Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State has been described as a perfect example of humility and loveliness.
Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Plateau State,Hon Letep Dabang in a congratulatory message on behalf of the party on the celebration of the Governor’s 58th birthday said his life has been that of a positive example to up coming generations.
Congratulating Lalong on his birthday Dabang said God has been faithful in the life of the Governor and his family and that has also manifested in the way he has continued to run the affairs of the state treating all as equal to the admiration of all.
He added that the APC in the state remains grateful to the Governor because of his leadership style praying God to open more doors of unending favors to him in his daily life.
Letep Dabang prayed God to grant Governor Lalong more years and good health as he steps into the next phase of his life and called on plateau people to continually pray for the him to lead the state aright.
NDE VICTOR DAVID DIMKA fsi, CELEBRATES GOVERNOR SIMON BAKO LALONG ON HIS BIRTHDAY:
As His Excellency, Governor Simon Bako Lalong and Chairman, Northern Governor’s Forum celebrates his 58th birthday today,the leader of the DVD Movement in Plateau State, Nde Victor David Dimka fsi joins millions of other Nigerians to felicitate with him.
“Our Governor has put his name on the sands of time having served as a Speaker of the State House of Assembly and now Executive Governor of our dear State. He has been able to stabilize the State since his assumption of office in 2015 and we all know that peace is the foundation for every development”, he said.
Nde Victor David Dimka fsi, wishes the Leader of the Rescue Administration more fruitful years ahead as he continues with his developmental strides.
Nde Victor David Dimka fsi, Commiserates with the Family of Da Timothawus Pwajok
Nde Victor David Dimka fsi has commiserated with the immediate family of Da Davou Timothawus Pwajok who passed on to the great beyond on April 27th, 2021.
He urges the family to put their trust in God as only Him can comfort them all.
“I am confident that our father is now resting at the bosom of our Lord”, he said.
While praying for the repose of his soul, the leader of the DVD Movement added that, “Da Davou Timothawus Pwajok will be remembered for his immeasurable contributions to humanity “.
SALUTE TO A VISIONARY LEADER AND BRIDGE BUILDER AT 58
On this joyous occasion of your 58th Birthday, I join your family and millions of other well-wishers across the length and breadth of the country to celebrate this landmark.
As you mark this milestone, we pray that God Almighty will endow you with the wisdom to sustain and consolidate on the peace and other remarkable achievements that you have recorded in Plateau State.
May God also strengthen you to continue to provide quality leadership for the Northern people in your capacity as Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and for Nigeria in general.
On behalf of Lady Victoria and my entire family, I wish you a glorious birthday celebration.
Signed
Sir Joseph N. Ari, KSM, KSS & Lady Victoria Ari, LSM
In the past six years, Plateau State under the leadership of Governor Simon Bako Lalong who clocks 58 today has been enthralled by purposeful driven governance, developmental projects under a serene and placid atmosphere. In all ramifications, his 58th birthday is a worthy and fulfilled milestone which should be commemorated with pomp and wide jubilations.
The reasons are instructive and obvious. For more than two decades in politics, Lalong has been playing active roles in the development of Plateau State. His stint in politics right from 1999 when he was elected into the Plateau State House of Assembly and later became the longest serving speaker in the State, up to 2015 when he was elected the Governor, have been trailed by amazing footprints and legacies.
Governor Lalong exudes uncommon attributes and leadership skills which include humility, discipline, forthrightness and tolerance. He abhors bigotry under any guise. His passion for peace has even been misunderstood by some as a weakness whlie the discerning praise him as a bridge builder and Apostle of peace. He took over Plateau State in 2015 when there were religious and ethnic tensions especially in Jos as a result of ethno-religious crises. But today as a result of his non-partisan and forthright approach to issues, the tension and apprehension has since been diffused and many of the old barriers dismantled.
To tame the orgy of violence inherited, Governor Lalong established Plateau Peace Building Agency to promote the culture of dialogue, forgiveness and conflict prevention that has gingered peace and harmonious coexistence among the diverse ethno-religious groups in the state. Presently, there is clear evidence that the situation has improved tremendously over the last five years with better community relations and less tension and fear. Plateau State is again the melting pot of Nigeria and the Home of Peace and Tourism.
It is strongly believed that at 58, Lalong’s leadership skills have similarities with those of the global acclaimed visionary leaders such as Nelson Madela who strongly believed in peace as a tool for development. Lalong has been exploring all plausible avenues to consolidate on the prevailing peace. Apart from supporting security agencies, Operation Rainbow, a hybrid force established by the state government was strengthened by his administration with a clear mandate for intelligence gathering and response to pave the way for community policing.
