 |
| Governor Lalong taking oath of office for 2nd term on Wednesday |
Lalong sworn in for
second term, promises protection of values of ethnic nationalities in Plateau
state.
By
Joseph A. Adudu
May
29, 2019
Rt. Hon. Simon BakoLalong was this afternoon sworn
in as the Executive Governor of Plateau State for second term.With this
development, the former speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly would
pilot the affairs of the State in the next four years. The occasion which was
held at the Rwang Pam Township Stadium was witnessed by mammoth crowd including
traditional rulers, former members of the Plateau State Executive Council, former
members of the National and State Assembly, captain of industries among others.
 |
| From Left: Justice Yakubu Dakwak, CJ, Plateau state, Gov Lalong and Regina Lalong |
In his speech at the accession, Governor Lalongstated
that the event opened a new chapter in the March towards Peace, Unity and Progress
of Plateau State, stressing that a critical policy, of his administration
developed and embraced in the last four years was the concept of forgiveness.
He said that apart from the reconciliation moves and
breaking the cycles of violence which has engulfed the State for close to two
decades, his administration recently launched‘Forgiveness’ Day which is to be
marked every February 7.
Lalong said that the day is set aside to reflect on
our journey as a people having in mind the various crises that have bedeviled
the state adding that the day would always be a day for charting a new path and
re-write our narratives and celebrate taking the path of forgiveness in line
with our different religious injunctions.
The Governor said that with this philosophy, the winning
points would continue to be the insistence on impartiality, neutrality and fairness
to all concerns, regardless of ethnic, religion and political affinities.
“Plateau is a State with diverse ethnicities, I therefore, assure all and
sundry of holding onto our policy of inclusiveness and get everybody in
different position of responsibility to do the needful. In this way, we would
have justified earning the votes and confidence of the people. We would have
also justified accepting the mandate to serve with all the humility and
affirmation to move the people and the State to Next Level.
 |
| Gov Lalong going round the stadium in after making his speech |
Governor Lalong added that his administration shall
strive to inject new ideas and philosophical paradigm into governance efforts –
stressing that the paradigm will hopefully find expression in religious Humanism.Continuing,
he said, “Governance is a two – way traffic involving a social contract of
duties and obligations between the government and the governed. Good governance
pre-supposes loyalty, hard work effective service delivery and leaving behind a
legacy worthy of emulation by subsequent generations. Our Humanism will be
based on the principles that people need freedom and self-determination; that
people should be respected and held in high esteem rather than means of
negative governmental action; that people are fundamentally social in nature
and therefore, value or cherish community life.“Above all, people have the
right to seek truth and oppose authoritarian rule”.
 |
| Gov Lalong in a handshake with his deputy, Professor Sonni Gwanle Tyoden |
He stated that these ideas of liberty, human rights,
democracy and public scrutiny of opinion and governmental actions were
essential to the smooth functioning of society. “we must therefore, learn to
form communities that respect human life and tolerate differences to avert the
embers of hate and fanaticism” said governor Lalong.
 |
| Gov Lalong and his wife, Regina |
He added that his vision for the new Plateau
promises to leave behind legacies of our commonality, human dignity and
welfare. According to the Governor “while as a government, we shall strive to
meet our own side of the social bargain, we equally expect the good people of Plateau
State to reciprocate government gesture not only by giving them unalloyed
support, but more importantly by learning to live in peace with one another so
that together, we can achieve the much desired development. We should recognize
that corruption, dishonesty, disloyalty rumor – mongering, fake news, religious
and political fanaticism, ethnic jingoism, violence and other forms of social
evil are antithetical to our vision of the new Plateau
and must be avoided”, he said.
Post a Comment