Liabilities Left By PDP Are Choking – Dalung
A member of the Transition Committee of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) and former Chairman of Jos South Local Government Council, Barrister Solomon Selkap Dalung, says the debt profile of the out-going Goodluck Jonathan administration is unprecedented in the political history of Nigeria. Dalung, who was an aspirant for the governorship ticket of the APC in Plateau State told LAMBERT TYEM in this interview that the APC incoming administration is inheriting a minus zero treasury in addition to the burden of liabilities both at Federal and State governments. Excerpts
What is your take on alleged massive secret employment, promotions, among other things in Plateau State as well as the sale of government properties?
Well, I will start by saying that it is indeed unfortunate, that the outgoing PDP adminIstration at state levels have not behave differently from even the government at the centre. The only difference here is that, while in the states particularly Plateau, there are allegations of sale of real government properties in terms of estates and other state own properties. At the centre too, the Federal government has been involved in sporadic appointments of persons into offices and some of these offices have been unoccupied for over two years meaning that, the appointments been hurriedly done now at the eve of the administration departure is done in bad faith. So also the sales of government properties especially, in Plateau State and the outrageous appointment of civil servants from only one ethnic nationality has been the cry of the Plateau people. It’s done in bad faith and it’s a wicked act intended to set a bubby trap for the incoming administration to battle with the teething problem for so long before it can find its step. Taking a look at the Federal now, the APC incoming government is inheriting only the physical structures, personnel of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Even, the Federal Government now borrows money to pay workers’ salaries and virtually the treasury is empty.
Based on these observations, will the incoming government probe the issues?
Definitely, the sItuation on ground will determine probe of the past administrations. The APC administration of Change will not embark on probe drama without implementing its white paper. The Change government of the APC headed by Muhammadu Buhari will leave no stone unturned to get the desired change. The APC government is not intending to keep any of its probe file without gazette. This is what the Change all about. Culprits of every probe must get adequate compensation and rewards for their wrong doings. Those who will go to jail will go and those who need to return stolen wealth and or properties must do so accordingly. Some of these steps were taken to forestall further sale of government properties; because the civil servants are the people on ground and are witnesses to all what is going on and are afraid that if they didn’t go on strike, the out-going government might even sale the state secretariat before they would leave. So the manner in which they are conducting the affairs of government is quite alarming and it is unacceptable for them to deny that the allegations are not true. But the allegations are real that is why some legal luminaries who love the state had even gone to court to stop them from further indebting the state from the huge debt burden they already left on ground. The debt burden of Plateau state as it is today, cannot even be paid back by our great grandchildren.