The Governor’s regular consultation with stakeholders in the state including members of the State House of Assembly has led to many positive developments. For instance, the passing of the anti-land grabbing law which criminalises forceful occupation of land by some unscrupulous elements, has since stemmed the tide of land grabbing in the state especially in the Northern zone of Plateau State.
To some people, an ideal leader looks like a superhero –strong and brimming with confidence. But humility holds greater power, albeit silently. Studies on humility in leadership have posited that humble leaders make the best leaders and easily disarm even their opponents. One of the virtues you cannot take away from Governor Lalong is humility. In spite of his position, his sense of humility is not only attractive but infectious. He treats everyone with respect regardless of their position, role or title, making him a quintessential leader who gives his all to a course he believes in.
The Governor has continued to demonstrate his affection for his people, task after task, no matter the cost. In spite of the economic crunch in the country, his administration since coming on board decided to complete all the abandoned projects inherited from his predecessors. Governor Lalong equally initiated and completed many projects with others still ongoing such as the mega projects dubbed “Lalong Legacy Project” which are mostly in health and educational sectors in the 17 local government areas of the state. The Governor recently assured of completing the projects when he said “Having inherited quite a number of abandoned project and completed many of them, I don’t intend to leave any project uncompleted. The legacy projects will be completed before the end of my tenure God willing.”
Governor Lalong’s Rescue Mission is fundamentally about service and fairness in distribution of scarce resources and development projects across the three geo-political zones of the State. Above all, his cognate experience and exposure as the longest serving Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly; Chairman, Conference of Speakers Executive; Lawyer and Activist; Community Development Specialist among others prepared him for governance early.
To set his administration apart from the previous ones, the 1990 law graduate of the prestigious Ahmadu Bell University Zaria created an ICT Agency christened “Plateau Information and Communication Technology Development Agency” PICTDA. He recently declared thus: “Our goal is that before we leave office, we would like to have most, if not all our governance processes driven by information and Communication technologies”.
The prevailing industrial harmony on the Plateau is as a result of cordial relationship with the state civil servants. In the past six years, workers have been receiving their entitlements as and when due. When it comes to payment of salaries, pension, gratuity and other emoluments, Governor Lalong stands out nationwide. This has earned him the indelible name of “Governor Alert” bestowed on him by no other than the state civil servants. The Governor recently told the civil servants that his administration was working towards acquiring land in all local government areas of the state to build affordable housing for them.
The vision of the governor to transform Plateau State into an industrial hub is manifested in the high number of MoUs his administration signed with both local and foreign partners to resuscitate moribund government owned industries such Jos International Brewery, BARC Farms, Highland bottling Company among other which have been lying comatose for a very long time.
Another main thrust of Governor Lalong’s administration is the provision of qualitative education for its citizenry. In the tertiary section, he injected life into the State owned University, Plateau State University Bokkos which was gasping for breath before his election as the governor of the State due to sheer neglect and reckless abandonment driven by politics. Apart from this, other tertiary institutions such Plateau State Polytechnic, College of Education Gindiri among other were also given a new lease of life.
It comes as no surprise that in the course of his service and purposeful leadership over the years, his colleagues in the 19 Northern States unanimously elected him to be their Chairman. Since his election, Lalong has been providing purposeful leadership, championing the cause of the North and intervening in critical national issues. Apart from this, Lalong had won several laurels, received commendations and got a pat on the back for excellent performance both at home and abroad.
Speakers at a launch of a book on Disaster and Conflict in Abuja recently showered accolades on Governor Lalong for his peace efforts that have restored confidence and mitigated human disasters associated with violence and conflicts in Plateau State. The Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Special Duties Senator George Akume at the occasion said Governor Lalong has proven to be one of the few examples of leaders in Nigeria who can be relied upon to galvanise people to live in peace and harmony in spite of their diversity and differences of faith, ethnic and political differences.
While felicitating with the governor on the occasion of his 58th birthday and wishing him many more years of selfless service to Nigeria and humanity, it goes without saying that this humble visionary achiever, peace Ambassador, dependable ally, compassionate personality and fearless intercessor is set for greater impact in Nigeria in the years ahead. For remaining steadfast and relentless in the pursuit of happiness for the entire people of Plateau State and the Northern region, he has demonstrated his love for country and capacity to devote his life for a better Nigeria.
As you deservedly celebrate this glorious day, may God Almighty who has richly prospered you and ordered your every step in this past half century, continue to bless you with good health, wisdome and knowledge to serve and fulfill the purpose for which you were created.
Congratulations to Governor Alert!
Makut Simon Macham, Ph.D, is the Director of Press & Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau.
