By Marie-Therese Nanlong

Jos—Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State and his predecessor, Jona Jang yesterday traded words over accusations that he (Jang) left  a huge debt of N104 billion in his hand over note to him.

Lalong spoke while addressing Judiciary workers who visited him at the old  Government House. The delegation was led by the state Chief Judge, Justice Pius Damulak.

However, in a swift reaction, Jang debunked the report attributed to Lalong that he left such a staggering debt profile and urged Lalong not to engage in cheap publicity to mislead the people over the state’s alleged indebtedness by resorting to trivialities but focus more on improving on his modest achievements.

Jang

Simon Lalong

Jang who reacted  through his Special Assistant, Media, Clinton Garuba in a statement in Jos yesterday.

But Lalong had said that apart from the non-payment of seven months workers’ salaries and arrears owed to pensioners in the state, nothing was left in the state treasury.

His words, “I want the Judiciary to know that the past administration left N104billion debt as documented in the handing over note to me and there is also no kobo left in the treasury of the state and we will have to battle again with the seven months of unpaid salaries of workers including those of the pensioners in the state.”

On his part the Chief Judge, Justice Damulak decried the under funding of the state judiciary during the past administration and called on the governor to regard the judiciary as a key sector which should not be toyed with.

Lalong yesterday also had several meetings with critical stakeholders, including permanent secretaries, local government chairmen and heads of tertiary institutions on how to move the state forward.

He said that he would not dissolve the local government councils but rather seek their coorperation and loyalty for the development of the state.

However, in his reply to the allegations, Jang’s Media Aide, Garuba said: “While it is true that in the hand over notes given to the new administration, the debt profile is as made available to newsmen, it must be pointed out that the Jang administration did not borrow N104 billionn as is being insinuated in some quarters.

“The immediate past government only borrowed an external debt of about N18 billion with evidence of several developmental projects to show for it. The balance of the said N104 billion spreads across contractual agreements for ongoing projects and those approved but not yet mobilized and outstanding of six months salaries of civil servants.”

He further pointed out that Jang was committed to the development of Plateau State beyond individualism and party affiliations and therefore ready to “work with the Lalong administration in the task of moving Plateau further to take its place of pride in the comity of states in Nigeria.”