNDER LALONG AND TYODEN
The attention of the APC in Plateau State has been drawn to yet another thrash and unprovoked attack on the APC- led government in the state with the above caption.
Ordinarily, the APC in the state would not have dignified the thouroughly confused PDP with a response but we have a responsibility to keep the public constantly informed about the policies and programs of the Rescue Administration and in order to put the records straight.
If not mischief, the PDP should not forget in a hurry its decimation of our tertiary institutions during its eight years inglorious reign where the state was run as a one man show.
Accusing the Lalong/ Tyoden administration of poor performance in the running of tertiary institutions in the state is a real contradiction. The PDP’s assertion is a perfect description of how it destroyed what was left of our tertiary institutions.
At the advent of the APC administration in the state, the
government, deeply concerned about the level of decay in these institutions, embarked on a recovery and rehabilitation mission in order to bring back to life these institutions.
To effectively do this, Governor Simon Lalong appointed his deputy Professor Sonni Gwanle Tyoden, an accomplished academician and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos to double as the Commissioner of Higher Education.
Has the now sacked PDP spokesman, John Akans who signed the very misleading press release forgotten how, based on its looting spree and in total contempt for the tertiary institutions and its lecturers, when it invoked an obnoxious ‘no work no pay’ policy on the striking workers?
The further lack of human face by that PDP government was demonstrated when the well conceived Plateau State University (PLASU) whose bill for its establishment was passed when Lalong’s was the Honourable Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly but which the PDP administration suspended all academic activities throughout its eight year tenure.
The PDP lacks the moral compass to accuse the APC administration of poor handling of tertiary institutions.
Coincidentally, it was during the tenure of the present Deputy Governor as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos that the stranded students who were ingloriously denied the the opportunity to graduate, got admitted and completed their courses of study at the University of Jos.
No wonder embarrassed by the shoddy handling of the tertiary institutionsin in the state, one of the major stakeholders in the PDP, the late Alexander Mwolwus described former governor Jang as a real Boko Haram ( hater of western education).
Also, the Plateau State Polytechnic narrowly escaped the regulatory body’s sledge harmer based on the PDP poor handling of the institution’s affairs under an unqualified Rector who was appointed not on merit but based on ethnic consideration against the federal government policy of appointing a minimum of PhD holders to run higher institutions the country.
Many programs remained unacrredited due to the ineptitude of its leadership and poor funding.
The Lalong /Tyoden administration painstakingly put things in their proper perspective to rescue the state Polytechnic from imminent collapse.
Most programmes have been accredited with the over 40 year-old institution holding its convocation regularly which was not the case under that PDP administration
The College of Agricultuer Gargawa established by the Dariye administration suffered the worst neglect.
Since its establishment about 24 years ago, it has not been fully accredited with no convocation held all these years.
Under the APC administration, most courses have been accredited while convocation has been approved with funds already released for that purpose.
The Lalong/Tyoden administration which is union friendly unlike the hostility visited on the workforce by the past administration where workers had to carry coffins to demonstrate their disaffection, lacks the moral force to condemn the present administration.
Governor Simon Bako Lalong’s labour friendliness is not a matter of debate or conjecture. Only in March this year, he was given an award by the Nigeria Labour Congress as the most labour friendly governor in the whole country at Crispan Hotel Jos.
The Labour unions in Plateau state can testify that they don’t have the kind of issues they had with the past PDP administration which again, the NLC at the national level had always attested to during its congress meetings .
Admittedly, the present goverment has a few internal issues with the unions in its tertiary institutions though some of the industrial actions embarked upon by ASUU NASU, ASUP and COEASU were as a result of directive at the national level.
All efforts are being made to resolve grey areas by the government which believes in dialogue. Negotiations have reached advanced stage for the payment of arrears of the third party deductions in respect of union dues, cooperative savings and Federal Morgage Remittances.
To demonstrate its commitment, the government intents to remit these deductions as soon as allocation from this month’s FAAC drops.
The cluelessness of the analogue PDP in a global environment which is ruled by technology and best practices is palpable. In its last and worthless press release, it frowned at the state government setting up of the laudable PLASCHEMA (Plateau State Contributory Health Care Management Agency) in December, 2019.
The unions in the tertiary institutions have applauded the initiative as some have testified how it has really helped them.
The PDP needs to be informed that health insurance which the federal government attaches great premium on is a global practice which Plateau State cannot be left out.
In fact, the Plateau model which the PDP is ignorantly condemning is reputed to be the best in the country.
Where the workers are complaining about is that couples who are both employees of the state should not be treated separately unless on request, so also are spouses who are enrolled in the health insurance policy of the federal government which are being amicably resolved.
The APC in Plateau state which will not be tired of properly keeping the people abreast of government policies as enunciated on the inception of administration, strongly calls on the public to be wary of the PDP which desperately wants to come back to power in the state.
The leopard, as the late Senegalese sage and former President, Loepold Sengnor, once said, does not change its spots.
Signed:
Hon.Sylvanus Namang,
APC State Publicity Secretary
Kwararafa Reporters 