The Bible tells us ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God’. In peacemaking, truth telling and truth seeking are honored, integrity is valued, and trust is given because it is earned, and is a refuge, a safe haven from the incivility and nastiness of conflict. And so Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State clock 58 years on May 5, Lalong’s modesty, nature and humility keeps him away from hugging the limelight unlike his more aggressive and socially astute contemporaries. Governor Lalong has been tirelessly interfacing with relevant individuals, groups and institutions towards restoring the legacies of the founding fathers of the North particularly the legacies of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto. Governor Lalong chairs the meeting of Northern Governors Forum in Kaduna. The election of Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State by his colleagues to succeed the former Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, to chair the Nigerian Northern States Governors Forum, did not come to many as a surprise. This is because he has demonstrated leadership that is forward looking and seeks to unite people and resolve conflicts while pursuing development. His strides in Plateau state that saw the restoration of peace and accelerated development provided a very good example for the entire Northern States to put their trust in him to lead them. He has liaised seamlessly with President Muhammadu Buhari and other institutions of the Federal Government in pushing the interests of the Northern Region and spearheaded the development of new blueprint for economic revival of the Northern Region. As Chairman Northern State’s Governors Forum, he has pushed for adoption of community policing by the Northern States, he also spearheaded the adoption and implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Programme by the Federal Government and Northern states. Simon Lalong coordinated the Response of the Northern States in the fight against COVID-19, lobbied for the payment of entitlements of employees of New Nigerian Newspapers and mediated in many disputes between various interests and groups in the North, he also facilitated timely intervention and reconciliation among parties on national issues towards restoring confidence and understanding and spearheaded the final return of Almajiri children to their states of origin. Gov. Lalong, through the Northern Governors Forum, further assures Nigerians of all ethnic, religious and political persuasions of their constitutional rights to pursue their legitimate businesses wherever they choose within the region and appeal to the people to resist any attempt to lure them into any act that can threaten the peace and tranquility of the region and the nation at large. He has incessantly called on citizens to shun and jettison divisive polices, rhetoric and body language so as to ensure sustainable peace in the country. For the record, Simon Lalong temporarily suspended legal practice to join the political bandwagon in 1998. Under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), he successfully contested the seat of the member of the Plateau State House of Assembly representing his native Shendam Constituency. In October 2000, he became the speaker of the assembly, occupying that position till the year 2006, following a political storm within the House. The seven years he served as the Speaker of that assembly made him the longest serving speaker of the House in the history of Plateau State. During that period he was two times (2001–2002) elected as the Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of the 36 states of Nigeria. In the year 2015, as the second tenure of the serving Governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang, neared its end, Lalong joined the contest to succeed Jang. This time, he did so under the All Progressive Congress (APC) political platform. His chances seemed narrow at the beginning, but the capricious nature of politics tipped the balance eventually, favoring him by a slim margin. He was sworn in as the new Governor of Plateau State on May 29, 2015. He was re-elected as the Governor of Plateau State on May 29, 2019. His swearing in 2015 as the 5th Executive Governor of Plateau State ushered in a new vista of hope and expectations considering the state of affairs in Plateau at that time. With a genuine need to change the narrative he remains one of those few modest Nigerian personalities quietly serving his country well and without fuss, in a country where the commonest rhetorical question revolves around self-recognition and self-propagation. In his first term, the Governor’s Rescue Mission operated under a 5-Pillar Policy Thrust, namely: Peace, Security and Good Governance; Human Capital Development and Social Welfare; Agriculture and Rural Development; Entrepreneurship and Industrialization; and Physical Infrastructure and Environment. After re-election in 2019, he streamlined the vision to Peace, Security and Good Governance; Infrastructural Development; and Sustainable Economic Rebirth. Venturing into partisan politics despite his enormous successes in profession and businesses had been largely informed by the desire to turn things around for his people. In 2019, the people of Plateau State were impressed with the first term performance and genuine efforts of the Lalong administration that they decided to overwhelmingly take the Rescue Mission to the Next Level by giving the Governor and his Deputy, another four years. Notwithstanding the fact that the Lalong administration inherited so many problems and amidst limited resources, high expectations and competing demands, the government settled down for business under the purposeful leadership of Governor Lalong. Lalong believes and sees politics as call to serve and not to be served. He has a strong view that power should be used for the transformation of the society and development of the people. His view for seeking power is consistent and relentless search for transformational ideas and policies that will transform the lives of the people. He has touched the lives of his people positively by bringing to them the dividends of democracy. A man who always thinks much about Nigeria and less of self, Simon Lalong tries as much as possible to impact his wealth, both physical and human, to touch lives. He has used all means available to him to help the needy, the State and the country at large. He does not discriminate based on religion, sex or tribe. A bridge builder and a grass root politician who has the capacity to build consensus in the political process and is viewed as a charismatic and strategic leader. No matter what detractors may want to say, Lalong is a gentleman to the core. His love for the masses is extraordinary, for he is a noble, detribalized and humane Nigerian who worked endlessly for the transition to democracy. Little wonder other opinions have described him as a behemoth bestriding the political landscape of Nigeria like a colossus. If within this short time as Governor he has etched indelible imprints in the sands of time to the admiration of his legion of fans and supporters, and become a voice to be reckoned with, then we can rest assured that the future would be greater. Lalong is convinced that service and passionate desire to positively affect lives are also party of the motivating factors for him joining politics. Love him or hate him, Simon Lalong has no doubt added colour and sophistication to the celebration of people of quality, achievement, distinction and honour. Thus, without an iota of doubt, we call on Nigerians to continue to pray for the leaders like Gov. Simon Lalong as they tackle the various challenges facing the nation.
