‘President’ll Soon Rejig His Cabinet to Accommodate Plateau’

Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State in this recent interview in Jos, the state capital, speaks on several pressing national issues including his relationship with President Bola Tinubu and the forthcoming local government election in the state. Seriki Adinoyi brings excerpts:

What has been the story since you came on board as Governor of Plateau State?

You know that governance continues daily. It keeps improving; it’s like a football club, every season, you see clubs buying new players because they need to improve the competitiveness of the squad.

I am happy with my squad; but I’m always looking for ways of improvement. As soon as we find ways in which we can improve, we will bring in the best hands that can be recruited.

Recently, you suspended two of your commissioners. When that was done through your Director of Press, you didn’t tell the world why you did it. May we know why it was done?

Well, let me say that we suspended them in order to reinforce discipline within the cabinet. Where we see some bit of lacklustre disposition, we try to rein them in and make sure people sit up to their responsibilities. We can’t for political reasons, allow anything and everything to go. But I am sure those we suspended have learnt their lessons; and we will keep reviewing those suspensions.

There was an appointment you made recently which generated a lot of fuzz. I’m sure you saw the reactions even from the Jamaatu Nasri Islam about a Senior Special Assistant on Indigenous Muslims. There seems to be too much of hues and cries. I don’t know if you want to explain anything in that light?

 I really don’t like generating storms out of tea cups. It’s not necessary. I didn’t create the idea of “Indigenous Muslims”. I met it on ground as governor. It has been in existence, and even registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission as indigenous muslims.

I don’t know what motivated them; but they are definitely a defined group within our space. And so I didn’t create them. I only said, “Okay, look, you guys exist, let’s see how you can relate better with government”. That’s all we did. Therefore, I don’t see why anybody should deny them the right of existence. Some of them are Berom, some of them are Mwaghavul, some of them are Ngas, and others are Tarok.

They want their own identity. And there is freedom of association guaranteed under the constitution. So there is no need to deny anybody that right. So, we simply recognised what is in existence. We didn’t create it. What we have done in trying to recognize the various groups is to give everybody a sense of inclusion: so that we don’t just throw something at the large group and some people within that group feel disenfranchised, feel disentitled, and feel not included. That is why you can see for the first time in the history of Plateau we recognised different groupings and gave them a channel of relating with government. We are running on this mantra of inclusion, equity, and fairness to all. Now, if you are getting your own, don’t deny somebody the opportunity to get his own. That’s all we are saying.

It appears you have a smooth relationship with Mr. President; to the extent it is feared that you may want to possibly jump ship someday. Are you thinking in that direction?

First of all, let me appreciate Mr. President for accepting me and opening his arms of fellowship to me. After all, he is the father of the nation. For instance, as the Governor of Plateau State, I cannot discriminate against any Plateau citizen. And so, for me to have that access to Mr. President, I believe it’s for the good of Plateau people.

Let me say this, I’m a PDP man to the core. My politics has always been dictated by God and the people. And I know that Plateau people own PDP. They see it as their own. If tomorrow Plateau people tell me to move, I’ll move. But if they tell me we want you to stay where you are, that’s where I will stay. So, I will always move with the people. Let me assure the people about this; I will always move with the people. I relate well with Mr. President; but I don’t forget where I come from.

Just a few days ago, the APC stakeholders on the Plateau met. Since you have this good relationship with the President, do you have any information to give us in the light that Plateau has been without a minister for a very long time, even though you don’t belong to the APC?

The federal cabinet is a right, as enshrined in our constitution. And I’ve had to engage Mr. President on this. He has asked me to be patient. He is trying to re-jig his government and certainly has not forgotten about Plateau. He is considering a lot of options. Of course, we will keep engaging him on this matter. Presently, the National Assembly is on recess – the Senate, particularly. I’m sure that when they resume, we are likely to hear something positive in this regard.

The local government elections are just a few days away. You have repeatedly said you created a space where it would be a level playing ground for everybody. The people don’t believe that what you’re saying is going to happen. Your party had some bit of stormy ride in the primaries. The other party seemed to be very quiet. They did their primaries and everything went on smoothly.

Did they do primaries? They didn’t do primaries. I can tell you that for free. Let them challenge me hereafter. Let them tell us where they did primaries. They didn’t do primaries for governorship. Names were just written; they didn’t do for local government elections either. But let me say this, we are going to prove to Nigerians that Plateau is a model in terms of conducting local government elections. We are bringing International Observers to observe our local government elections. The reason APC is participating is because we have provided a level playing field. You remember the shameful local government elections conducted in 2021 where they excluded the PDP on very frivolous and scandalous basis, which was decided in the Government House, not even by PLASIEC.

