HIDDEN TRUTHS ABOUT ON GOING PLATEAU PROJECTS OF THE SIMON BAKO LALONG ADMINISTRATION REVEALED BY COMMISSIONER OF WORKS HON. PAM BOT-MANG

MINISTRY OF WORKS COMMENDS PPA FOR PROJECTING IT POSITIVELY AS NEW CHAIRMAN WARNS OF FAKE PUBLISHERS AND JOURNALISTS.

By Justin Jattim

Hon Pam Bot-Mang, the Plateau State Commissioner of Works has commended and appreciated the new leadership of the Plateau Publishers Association (PPA) for publicising the activities of the Ministry through its print and online blogs. Bot-Mang made the commendation and showed the Ministry's appreciation when the Chief Amb Nanyah Andrew Daman (JP) led hardworking team members of the association paid a courtesy visit to the Commissioner and his Management Team which led a Media Parely at the Ministry's Conference Hall within the Joseph Gomwalk Secretariat on Tuesday,19th April 2022 in a cossy, peaceful and calm environment.

Responding to the remarks of the Chairman of the newly elected and rebranded PPA, the Honourable Commissioner of Works, Hon Pam Bot-Mang said the visit shows the partnership between the PPA and the ever busy Ministry where it's activities are often publicised.

He thanked God for the print and online media that daily carry and report the activities of Government, not just in the urban centres, but into the hinterland, as most of Government officials today relay on the online blogs of the PPA for daily news, apart from the known Government Radio and TV Stations in the State.

The vibrant Commissioner informed the PPA that the Ministry of Works have professionals in Civil Engineering, Building Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Accountants, Administratora etc who perform their duties professionally to ensure professionalism. 

He continued that because of the professionals in the Ministry, once they start a job or project, they remain focused and do not get distracted, especially about the ongoing fly over bridge at the British-America Junction.

Bot-Mang further hinted that a team has been put in place consisting Media Professionals to handle publicity, hence there should be a milestone in every 30 days of the life of the ongoing British-America Junction.

He assured that because of the directive of Governor Simon Bako Lalong, the completion project date of December 2022 may be brought forward to November 2022 looking at the speed with which the work is going on.

Speaking on the Main Market project, though not domiciled in the Ministry of works, Hon Pam Bot-Mang said the Main Market partnership with Jaiz Bank will see the bank keeping 50% of the shops when completed, because the project is fully funded by the bank at zero interest rate while Government keeps 50% of the shops. He admonished the people of Plateau not to bring the issue of religion into developmental issues of the State.

On this issue of Lalong Legacy Projects,Bot-Mang hinted that all legal obstacles hindering the continuation and completion of the projects have been won in courts,thus the projects will be completed before the end of the Governor Simon Bako Lalong tenure, all things being equal.

During the Media Parely, a question was asked on how the present company got the job for the construction of the British-America Junction flyover, the Commissioner said the Ministry wrote to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) for approval for a selective biding to beat time constraints and legal bottlenecks, thus, the BPP obliged the Ministry the approval to conduct a selective bidding which was used to get the preferred contractor after a rigorous exercise with professionals, banks, the media, civil society organisations and related organisations in attendance being carried along. While Access Bank will provide finances ,the State Government backed up the project with a Guarantee to be financed through the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service (PSIRS) thus, the project went through due diligence the Commissioner added.

The Commissioner of Works asked Plateau people to go to sleep as everything was done to ensure the best regarding the quality of work because it is being done with our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and not money from FAAC . He said the Ministry's Engineers are the best and whatever comes from them is the best from the most qualified Engineers as they are regarded with lots of respect by their respective professional bodies.

Speaking on what he would like to be remembered for after leaving office, the Honourable Commissioner of Works, Hon Pam Bot-Mang said he came up with a work action plan being one form the private to the public sector. He said the action plan consisted of short, medium and long term goals and by the Grace of God Almighty and the help of the staff of the Ministry, he has achieved 70% of such action plan. Bot-Mang said there is a tight bond in the Ministry between him and the Management staff which led to successfully achieving the "Operation Light Up Plateau" done by Blue Carmel Company and so many other road projects.

Speaking earlier, Chief Amb Nanyah Andrew Daman(JP) Jarumin Jat, the Group Managing Editor of the NewsGate Magazine and the newly elected Chairman of the Plateau Publishers Association (PPA) told the Commissioner and his Management Team of the Ministry of Works that the PPA is an association of twenty five respected members, who are both print and online publishers working day and night to perform their constitutional roles of educating, informing and entertaining members of the general public as members of the fourth estate of the realm.

Daman said they are requesting for partnership with the Ministry to report and advertise the activities of the Works Ministry in their various publications and online portals for the consumption of members of the general public at a moderate cost due to the inflationary trend in the country today.

The versatile mentor of mentors and the Chairman of PPA informed the meeting that the PPA is the only registered association in Plateau State to do business thus, the Ministry should be weary of fake Publishers and Journalists spewing lies to get their attention and fleece the Ministry of hard earned resources. The list of the authentic publishers on the Plateau were listed and presented for clarity  scrutiny and necessary action.

The visit to the Ministry of Works is the second by the PPA after the visit to the prestigious National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru Jos on Thursday 14th April, 2022.