Makut Simon Macham, PhD. is the Director of Press & Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State.
Senator representing Plateau South at the National Assembly, Professor Nora Ladi Dadu’ut on Tuesday described the state Governor Simon Lalong as bridge builder who is determined to take Plateau to greater heights .
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Jos while felicitating with the Governor of the state Barrister Simon Lalong as he clocks 58 on Wednesday .
The statement reads that I Senator Prof Dame Nora Dadu’ut representing Plateau South in the National Assembly is always wiling to partner with the Simon Lalong led adminstration to make the state better .
She said “Governor Lalong who is also the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum is a committed patriot and a bridge builder who has contributed immensely to the growth and development of Plateau as well as patriotic, purposeful, dedicated and committed to issues that affect the country .”
It is my prayer that God continues to protect him and imbue him with even greater drive, intellect, and good health as he continues to serve not just Plateau state ,Northern Nigeria but our great nation at large ,the statement further added .
GOVERNOR LALONG RECIEVES RECTOR OF FED. POLY NY’AK SHENDAM, ASSURES OF FULL SUPPORT
Governor Simon Bako Lalong has assured the Management team of newly established Federal Polytechnic in Shendam Local Government Area that the Plateau State government will give evey support needed for success of the school.
Gov. Simon Lalong gave the assurance when he recieved the Rector of the Institution Dr. Mukaila Ya’u who led other members of the Management team to visit him at the Government House Rayfield Jos.
He said Plateau State was happy to have another tertiary institution that has a mandate of providing quality academic and entreprenerial skills to Nigerians.
The Rector disclosed that they were in Plateau with a clear vision and mission, to develop a world class Polytechnic which would provide quality academic, professional and entreprenerial skills to the students.
He said the gesture would empower them to make positive impact in the technological and socio-economic development of the country.
” Our goal is to produce innovative graduates both at the National Diploma and Higher National Diploma levels, worthy of skills and character through effective teaching, learning and research for the technological advancement of our great country Nigeria,” he said.
He thanked the governor for his support in the establishment of the Institution, saying, the gesture is critical to facilitate its smooth takeoff and operations.
He also appealed to the Governor to provide a site with infrastructure for the takeoff, housing accommodation, office furniture and vehicles for principal officers to enable them coordinate the operations of the institution.
Dr. Makut Simon Macham Director of Press & Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State. 4th May 2021.
The Executive Governor of Plateau State Rt. Hon. (Dr) Simon Bako Lalong, KSGG will inaugurate the Chairmen and Members of Boards, Parastatals, Commissions and Governing Councils recently appointed on Tuesday 4th May 2021.
The Event will take place at the Vitoria Gowon Hall, New Government House, Little Rayfield Jos by 11am.
All appointees are expected to be in attendance.
Please note that COVID-19 protocols will be strictly observed.
Dr. Makut Simon Macham Director of Press & Public Affairs to the Executive Governor of Plateau State. 3th May 2021
GOVERNOR LALONG FELICITATES WITH HIS FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF, JOHN DAFA’AN AT 58.
Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State has felicitated with his former Chief of Staff, Chief John Dafa’an on his 58th birthday.
Governor Lalong while rejoicing with the former Chief of Staff described him as an astute administrator, politician and experienced public servant who has continued to deploy his wealth of experience in the service of Plateau State, Nigeria and humanity.
Lalong noted the contributions of Chief Dafaan to the success of the APC Rescue Administration particularly during its early days in office where he brought his vast experience to bear in ensuring the smooth take-off and stability of the Government.
He said the contributions of Chief Dafa’an to the society through philanthropy, community service and mentoring are positive virtues that should be emulated by the youths.
The Governor while wishing him more years of peace, God’s protection and good health, urged Chief Dafaan to continue to offer his wisdom, knowledge and experience to the service of Plateau State, Nigeria and humanity.
Dr. Makut Simon Macham Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State. 3rd May 2021
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