Plateau Assembly okays Mutfwang’s loan request

DANIEL DAUDA, Jos

Plateau State House of Assembly has approved the request of Governor Caleb Mutfwang to acquire a loan facility of N15 billion to settle the backlog of salary arrears of the state Civil Servants which amounted to N11 billion and N4 billion for Agricultural inputs for farmers.

Governor Mutfwang gets the approval yesterday during the first plenary session of the 10th Plateau State House of Assembly since its inauguration last week Tuesday.

Speaker of the House, Hon.Moses Sule also read another communication from the governor, seeking to rejig the 2023 budget to reflect the current realities on the ground.

Two executive bills for a law to establish the Plateau State Law Reform Commission and for other matters connected to 2023 and a bill for a law to establish the Plateau State Citizens Mediation Center and for other matters connected, to 2023 passed first reading.

During the plenary, the Speaker also read letters from the three political parties that have elected members in the house for the nomination of other principal offices in the Assembly.

A letter from the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP in the state nominating member representing Bokkos Constituency, Ishaku Maren as Majority leader, Member representing Rukuba/Irigwe Constituency Ibrahim Agbalak as Deputy Majority Leader.

The member representing Mangu West, Bala Fwangje was nominated by the PDP as Chief Whip, and Nanbol Rimvyat of Langtang North Central is the Deputy Chief Whip. Young People’s Party also nominated a member representing Pankshin North, Gabriel Dewan as Minority Whip.

There was a drama when the Speaker read the letter from the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC containing the name of the member representing Wase, Ibrahim Adamu as Minority Leader while the member representing Shendam, Joseph Bukar notified the Speaker that he has a letter from his party the APC, nominating him as Minority Leader which he has also submitted same to the Clerk of the House.

Motion on the matter of urgent public importance was moved by Bala Fwangje of Mangu South on what he described as a frequent attack by Fulani herdsmen on the people of Mangu local government and some parts of the state.

Members took time to lend their voices to the motion, where they called on the state government to collaborate with security agencies and traditional rulers on intelligence information gathering to help curtail the frequent attacks.

They called on the security agencies to review their security strategy in the state and for government to direct SEMA to come to the aid of the affected communities and victims with relief support.

A minute silence was observed by the House members in honor of the deceased during the plenary.