10 LIES YOU SHOULD NOT BUY ABOUT THE REBUILDING OF JOS MAIN MARKET
- The Government is giving Jaiz Bank ownership of the market for 40 years.
THE TRUTH: The lease for 40 years is for those who will buy shops at the market. Jaiz Bank will not own a single shop. It will only build the market, sell its share of 60% shops and leave. The Government owns the market before during and after the construction.
- Governor Lalong wants to mortgage the heritage of Plateau people.
THE TRUTH: Rebuilding the Jos Main Market is in no way mortgaging the future of Plateau State or removing ownership from the State. The Government is the eternal owner now and after the construction. Remember that the same Governor Lalong acquired the BARC Farms which was sold by previous administration. He is not known for selling the heritage of Plateau.
- The sharing formula of 60-40 of the shops with State (40%) and Jaiz (60%) is unfair to Plateau State.
TRUTH: The Plateau State Government is not spending one kobo in rebuilding the market. Jaiz will fund the entire project. Considering the high cost of materials and inflation, funding the project may experience varying prices of goods. The 60-40 ratio has been assessed by business experts and relevant government technocrats as a fair deal for both parties.
- The State Government does not have power to enter into agreement for rebuilding the Jos Main Market because markets are the responsibility of Local Governments according to 1999 Constitution.
TRUTH: The Jos Main Market has never been under the Local Government Authority. Jos Main Market Authority which managed the burnt market is a State Government parastatal under the Ministry of Commerce. There is nothing that stops State Government carrying out market projects especially capital intensive ones. This lie is dead on arrival as no local Government has ever made claim on the market.
- The law establishing Jos Main Market Authority does not give the State Government right to enter into MOU with Jaiz.
TRUTH: This is turning logic on its head. The State Government established the JMMA to manage the market after it constructed it. Its responsibility is to manage it. As at this moment, the Authority is comatose because of the lack of a market to manage. In any case, if it had the powers above the State Government to enter into MOUs, what has it been waiting for?
- The Government chose Jaiz Bank give the shops to Muslims only. Plateau people will be schemed out.
TRUTH: The shops will be sold to all willing persons who apply both Christians and Muslims and other religions. Both the Government and Jaiz will sell their allocations to willing off takers irrespective of religion, ethnicity or political affiliations. In fact, all Nigerians and foreigners are welcome to invest. This is business. The more the merrier. However, the Government will monitor to ensure that the citizens of the State are given priority while no one will be allowed to use religion in selling the shops.
- Who is the contractor for the project and what is the interest of the Government in BUNYAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Ltd?
TRUTH: The Plateau State Government has no interest in the construction company apart from ensuring proper supervision for the quality, specification and timely delivery of the project. Since the cost of the project has been assessed by experts, the funding entity Jaiz Bank is the one to interface with the contractor.
- The Government excluded other willing investors in favour of Jaiz Bank for the reconstruction of the market.
TRUTH: For many years the Government has been looking for investors to rebuild the market. Several companies came with proposals and presentations but after scrutiny, they backed out simply because they did not have the funds or wanted Bank Guarantee from the State. Others wanted the Government to give them counterpart funds and also buy off all the shops. For others, they wanted control of the market for as long as it takes to recover their money. Jaiz Bank which came later offered a better deal. No one was excluded.
- Governor Lalong is rushing to sign the MOU at the twilight of his administration which is suspicious.
TRUTH: The tenure of Governor Lalong ends on May 29th 2023. Up till his last day in office, he will carry out business of governance according to the law. Besides, Government is a continuum. Those who take over from him can finish where he stops or stop the project entirely of they wish. After all, he completed many inherited projects from the Jang PDP administration and many others.
- It is better to leave the market as it is than allow an Islamic Bank to reconstruct it.
TRUTH: The market has been down for 21 years without yielding a dime for the State Government or its citizens. Keeping it at its decomposing state will only deprive the State needed revenue which it needs to address its financial needs. Remember that the market accounted for up to 40% revenue of the State when it was operational. Is there a better time Plateau needs a better cash cow than now when the Federal allocation has dwindled?Besides, the market belongs to the Government before, during and after the construction.
Comrade Iliya Mark, JP
Chairman
Tina Dabak
Secretary
For: RESCUE MONITORING TEAM
Freelance Reporters 