A committee set up by Plateau state governor Simon Lalong to recover government vehicles from past government officials have indicted the immediate past governor Jonah Jang, his wife Ngo Talatu Jang and their aids of illegally hoarding government vehicles.
The committee which was chaired by a former secretary to the state government Mr. Ezekiel Gomos said it has found out that the ex-governor and his wife are illegally in possession of 15 government vehicles.
The committee made its finding known while submitting its report to the state government in government house Jos Tuesday.
According to the committee, “the former governor and his wife were entitled to nine vehicles as approved by the state executive council, but government house records revealed that the former governor went away with 24 vehicles instead of 9.
Mr. Gomos said, “The extra 15 vehicles contravene state’s policy put in place by the former Governor. And when contacted, the former governor refused to return the 15 vehicles in his possession.
“We discovered that an atmosphere was created to give the impression that government vehicles were part of the entitlements of anyone working with the governor upon exit of office.
“This wrong belief encourages all manners of persons including personal aids and domestic helps go away with such vehicles. This was accentuated by the rash of approvals given by the former governor to such aides immediately it was clear that a new administration was coming into office.
Gomos further explained that the committee found that vehicles hoarded based on state council approval were 191 while vehicles hoarded based on the former governor’s executive fiat was 32 and vehicles taken away illegally without approval of the executive council were 24.
Gomos however said the committee had recovered 30 vehicles while 28 former officers had refused to return their vehicles on the grounds that they were approved from the former governor, a decision he says contravenes the state council decision.
The committee recommended that all appropriate court actions be taken by the state government to recover the vehicles.
While receiving the committee report on behalf of Governor Lalong, Secretary to the state government, Rufus Bature said, “Government wish to commend the committee for a job well done, we also want to assure the committee that their efforts in producing the report will not be in vain.
The SSG also assured people of the state that the APC led government will never allow those who looted government properties go scot free.
However, ex-gov Jang was not available for response, he was said to have travelled out of the country. But his media aid, Chris Gyang simply described the committee report as a product of hatred and blackmail.
He said, “It has become clear to us that the APC government have hatred for Senator Jang and are bent on doing anything to blackmail him. Senator Jang is out of the country at the moment; I will consult him and respond appropriately to the allegations in due course.”
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