A gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Caleb Mutfwang, has said that all attempts to create the impression that Plateau people are hostile and antagonistic is a false narrative, saying that by political nature, the people of Plateau are Republicans who like independence and don’t like to be tossed around, and they don’t like to be bossed over. He spoke with CHAMBERLAINODEY on his governorship agenda, Lalong’s almost eight years of governance, the President Nigeria desires in 2023, and more. Excerpts:
The bell for political activities has been rung. You are in the gubernatorial race; and there is an army of contenders from your zone. What is being done to prune down the number to enable the people find the character or person that the state desires?
Thank you. As you rightly said, the bell has been rung. Virtually all the aspirants, especially from the two main political parties, are from the Central zone of Plateau State. I think it goes with the preponderance of the thinking of the people that the unwritten agreement about zoning should be honoured. And I believe the thinking of most Plateau people is that the governor, come 2023, should be from the Central zone. For us in the PDP, we are yet to come out with an official position on that; but I’m sure discussions are going on, and at the appropriate time the leadership of the Party will announce its position on that. We are also confident that members of the State Executive Committee, that is the final authority on matters of this nature, will listen to the mood of the people in the state and rightly decide that the governor should come from the Central zone.
Within the context of the Central zone, we in Mangu (LGA), seem to have a large share of the aspirants. And this is because a lot of people think it will be in tandem with political calculation to pick a candidate from Mangu Local Government, given the number of votes that are domiciled in that Local Government Area. I like to call it “the Mangu Advantage in the context of 2023”. With a voter population of up to one hundred and fifty thousand voters, no party will want, or can afford to joke with those votes. And I believe that the leadership of the PDP will do the right thing and think in the right direction.
Is it true that some Mwaghavul Elders have met and resolved to declare support for only two of its sons who are in the gubernatorial race?
I can tell you categorically that there has never been such a resolution. The leader of the Mwaghavul nation knows that even though they are desirous of having a governor of Mwaghavul extraction, it is not a governor of Mwaghavul they are yearning for, but a governor of Plateau State; and this they cannot achieve in exclusion of other ethnic nationalities in the State. It would therefore be foolhardy for anybody to suggest that the Mwaghavul people will solely decide who should be their candidate. As I’m talking to you, there have been attempts by some individuals to tilt the narrative in favour of certain aspirants; and to that desperate extent they have also resorted to a lot of tactics to push the narratives that are not true. One of such narratives is that there is a group that sat down and thought they would be able to produce one candidate in the PDP and one candidate in the APC. That was an attempt by a group of narrow-minded politicians who have no mandate of the Mwaghavul nation to do such a thing. And I like to let you know here that that attempt has been frustrated, and the Mwaghavul nation is the wiser fort it, and they will not make a mistake.
Somebody has described you as the next Jonah David Jang of Plateau State. Coming from a basically private sector background as you do, what is missing in Plateau Public Government that you are bringing to the table? What is your idea of the Plateau Project?
Thank you very much. Yes having worked in the private sector, particularly as a legal practitioner – as a corporate lawyer – where I was privileged to sit in the board rooms of several companies, culminating in my appointment at the Peugeot Automobile – in its days of glory, where I was opportuned to be its company secretary for one full year. When I came into public service, when I became the chairman of Mangu Local Government Council; it was a new experience to me and also an eye opener. That period afforded me the opportunity to gain experience in governance. Having gained experience in governance at that local grassroots level, it also was an opportunity for me to connect with the problems and challenges of our environment and also feel the pulse of the people.
The quintessential Plateau man simply likes to be respected; he likes to be given the opportunity to flourish; to be recognized for who he is; the average Plateau man has a sense of industry; but he is also a very welcoming and accommodating person. All attempts to create the impression that Plateau people are hostile and antagonistic is a false narrative. And by political nature, we are Republicans who like independence; Plateau people don’t like to be tossed around, and they don’t like to be bossed over. Therefore, what we are coming to provide in governance is, in a way, to continue from where former Governor Jonah Jang stopped, to be able to give the Plateau man his identity; to be able to assert the independence of the Plateau man; to be able to give him the enabling environment to flourish and to be able to prosper in the context of the blessings God has bestowed on him.
It is not true that the Plateau man wants to exclude anybody. I grew up as a young man in my village with people from different backgrounds and ethnic nationalities and we blended well. But over the years, a lot of suspicions have been created which have also led to a lot of crises. Our hope is that we can restore the days of glory when we lived with mutual respect both for the indigenes and non-indigenes. Therefore, we can hope to build the Plateau that our forefathers dreamed of – from JD Gomwalk to Solomon Lar to Baba (Jonah) Jang – we should be able to rebuild Plateau that is respected in the comity of states in Nigeria and beyond.
