By Golok Nanmwa
JOS — Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has denied reports that he agreed to share government appointments on a 60:40 basis with the APC legacy group led by former Governor Simon Lalong as part of the conditions for his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mutfwang made the clarification yesterday while speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of three newly appointed commissioners at the Victoria Gowon Auditorium, New Government House, Little Rayfield, Jos.
The governor said although he had made commitments regarding the sharing of party positions, he never entered into any agreement to allocate 40 per cent of cabinet positions to members of the APC legacy group.
“To correct some rumours that have been going, the APC chairman is here. I never made any promise to share government positions since my journey to APC.
“I made commitment to share party positions. I never had agreement to do 60-40 cabinet,” he said.
The clarification came amid political discussions over the composition of the Plateau State Executive Council following Mutfwang’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC and the subsequent realignment of political forces in the state.
The APC legacy group, associated with former Governor Lalong, comprises politicians who were members of the party before Mutfwang and his supporters joined the APC.
Mutfwang, however, said available figures showed that members of the legacy group continued to occupy a significant portion of positions within the party structure, dismissing suggestions that his political allies had taken disproportionate advantage of the new arrangement.
According to him, “It would not be out of place to say that almost 80 per cent of those who are in APC EXCO today are people we met in APC.
“As I am talking to you today, out of the 24 who emerged as APC candidates, 16 are APC legacy members. Only eight who crossed with me became candidates for House of Assembly. Are we fair?” he asked.
The governor called for an end to the perceived division between the government group and the legacy group, urging members of the APC to see themselves as one political family.
“The time has come when we must kill the dichotomy between the government group and legacy group. We are one big family,” he said.
Mutfwang explained that appointments into government should be based primarily on competence and the ability of individuals to contribute to the development of the state, rather than political affiliation.
“We have people who have been in APC but we bring them into government because we believe they have something to offer, not because they are APC members,” he said.
Earlier, while swearing in three new commissioners, the governor said the appointments were part of efforts to strengthen and reposition the machinery of government for effective service delivery.
The new commissioners are Hon. Ishaku Maren Yobo from Bokkos Local Government Area; Prof. Gloria Samuel from Bassa Local Government Area; and Comr. Prince Miaphen from Quan’pan Local Government Area.
Mutfwang charged the new commissioners to justify the confidence reposed in them by bringing competence, commitment and fresh ideas to the administration.
He said their appointments should be seen not merely as positions of honour but as a call to greater responsibility and service to the people of Plateau State.
The governor disclosed that, with about nine months remaining in his administration’s first term, there was a need to re-examine the structure and effectiveness of governance and make necessary adjustments to maximise the remaining period.
“We were elected to serve the people, and we want to ensure that we maximise the opportunity left at our disposal,” he said.
Mutfwang announced that new postings to ministries would be released by the Secretary to the State Government, with affected officials expected to ensure proper handover.
He added that further reorganisation of ministries and departments would be undertaken to improve efficiency and accelerate implementation of government policies and programmes.
The governor also disclosed plans for additional appointments, including Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants, saying the move was aimed at broadening participation and bringing governance closer to the people.
He stressed that the changes should not be interpreted as a verdict on the performance of former members of the State Executive Council, describing them as part of the administration’s larger family.
On the security situation in the state, Mutfwang described recent attacks in parts of Plateau as a setback but assured residents that his administration remained committed to protecting lives and property.
“We have the capacity, we have the determination, we have the willingness to secure the people of Plateau State,” he assured.
He said the government was reviewing existing security gaps and taking steps to strengthen its response to insecurity.
Responding on behalf of the new commissioners, Yobo thanked the governor for finding them worthy of appointment and pledged their commitment to the administration’s policy direction.
He described their appointment as both a privilege and a responsibility, assuring that they would work diligently to improve governance and service delivery.
“We want to assure the people of Plateau State that we will do all within our reach to add value to our respective areas of responsibility,” Yobo said.
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