We witnessed situations where before results could be counted, people were already announced and sworn in. That is not going to repeat itself on the Plateau. By the grace of God, we’re going to conduct credible local government elections. I was a beneficiary of such credible elections in 2014, when I became a local government chairman. I cannot go below that standard.

Plateau people should be reassured that we’ll do the best we can, to ensure that we have credible local government elections. For us in the PDP, we had hiccups here and there. Truly the party belongs to the people, if we had situations where in communities’ members emerge as consensus candidates rather than by the party itself; because communities took ownership of the party. And we are glad about that.

But let’s not exaggerate it. We had a few skirmishes in two or three local governments out of 17. And what I can tell you is that we brought everything under control. Of course, when you have a contest, some people will be aggrieved – it’s normal; but we are addressing it. And I am sure before the elections everything will be well, and we are going to go into the elections, as far as the PDP is concerned, as one happy family

It appears that some of the people you started with in your journey through your campaign appear not to be getting your attention anymore – they have been left in the cold. What is your position on this issue?

You know, government does not begin and end in one day. People have expectations that once you come into government, everybody is going to get an appointment. Everybody is going to get one thing doing or the other. It doesn’t happen in one day. People have to learn to be patient. There is no way I can cut myself into pieces and give everybody. When I was chairman of Mangu, I had this very naive idea that I could be seeing everybody. So I created two days in the week. The first two weeks, I almost died because there was no way I could see everybody. Now, I have to attend to issues in Abuja, and also attend to issues here locally.

I’m going to get journalists to keep company with me for a week and see my schedules. I believe that among many governors, I’m doing my best to be able to allow access to me as a person. I answer phone calls when the time allows; reply text and WhatsApp messages. I engage people, when I have the freedom.

But somebody calls you, maybe you are even having a state executive council meeting. He wants you to answer his call. So let me appeal to those who feel they haven’t been carried along to continue to be patient.

We’ll continue to look out for that. And people who know me know that I have no enemies or friends when it comes to governance.

If you have any value to add to Plateau people, we’ll bring you on board. Some of those who competed with me during elections, are in different offices today. Appointments were facilitated, you know, so we’ll continue to do that. I appeal to people who have such feelings, let them continue to be patient.

What measures are you putting on place to help get sponsors for Sport teams in Plateau State, especially through companies existing on the Plateau? What are the companies giving back to the state as it will lessen the general burden on your government in funding these local teams?

 We are trying to reorganize sports from the grassroots and look at various aspects of the administration of sports as it is presently.  Government is bearing the burden for virtually all the teams, whether in football, basketball, badminton, every aspect of sports, because when we got on board, the Sports Council was almost dead.

We’ve been able to bring in one of our veteran sports administrators, Professor Ezra Gunnen. We brought him from Abuja to become Director of Sports. He was a record holder in 1500 meters here on the Plateau. We are thinking of how to be able to rebuild from the base.

Of course, part of the critical thing that was coming is the contributions of the private sector. But before you ask the private sector to give, you must first of all also give them.

So we are looking at what the enabling environment is. What is the enabling environment for the private sector to thrive? They don’t do Father Christmas; they do what is called corporate social responsibility – which is done after they have made profit.

What are the concrete plans in terms of having a befitting stadium in Plateau? We are losing to the outside world because we don’t have a sports facility that can even attract the national team to the state?

I absolutely agree with you. I’m also passionate about sports and I also don’t like to see abandoned projects. And so, since I came on board, we’ve been having series of engagements with the private sector about how to be able to bring in funds to finish the Zaria Road Stadium, for example. Now we realized that it is not possible to fund it from the budget – both in terms of the amount required and also of the management capacity, because if you simply leave the management of the stadium to civil servants, it may not yield the desired results. Therefore, we’ll bring in the private sector as it’s done in Europe.

But when they come and say, you have to give us additional incentives to be able to put money into the stadium, and then you have to do something. We’ve taken stock of all the land around the stadium and we are in the process of trying to demarcate same and all other things can be created around the stadium that are of commercial value.

We are going to be dealing with all the mechanic shops to recreate a village around the stadium where there will be other assets of value that will be created to give incentive for the private sector to invest money in finishing the stadium.

But we are doing some minimal things to keep our teams playing there in the professional league so that it won’t be taken away from us. But, definitely, I am confident – and trusting God – that my administration will bring to foreclosure this project that started as far back as 1988.

Let me remind you that the last game of the season of the Professional Football League was played at the Zaria Road Stadium and even the pre-season of the league kicked off here on the Plateau. That tells you that we are still very much within the reckoning horizon of the Nigerian Football League.