REP BAGOS FINALLY FINDS CAMPAIGN BOOSTER IN JOS MAIN MARKET HAVING FAILED TO IMPRESS CONSTITUENTS

REP BAGOS FINALLY FINDS CAMPAIGN BOOSTER IN JOS MAIN MARKET HAVING FAILED TO IMPRESS CONSTITUENTS

Dachung Musa Bagos, Member Representing Jos South/Jos East Constituency better known as “Member Representing Channels/AIT Constituency” (for spending his time on TV rather than in the Chambers) has finally found a campaign booster for his ailing, wobbly and unimpressive bid to return to the Green Chambers.

Bagos who has a high reputation for grandstanding and is a notorious specialist in using tragedy, misfortune and crises to access power and grab attention recently found the perfect booster in the discourse about the efforts to rebuild the Jos Main Market by the Lalong administration.

Although the initiative has not been finalised, Bagos who has been nowhere to be found in his Constituency and is in fact walking towards failure because of his disastrous performance, decided to latch unto the issue by creating, sponsoring and sustaining the false narrative and propaganda against the policy.

He went on to issue a press statement on 27th July where he made spurious allegations and raised politcally-infested questions about rebuilding the market by the Government.

Bagos also pretended to be patriotic by raising the mundane questions and even displayed his ignorance or mischief By questioning the powers of the Plateau State Government to rebuild the market instead of Jos North LGA since markets are under the Local Governments in the 1999 Constitution.

But he ignored the fact that the burnt Jos Main market which was built by the State Government in 1975 and managed by the Jos Main Market Authority (JMMA) has never been under local government or been contested by the local Government.

Despite consistent clarifications, explanations and engagement to put the records straight, Bagos and his sponsored hirelings continued to feed the gullible with the falsehood that Jaiz Bank will own the market for 40 years and that Plateau heritage is being mortgaged to Islamic Bank.

The facts however are different as the 40 years lease is for individuals that will buy shops from either the 40 percent of the Government (which is not putting 1kobo for the project aside the land) and 60% to be allocated to Jaiz Bank (which is funding the entire construction at the cost of 10 billion).

After he failed to gain traction with his propaganda, misinformation and disinformation, he has run to the courts to obtain an injunction stopping the Government from going ahead with the rebuilding the market.

This is novel, shocking and tragic. If one may ask, in what capacity is he instituting the action? Is he representing himself, House of Representatives or the Plateau State House of Assembly? Does he has the locus standi to usurp a Government policy yet to be implemented or even implemented by another arm of Government? What happened to the separation of powers? Well, the courts will decide.

While we await the court to determine his action, it is clear that Bagos who has gained notoriety in sponsoring protests and instigating incitements cares little about the progress and economic development of Plateau State but more about his wobbly political career.

We note that Bagos who gained political fortune by sponsoring and leading protest including the violent one that damaged the new Government House, has not made any impact in his Constituency since he was elected, hence his rejection by his constituents and by his god father at the PDP Primaries. It was only after his tearful repentance, begging, bribing and prostrating on the ground to the stakeholders that he was given the ticket again.

Now that he has no scorecard of achievements to use for the campaign, he has fallen back on his old tricks of using controversy, misfortune and deciet to try to hoodwink the gullible. He has found the Jos Main Market issue as his new constituency project that he hopes will fetch him another election. What a pity!

Now let’s ask Rep Bagos these questions:

1. What do you have to show since you went to Abuja? Are you in the same House of Representatives with people like Hon. Maje, Gagdi and Beni and Mwadkon who have shown their capacity?
2. How come it’s only after attacks and misfortune that you appear on TV or at the scene to shed fake tears or to grandstand and abuse Government?
3. Show us your performance card as Representative of Jos South/Jos East in the last 3-4 years.
4. What is your interest against the rebuilding of the Jos Main Market?
5. Why have you as representative of the people not moved a motion or tried to influence Federal, private or corporate funding to rebuild the market since it was burnt?
6. What do you personally stand to loose if the main market is rebuilt?
7. Who is bank-rolling your opposition to the development of your state?
8. Do you want to be on the wrong side of history by being remembered as the person who sought to stop the economic development of Plateau State?
9. Do you think this fruitless endeavour will fetch you reelection?
10. If you are a true Legislator, do you know the doctrine of separation of powers?
11. Are you happy with the way the market is looking now?
12. Does the land upon which the Jos Main Market market will be built belong to you or your family?
13. Are you now Member representing Jos North/ Bassa?

While you answer these questions, we pray God keeps you alive to witness the rebuilding of the market and even give you a shop or the money to go there and buy one thing or another. We assure you that no amount of intimidation, protests, court action or propaganda will stop the progress of the State under the leadership of Rt. Hon Simon Bako Lalong. Just like you failed to stop the British-American Flyover and Dualisation to Lamingo Roundabout Junction, you will fail more in this futile effort against Jos Main Market.

We advise you to look beyond immediate benefits and quest for political office and think generationally. You are still young and stand to benefit even more from the market. Not everything is politcal and in case you forget, every government needs money to serve the people. That is what exactly Governor Lalong is doing for the administrations that will come after him. He is thinking long term and you are there thinking not beyond your nose.

May God give you the knowledge to Think and Act Plateau.

Comrade Iliya Mark JP
Chairman

Tina Dabak
Secretary

For: Rescue Monitoring Team