.Says litigation delaying completion of Gov’s Legacy Projects
The Plateau Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr Dan Manjang, says Gov. Simon Lalong of the state, is committed to ensuring lasting peace and adequate security in the state.
Majang stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Jos, noting that the governor had put a lot of modalities on ground in that regard.
He explained that the current administration in the state was the first in the country that established a Peace Building Agency and supported various security agencies toward promoting peace and security in the state.
“This government, under Gov. Simon Lalong has done a lot toward achieving lasting peace in on Plateau. Having a peaceful Plateau is the desire of our dear governor.
“That is why he became the first governor to establish a peace building agency that has now become a model for others. This agency is doing great in terms of mediation among waring parties and providing support toward achieving peace in rural communities.
“Recently, this government donated 50 vehicles and 200 motorcycles to various security agencies to aid them in carrying out their duty of securing lives and property,” he said.
Majang, however, said that security ought to be everybody’s business and he called on community and religious leaders to preach peace to their subjects at all times.
He also called on residents of the state to support government’s efforts toward ending the circle of violence in the state by imbibing the culture of love, tolerance and forgiveness.
Also, Manjang, has attributed the delay in the completion of the Lalong Legacy Projects to the ongoing litigation by the contractor.
He said this in an interview ,insisting that the state government would complete the projects before the end of the current administration.
They consist of 22 infrastructural projects, which include modern primary and secondary schools, and hospitals located all over the 17 Local government areas of the state.
The projects, if completed will have direct bearing in the lives of the citizens of the state, particularly the rural dwellers.
The commissioner explained that the Bleneson Service Nigeria Ltd., the company executing the projects took the state government to court over alleged breach of contract.
“We are not happy that these projects have not been completed; we are really worried. But it is not our making, because the Bleneson Service Nigeria Ltd. took the state government to court over the projects.
“And because the case is still in court, we cannot do anything about the projects until the litigation is over and that’s the reason for the delay,” he said.
On why the company sued the state government, Manjang said that government revoked the contract when the contractor failed to meet the agreed terms.
“Government brought the company in as a forerunner, but we later discovered that he is a contractor, and so we revoked the contracts. So, he took government to court; we won at the lower court but he has approached a higher court.
“But one thing I want to assure the people of Plateau is that governor Lalong is determined to complete these projects before he leaves office in 2023.
“As I speak to you, we have N15 billion on ground for the completion of the projects as soon the litigation is over.
“More so, most of the projects are currently at 90 per cent completion stage,” he said.
Manjang said that the 22 projects were being executed at the cost of N29 billion