You are participating in a Retreat holding at the Yawei Foundation, what is the significance of this Retreat to what the people of Plateau are expecting in the next political dispensation?
Let me begin this by saluting our father and leader, former Governor Jonah Jang, who took the burden to organize this Retreat which objective is about reconciling the political class. One of the things that have happened over the years in Plateau is that there is so much division and mutual hatred and mutual disrespect. So, this Retreat is very timely. It will help us to be able to build bridges; to be able to discuss issues and listen to one another; and be able to understand one another better. I believe that the key step which we need very dearly in Plateau is that people must be able to come together and talk. Without talking to one another, you will not know the problems you have or share; and how to proffer solutions to them. So, I thank God for giving our leader the vision and burden; and I believe it is a step in the right direction, and the state will be the better for it.
You talked of economic transformation amidst uncoordinated mining activities in the state. How do you hope to address this mining issue to turn it into the bulwark of your transformation agenda?
Again, I thank God for the experience I have had in the private sector. One of the aspects of my experience in the private sector was the opportunity to consult for several federal ministries and agencies on issues of policy. One of the ministries I’ve had the privilege of working with is the Ministry of Mines and Solid Minerals. I was in the committee that drafted the mining cadastral policy – so, I have a fair knowledge of what happens in that industry or sub-sector. By the grace of God, if given the opportunity, we will leverage on my knowledge of that industry and some of the contacts we have within that industry to take mining in Plateau to the next level.
You will notice that the mining that has been going on in Plateau is what I like to call a “scratch on the surface”. We are yet to go into industrial mining. What is going on now are small manual operations which again are very hazardous to the environment, hence the need for us to organize it properly. Yes, we have a ministry of Solid Minerals on the Plateau; but I’m not sure they understand what they should be doing. Therefore, when we get the opportunity, we will bring in knowledge and expertise to drive that ministry, and make sure that it adds value to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), of Plateau State.
Looking at your party, the PDP, at the national level, there is this challenge about zoning or not zoning the office of the President. Do you have a workable script if you were to advise the party?
Again, let me say, thank you. The PDP is a unique party, it is perhaps the best organized party in the history of Nigeria’s political parties formation after, in my opinion, the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the second Republic. It was well thought through, the critical structures and foundations were well laid; and that is why it was able to withstand the shock of the (Ali Modu) Sheriff onslaught on the party. It is not a special purpose vehicle just to capture power like the APC. Therefore, I am confident that there is no crisis the PDP will go through that it won’t be able to resolve.
Nigeria Needs A Leader That Will Heal The Divisions In The Country – Mutfwang
On the issue of zoning, yes, it is natural that it will generate tension. People will want to factor in their own interests. But thank God, the National Executive Committee has set up a 37-man Zoning Committee which I believe will get to work immediately to harmonize the party position. My advice to the committee is to gauge the mood of the nation, and make sure we take a stand that will enable us win the election in 2023. Nigerians are yearning for an alternative to the APC, so, we must get it right. What we need is a leader that will build consensus; what we need is a leader that will heal the divisions in the country. Therefore we need a President in 2023 with a national spread; a national following that in my opinion can give everyone a sense of belonging. That is my advice to this committee to make sure that we gauge the mood of the nation.
You said Nigerians are yearning for alternative to the APC. Narrow down to Plateau State, how do you rate almost eight years of the APC administration in Plateau State?
Without mincing words, I will be very honest with you and very bold, that the about eight years of APC in Plateau have been a calamity, just like taking a cue from the national level. We have gone backwards in everything. There is no sector of national life; no sector of progress, there is no yardstick for measuring progress that I can say any progress has been achieved in Plateau State in the past almost eight years. Is it in Medicare? Is it in infrastructure? I can’t see anything anywhere. Even the peace and security they have been claiming are bare and only so-called. It has been peace of the grave yard.
Let’s Kill APC Before APC Kills Us – Hon. Mutfwang
But if we check the statistics, the number of deaths and displacement of persons are on the increase. The situation is unquantifiable. Therefore, Plateau people know that their lives have not been improved upon; and they know that where the PDP left in 2015 is a much better position than what we have today. Life has depreciated on every front. Perhaps only those in government can talk about improvement because they are sitting on the dinning table; but for others, life has actually deteriorated. Therefore, my call to Plateau people is: let’s kill APC before APC kills us!
